The group finds what they’re looking for, and much more.
CW: This episode contains a reference to insects from 31:42 to 31:55. Please skip this section if this will be a bother to you, your safety is important to us.
The group follows the stairs to a room where a skeleton is manacled to the wall. Dawson attempts to free it when he realizes it belongs to one of his lost companions. However, his actions summon a necromancer that has been hiding within the temple depths.
The necromancer appears to shrug off many of their attacks, and focuses on bringing Dawson under their spell. When they’re finally defeated, Dawson is left to face his past failures.
Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Wren @ThornyDryad, and Graeme @graemecrackerz1
Transcript by Wren
Upbeat piano intro music ends [00:27]
Tense music fades in [00:29]
Graeme (as Dawson): Now, this is Dawson Sawyer reportin' in for Roads Uncharted. Last time, we delved deeper into the ancient Temple of Brinde. Coming to a series of doors and rooms that, despite our best efforts in ascertaining if they were trapped, weren't (at least to our knowledge). Continuing further on and further into the depths of this temple in search of my former adventuring party. We came across no hide or tail of them, but instead discovered an ossuary full of skulls and gems and a golden sarcophagus in a room with scratch marks at the door.
Dax: Eight, Rou and Dawson. We left off last week with you opening a door leading to a set of stairs.
Kappa: And they go down, right?
Dax: Mhmm.
Graeme: Is there any movement from the coffin as the door opens?
Dax: No.
Kappa: I'm going to extend my torchlight further down the stairs. Do I see the bottom?
Dax: You do not.
Kappa: This doesn't matter, I'm going to go anyway, I just want to know.
Dax: You just want to know? [chuckles] No, you do not.
Wren: Is- is this a winding staircase, or is it just a straight-shot stair?
Dax: From what you can see it's straight-shot.
Wren: Okay.
Graeme: Is there any dried blood on the stairs?
Kappa: Do I see any dried blood?
Dax: You do not. But I will say that the stairway and the tunnel that it's in are stone.
Kappa (as Rou): Okay, seems like the coast is clear. Um, nothing is attacking us so I-I-I think that progression here is the right move.
Kappa: I'm going to start heading down the stairs.
Dax: Alright, so Rou is going first.
Graeme: I'll bring up the rear.
Wren: I will proceed in the center. Are there scratch marks similar to what was on the door along the floor or the walls or anything?
Dax: Give me a Perception check. Give it to me at medium difficulty, please.
Wren: I'd love to. I'm bad at this. [Dice rolls] I have three Failures! Everything looks perfectly normal!
Dax: I'll say that because of the rough-hewnness of this stone, it's a little difficult to tell.
Wren: I'm too enamored with the composition of the rock. Just like,
Wren (as Eight): Oh look! This is sandstone. [gasps] And this appears to be made out of some form of igneous rock! Did you know that igneous rocks are created through volcanic activity? Oh, yes! It's quite true. I learned an awful lot about geology in my mother's study.
Kappa (as Rou): I mean, I guess that makes sense.
Dax: Eight would definitely be the Bill Nye of Rejiev if Eight were to have a science show.
[Kappa laughing]
Wren (as Eight): I also have to question how this dungeon remains so dry this far down underground. There must be an amazing air-exchange mechanism somewhere in all of this -
Wren: And I'll just gesture broadly with my hands.
Wren (as Eight): - dungeoneering, as it were! I mean, smell that air! [sniffing sounds, then exhales] Please smell that air. I cannot do it, so I would like for someone to tell me.
Kappa (as Rou): Sure, I'll sniff the air.
[Kappa makes sniffing noises]
Wren (as Eight): Is it fresh?
Kappa (as Rou): No. Absolutely not.
Wren (as Eight): Oh. Well, perhaps it has enough airflow to keep it from becoming moist down here. But not enough to keep it from becoming stale.
Kappa (as Rou): It smells like igneous rock.
Wren (as Eight): [long pause] I can only imagine what that smells like.
Wren: And I will just be, like, descending the stairs, holding my lantern and thinking about that the whole time.
Kappa: Yeah, and I'm focused on ahead.
Graeme: Every, like, ten steps down the stairs I'm taking a look back to the top.
Dax: The door stays open for as long as you can see it. You follow these stairs, which do start to wind, eventually. It is a slow turn. But eventually you do realize you are going in a spiral. You probably are following the stairs for a good two flights before you end at an archway that leads to a room beyond a very short hallway. Like, we're talking just a couple of feet. Um, the room itself, from what you can see from the bottom of the stairs appears to be very large and open and there appears to be what potentially could be, I would like to say furniture, but it is pretty crumpled and destroyed at this point. So, you just see masses of wood and stone without going any further.
Kappa (as Rou): It's just more of the same evidence that there were people here. Maybe, perhaps, but no telling how long ago that was.
Graeme (as Dawson): Yeah, I mean, at least from the skulls that I took a look at, at least a few centuries, it seemed.
Dax: Dawson, give me a Vigilance check, please.
Graeme: I would love to. I’ve got two points in that!
Wren: You get two Boost die because you are very close to your good friend, Eight!
Dax: Difficulty is going to be two, so medium difficulty.
Graeme: Okay. Wonderful. I would like to Seize the Adventure and take that Story Point we gave you last time, back!
Dax: Okay.
Graeme: And then I'm going to use it, subsequently, and Boost that green die. [Dice rolls] Two Successes.
Dax: Dawson, as you and Rou are talking about how this room just seems to be more of the same, you happen to notice out of the corner of your eye at the very edge of your sight from the doorway, is what appears to be a skeleton against the wall.
Graeme: Uh, I'm gonna – well, I'm in the back, so they can't see me. I'll be like,
Graeme (as Dawson): Hold up! Hold up, now!
Wren (as Eight): What's the matter, friend Dawson?
Graeme (as Dawson): There's a skeleton in the corner.
Kappa: I'll turn towards all of the corners except for that one.
[Graeme laughs]
Graeme: I'll point towards the corner and then peek out. Is it armed? Or is it a skeleton that is just ‘ugh I got killed here’. Or is it one that looks like it's standing guard and animated?
Dax: It is a skeleton that appears to have been left, manacled to the wall.
Graeme: Is there any gear or armor or weapons near them?
Dax: Hard to tell from this distance.
Graeme (as Dawson): Uh, I think we should check out that skeleton. It looks manacled to the wall, which ain't a great sign, 'cause that means someone put them there. Or some thing.
Wren (as Eight): The last skeleton we came across was talking and had also been left somewhere. So, perhaps this one will also be friendly.
Graeme (as Dawson): I mean, one can hope.
Graeme: I will pat Rou on the shoulder.
Graeme (as Dawson): I know that you like to announce your intentions before going into any rooms, so...you know. I'll let you.
Kappa (as Rou): I mean, sure. Yes. It's more of like a "please don't harm me" [chuckling] – so, please don't harm us!
Kappa: Does anything happen?
Dax: Nope. Nothing happens.
Graeme (as Dawson): Hey, you know one of these days, it's going to work. Something is gonna -
Kappa (as Rou): It has worked before, that's the thing! It has worked already.
Graeme (as Dawson): Alright.
Graeme: I'm going to keep my hammer out and hope that the small amount of heat and light that comes off of the flickering, volcanic mace – not mace, warhammer - gives me enough light as I kind of approach the skeleton.
Dax: You approach this skeleton and you notice that there is a specific set of armor that looks very familiar to you. Which armor would this have belonged to?
Graeme (as Dawson): I recognize this armor. This was our rogue. Well, my friend.
Graeme: I guess I give a once over of the body and then look at the manacles and I am just going to smash the chains.
Dax: With your hammer?
Graeme: Yeah.
Dax: Give me an attack roll. Medium difficulty.
Graeme: Sure. [dice rolls] Three Successes, one Advantage.
Dax: And one slam from your hammer and you are able to crush the chains. Though they were iron, they appear to be rusted and break relatively easily. And when you do so, the skeleton kind of crumples to the ground. The armor really the only thing that's keeping it in any recognizable shape.
Graeme: As it kind of crumples, I'm going to pull off my bag and I'm going to pull out – almost like a picnic blanket, but you can see that there are, like, six or so of them that have been stacked in my bag. And I'm going to unfold it and I'm going to very solemnly pick up the armor and the bones and put them in the bag before tying it. And, I think that as I'm doing that, Dawson is just kind of muttering to himself,
Graeme (as Dawson): You ain't meant to stay down here, bud. You were meant to be up there in the sunlight. I'm gonna' get you out. Don't you worry.
Dax: As you are tying this blanket up and these words are being ushered forth from your lips. You all notice chandeliers that were on the ceiling and a few sconces that had been along the walls suddenly light up and a dark purple smoke starts to form out of nothing. At first, it's small. And then it grows larger and larger and within its center you start to notice a black, humanoid shape appearing. You hear a deep throated chuckle and a voice that says,
Dax (as mysterious voice): Take my guardians, will you? Well, maybe you would like to replace them?
Dax: And I would like everybody to give me a simple Cool check as we go into initiative.
Kappa: Super cool! Oh, shit! [humming a battle theme] Where is my Cool?
Music shifts to an eerie string [11:17]
[Dice rolls]
Kappa: Two.. two Success? Two Success.
[Dice rolls]
Graeme: Four Advantages?
[Dice rolls]
Wren: I have three Success!
Dax: Alright. There is a single PC slot that gets to go. Who would like to go and what are you doing?
Kappa: I'll go. It seems that Dawson is preoccupied and will probably be – I don't want to say slow to react – but a little distracted. Do you think that's fair? Okay.
Kappa (as Rou): Dawson, there's- there's a purple smoke monster here!
Kappa: And I will sort of, not chuck my torch, but sort of stab my torch in that direction. I don't know if that counts as anything, but I want to, like, try and recognize.. see if I recognize anything about this individual.
Dax: I will say that the talking and the torch thrusting can technically count as your Incidental. If you want to try and recognize what this thing is – give me -
Kappa: I would like to do that, yes.
Dax: Give me a Forbidden Knowledge check, please.
Kappa: Forbidden Knowledge! I have nothing in that, but I do have two Intellect, so...
Dax: And give it to me at hard difficulty.
Kappa: Hard diff. Okay, here we go.
Graeme: Take one of those Story Points!
Kappa: Should I?
Dax: It's up to you.
Graeme: We've got three.
Kappa: Okay, I'll take a Story Point.
Dax: Alright.
Kappa: I don't want to Boost a die. I want to affect the story in a way where we're – I'd say, maybe something in passing back at the – at Kidohlva, maybe I, like, read a line somewhere that pertains to something like this. I don't know, you're mulling it over.
Dax: I'm thinking because you're not.. you're not changing the dice to yellows, so we're going to insert – I have an idea. Okay, roll your dice.
[Dice rolls]
Kappa: Ooh, okay. That is three Threats and one Success.
Dax: I will address your threat in just a second. As far as success, I will say that just the creature itself, you're not entirely sure what it could be, but then you happen to notice that there is this weird, like, rune on their smoky chest, which you almost didn’t notice at first glance. And that's what triggers it for you. So, that's what we'll use that Story Point for. We'll insert that rune and that is what triggers what this is. And you know that that rune is usually something related to necromancy.
Kappa: Cool.
Dax: And as far as the Success goes, what specific part of necromancy is probably a practitioner.
Kappa: Oh.
Dax: This is a form that they can take based on how many years of study that they have. So...
Kappa: Okay. I will stand my ground. I'm not going to move away or towards. But I'm going to stand my ground and as I do, I'm like,
Kappa (as Rou): Purple monster. It might be some sort of necromantic [intentional garbled mumbling].
Kappa: I fumble my words.
Dax: Oh my god, Rou. Okay. Cool. Yeah. So, you fumble, that's fine. That's totally fine. With that, this creature is going to raise a hand. This black, humanoid shape is going to raise a hand and the purple smoke that appears to be covering their entire body by their hand turns to this orangish-reddish glow and as they do so a door opens from the floor and out come a group of skeletons. And, Dawson, they all wear very familiar armor. PC slot.
Wren: I will go if Dawson does not mind?
Graeme: Feel free.
Wren: Rou, do you point out that glowy rune? Or is it pretty obvious, GM, that there's this glowy rune on the.. the foe commanding these skeletons?
Dax: It's one of those...it's – if you're really looking at it, you would notice it. It's not like it's a bright color or anything. So, it is kind of dark.
Wren: I'm thinking I might want to try and dispel magic on it. This character is being given form through some sort of magical art. If I can sever that connection, perhaps that will give us a respite or it will just get rid of them. So, I would like to try that.
Dax: So, dispel is going to be hard difficulty automatically. Now, it ends an effect that's on the target.
Wren: Is the effect giving them form? [Laughs] Or perhaps makes them revert back to whatever their true form is?
Dax: I will say that this is not an effect that – what is – what is going on with them specifically is not an effect that you can dispel.
Wren: Okay.
Dax: However, if you want to try it and see what might happen, you are more than welcome to do so. I'm just saying as far as the necromancer themselves is concerned, it's not going to do anything. And you, as a practitioner of magic, might know that.
Wren: I will still cast it. Perhaps I can sever the link to these skeletons or something. Maybe that's an ongoing effect, I'm not sure. But I'll just roll and see what happens. [Dice rolls] [sing songy] La la la. Two Success and a Threat.
Dax: Alright. Go ahead and take a Strain for that threat. This is the first time you've dealt with something like this, it's a little terrifying. What does this dispel look like as it goes off?
Wren: I level the lantern at this swirling, gaseous individual and I point the stick and I say to them,
Wren (as Eight): Relinquish your control on friend Dawson's friends' skeletons.
Wren: And my eyes will go from violet to a lightish red. Not really super crimsony, but red enough. And there would be, kind of like a counter-smoke that comes out of the tip of the stick and it basically will be like a bluish, cyanish tinge. The opposite of the spectrum of color that they created when they summoned the skeletons, essentially, and it will kind of wisp it's way over to them and start to wrestle with the purple smoke and some of the other residual magic effect that they have going on. And we'll see what happens with it.
Dax: As this spell goes off, Dawson, you happen to notice that you suddenly feel a lightness in your chest. As if some sort of pressure that had been there, that you hadn't even noticed, was gone. Eight, do you have anything else on your turn that you would like to do?
Wren: Uhhhhhh, Action. Maneuver. I will take a defensive stance for the next round. Bracing myself for any counter-attack or counter-spell.
Dax: That's good. Alright. It's the next NPC slot. These skeletons are shambling forth towards the group of you. And they get close to you, Dawson, and they all are reaching out their hands to you and try to grab you. Tell me again: what's your Brawl – Brawn? Sorry.
Graeme: Brawn is three.
[Dice rolls]
Dax: All three of them, despite your attempts to try to shake them off and keep them at a distance, all three of them are able to grab you and start to try and push you down towards the ground. That is it for them. Dawson, I believe you are the last PC slot.
Graeme: I think Dawson, for a significant moment doesn't fight them. There is this disbelief that, you know, after at long last finding his friends, I think that when he collides with the ground is when he gets snapped out of this stupor. And he utters a prayer to Baradesh.
Graeme (as Dawson): This ain't right! They deserve to rest. And I'm so tired, but...they deserve better than what I can offer them.
Graeme: And I'm going to try to break out of their grasp if I can.
Dax: Yeah, so, go ahead and give me a Brawl to get out of it. Because, usually, if you were prone, it's a Maneuver – you have to spend a Maneuver to get out of prone. But you're not prone yet. So, yeah. Let's just- let's just do- let's just do a Brawn check and try and put – because you're not completely to the ground yet. They're in the process of putting you down. Medium difficulty, two purple.
Graeme: Okay. [Dice rolls] One Success.
Dax: You are able to push the skeletons off of you.
Graeme: And I still have a Maneuver? Is that correct?
Dax: Mhmm.
Graeme: I think that Dawson is definitely not trying to injure his friends, in any way, when he gets loose and he is more, like, pushing them back while not trying to inflict any damage to them directly. And as soon as he rises to his feet, like, regains his footing, he is going to charge towards the smoky figure with his warhammer. I don't think I can close the distance, but he is trying to get at least halfway there.
Dax: And, with that, the purple-cloaked figure raises up their other hand and when they do so, Eight, you start to feel this weird sensation in your darkwood core. You almost feel like the air around you starts to circle and move. And you can feel it going in and out of the fibers of your being and as it does so, I need you to take nine damage before Soak. And then we are back at the top of the round. So, PC slot.
Graeme: Mind if I take the first one? [pauses] Alright, I would like to get up to this smoky figure and give him a good ol' smash with the hammer, if possible.
Dax: You want to try and smash the...
Graeme: Yeah, the necromancer.
Dax: Okay, alright. Yeah, I mean, if you want to, go right ahead. They're, they're kind of, like, standing there. It's not like they're floating in the air or anything like that. Go ahead and it is going to be three purple for this attack. Er, three- three red. Not three purple. Three red, for this attack.
Graeme: Alright, three red. Uh, and I have two yellows for Heavy and then one green for Brawn. [dice rolls] Three Advantages, two Failures.
Dax: So you fail with style. As far as your Advantages go, you have your options that are pretty standard where you can recover some Strain, you can spend two to notice a thing.
Graeme: Uh, so, I do have a Maneuver I would like to use, then, by spending three Advantages. Because I would like to Bull Rush them. Which is "spend three Advantages or Triumph after making an attack to knock something prone or push."
Dax: Yeah, you can do that if you wanted.
Graeme: Yeah?
Dax: Yeah.
Graeme: So, I would like to knock them to the ground.
Dax: Okay. So, the attack.. so, why don't you explain how this looks. You did fail. You didn't exactly hit them with your hammer, but you Bull Rush them. So, what does this look like?
Graeme: Yeah, so, uh, as I charge through towards them, I think I come forward with, like, this heavy-handed over-the-head swing with the full force of an adventurer with decades of experience wielding this hammer. The molten hammer ignites the igneous rock that makes it up, flickering with this flame, and I slam it down and this kind of purple shield, almost, kind of deflects the blow and it's not able to find any purchase or hit its target. But as it connects, the heat that comes off of the hammer almost like a concussive force just kind of blasts the smoke down.
Dax: As you collide with this individual..you feel some sort of weight to them. You are able to knock them down. But at the same time, it almost feels very lightweight, as if you are running into a body full of feathers and not really a solid person. An NPC slot is up next. The necromancer suddenly becomes very translucent and actually stands up and stands up through you, Dawson, before, in a blink of an eye, transporting to another section of the room. And they are now floating up in a corner. PC slot.
Kappa: The necromancer is floating up and what has become of the, uh, the adventuring party that is now skeletons?
Dax: They are in a clump where Dawson was. They haven't moved yet.
Kappa: Okay, seeing Dawson is over fighting the necromancer, I'm going to try and keep this pile of bones distracted and I'm going to approach and start stomping on kneecaps.
Dax: Alright!
Kappa: Just...
Kappa (as Rou): Ew! Ew!
Kappa: As I do.
Dax: Go ahead and give me, if you're actually using your feet, give me a Brawl check. Medium difficulty, please.
Kappa: Cool. [Dice rolls] Ooh. Ooh! Okay. That is three Successes and… no threat? No, that's it. Three Successes.
Dax: And how much damage is that?
Kappa: Uh, let's see. So, my Brawn is two. So, two.
Dax: You start stomping on kneecaps and you hear the sound of bones cracking.
Kappa (as Rou): Ha ha! Yes, take that! Dawson, I'm distracting them!
Graeme (as Dawson): [Straining] Thanks!
Graeme: [Laughing] Just slamming the hammer, willy nilly.
Dax: Anything else for you, Rou?
Kappa: Ummmmmm, no. That's it.
Dax: Eight?
Wren: Do I know anything about necromancers?
Dax: Eh, so, Mother told you a little bit about them and about how it's...A lot of people tend to shun them. She didn't really get too much into them other than the basic definition of what they do, so, raising the dead and that kind of thing. I will say that she did not paint them in a, like... So, GM to player, you and I both know that in a lot of RPGs and lore, necromancers are painted to be evil and they have that kind of stigma around them?
Wren: Mhmm.
Dax: All that Mother said was that there are a lot of people that shun them because they tend to be afraid of them because raising somebody from the dead is just not natural. She in no way painted them in a way that would make you think that necromancy equals evil, if that makes sense?
Wren: Okay. So, I understand and I will yell to the smokey figure in the corner,
Wren (as Eight): You are just lonely! You have no friends, so you've just been making your own. I understand! You've been by yourself for all of these years. Is there any way that we can, I don't know, ease your trouble? And come to some sort of peaceful solution to this unnecessary conflict?
Wren: I will wait for a response from them.
Dax: Picture a Ganondorf laugh, that's what you hear.
Wren: Not a Ganondorf laugh! Aw. It's so condescending.
[Kappa laughs]
Wren: Fine, alright. I will cast an attack spell.
Wren (as Eight): If you won't work towards peace, then we will leave you in pieces! ...Of smoke.
Dax: Wow, Wren.
Kappa: That's very good, yes.
Wren: I will use a Maneuver to channel an attack spell.
Dax: And just so the group knows there are currently three Story Points on the GM side and one on the player side, right now.
Graeme: Yep, yep. Don't worry. I'll be taking one of those next session! [laughs]
Dax: Wren, are you okay?
Wren: Mhmm. I forgot that I have Scathing Tirade.
Dax: Do you want to retroactively use that?
Wren: It's an Incidental, so maybe when I was talking to him we can say that I was using Scathing Tirade, as well?
Dax: Sure. Sure. Remind me again what that does?
Wren: Make an average Coercion check and for each success I generate the necromancer will suffer one Strain!
Dax: Now, give me a quick question, is Scathing Tirade technically a combat?
Wren: It just says to make a Coercion check.
Dax: Okay, so we'll just rule "no".
[Dice rolls]
Wren: After I cancel everything out, I have one Success. So they'll take one Strain. And then I will cast my magic spell at them since that's an Incidental. When they realize they- they're being judged as lonely. Also, just so that you know, he will add one Setback to all skill checks they make for a number of rounds equal to my ranks in Coercion. So, for two rounds, this character will suffer a Setback because of my Improved Scathing Tirade.
Dax: Okay, cool.
Wren: And now I will cast my attack spell. Alright, I will...So, it starts off as easy to cast the spell.
Dax: It's three red.
[Dice rolls]
Wren: Aw, it's a Failure and a Despair. [Sighs] Oops!
Dax: This spell doesn't go off. But while I say that it does go off, it kind of backfires on you. You feel this kind of wave of almost really harsh wind come back at you, Eight. So, I'm going to need you to take a Setback next turn.
Wren: I'm also running out of Strain.
Dax: Okay, and with that, the necromancer is going to start to chant and as they do so...ew, I don't like this. I don't like this at all. I don't have enough dice. They start to chant and, uh, it almost sounds like the sound of scarab beetles crawling against stone. It's very dissident and it does not sound like words. And then it suddenly stops and nothing appears to have happened. We're at the top of the round: PC slot.
Wren: Would you like your friend, Eight, to go?
Dax: Mhmm.
Wren: After stumbling back with that wave of awful that just happened to me, I will take the stick and lower it for a moment and say,
Wren (as Eight): You've corrupted this tomb with your malevolent power and your poor attitude! You're grounded!
Wren: And I would like to do my Improved Scathing Tirade again.
Dax: Go ahead.
[Dice rolls]
Wren: Geez, I have two Failures but I have an Advantage, so they still suffer one Strain. And from there, I am going to do something I've never done before. I'm going to use my sling that I have!
Dax: I forgot that you had that.
Wren: Right? Um, so, I will pull out this little cloth strap and I kind of heft it with one hand and I reach down – I reach down real quick and pick up a pebble that's on the ground and I put it in the sling and just start whipping it and I say,
Wren (as Eight): I've never used this before! I was told that the best adventurers -
[Dax laughs]
Wren (as Eight): Use these types of weapons.
Wren: And I'm just spinning it the whole time as I'm saying this.
Wren (as Eight): And in pursuit of justice, I will sling!
Wren: And I will attempt to sling. It's a Ranged Light check and my Ranged Light is, well, my Ranged, is [starts laughing] just Agility, which is one.
[Kappa laughs]
Wren: And no ranks. So, this guy's at short range? That's going to be a purple and Adversary three?
Dax: Mhmm.
Wren: So, we're upgrading three times. So, red.
Dax: Yep.
Wren: Second one makes a purple and the third one makes a red. So, I attack. [Dice rolls] Holy crap, that's two Threat, but I have a Success. So that's going to be four! Four damage before Soak.
Dax: You hear a "dink" -
[Kappa laughing]
Dax: - as the pebble bounces off of their shoulder.
Wren (as Eight): Yeah! That's what you get for fooling with other people's lives! Are you ready to surrender?
[Kappa laughs]
Wren: What would you like to use those two Threats to do?
Dax: I'll use the Threat to give him a Boost on his next check!
Wren: [Quietly] Oh no!
Dax: Alright, so, at that, it's an NPC slot. The three skeletons are now going to try and take you, Rou, since you're there smashing their knees.
Kappa: Yeah!
Dax: So, the skeletons are going to go after you.
Kappa: But they can't, because they got no knees!
Dax: Well…[chuckles] your two Brawn doesn't really do too much.
Kappa: [laughing] I know, I know.
Dax: One of them reaches down and draws what appears to be a rusty dagger and it is going to try to make a jab at you, Rou, since you are pretty close. Take that with two purple. [dice rolls] Ooooh! Ooh. So, Rou, that is going to be five damage before Soak.
Kappa: Okay.
Dax: And...
Kappa: Oh, and there's an "and". Great.
Graeme: Tetanus!
Kappa: It's okay, werewolves have immunity to tetanus and lyme disease.
Dax: Rou, give me a d100 check, please. Er, just roll me a d100.
Kappa: Okay. Let me find my d100.
Wren: Didn't know you were going to need some of those regular dice, now did you?
Kappa: No! Never do! Okay, hold on. Here we go, here we go. [dice rolls] Eighty-one!
Dax: Okay. You are winded. You cannot voluntarily suffer Strain to activate abilities or gain additional Maneuvers until you heal this Critical Injury.
Kappa: [gasps] Oh!
Wren: You were critically hurt by skeletons.
Kappa: It's that tetanus.
Dax: It's the rusted dagger, it's tetanus, man. I'm telling you. Alright, the next two PC slots. Who wants to go?
Graeme: Am I able to hit the necromancer with the hammer at where they are?
Dax: So, they're up in the air, kind of at an angle. You can't stand under them and hit them. If you want to try to throw the hammer or another weapon, you can probably do that.
Graeme: Oh, I mean, that's fair. This is the moment where I go "Ranged weapons, what are those?" [Laughing] So instead, I'm going to open my bag and pop out a potion.
Dax: Okay.
Graeme: Actually, can I grab two potions? I'm not going to drink both. I'd like to drink one and then toss one to a companion.
Dax: So, I'll say to grab a potion out your bag is going to be your Incidental. To drink would be your Action. They don't really have those kinds of rules in this system. So, I will just say – I will say that you can suffer your Maneuver to toss!
Graeme: Okay. So, I'm going to pop an Immunity Elixir and I'm going to toss a Regen Elixir over to Rou.
Kappa: Oh, sweet!
Graeme: Now, do I know what any of these mean? No. But Dawson does, maybe.
Dax: You would hope!
Graeme: I hope! I found these lying on the ground once and I thought they were important. [Laughs]
Dax: Alright, so you pop out the elixir, you toss one to Rou as you are drinking that one?
Graeme: And that's it for me. Also, I don't remember what the Immunity Elixir does. I just assumed that it means that I am beefy and nothing can hurt me, even emotionally.
Dax: Alright. So, I think that that leaves Rou.
Kappa: Okay. I would like to drink this potion of regeneration. That tetanus attack really caught me off guard. So, it's a simple something check?
Dax: Simple Resilience.
Kappa: Okay. [In a sing-songy voice] Simple Resilience...what do I have? Ooh!
Dax: You heal one Wound for each Success and one Strain for each Advantage.
Kappa: [laughs] Oh, shit! Okay. That's one Advantage and four Successes!
Dax: Alright, so you heal four Wounds - up to four wounds and heal one Strain. Your Critical Injury is still in effect, though.
Kappa: That's fine. That's okay. Um, I guess that that was my action?
Dax: Yes. And that was more for the audience's perspective, not necessarily yours.
Kappa: Cool. If possible, I'd like to Maneuver so that I am not surrounded by these things or so that it would be difficult to be surrounded by the three skeletons.
Dax: Yeah, you can take a Maneuver to get away from them.
Kappa: Okay, cool. That is what I do.
Dax: Okay. And, with that, the necromancer is going to swoop down towards Dawson. And as they do so, Dawson, you feel this iron cold grip on your throat. [Dice rolls] Dawson, you feel this ice cold grip on your neck and you start to feel yourself suffocate. I would like you to take six wounds before Soak.
Graeme: Okay, so with five Soak...
Dax: You take one wound.
Graeme: Ha! Little does he know, he's now within melee range.
Wren: Check and mate.
Graeme: [Laughing] It's all part of my elaborate move!
Dax: And we're back to the top of the round.
Graeme: Might I, gentlemen?
Kappa: Sure!
Graeme: First I am going to use a Maneuver, which is Coordinated Assault. And I would like to give an engaged ally advantage to combat. They can be up two ranges away, this ally, and they get an advantage. Whichever one of you wishes to have it may take it. And then I'm going to swing my hammer.
Dax: Give me that attack!
[Dice rolls]
Graeme: Two Successes, one Advantage and one Despair.
Dax: Okay, so what's your damage?
Graeme: My damage is four. But it does have the specials of Concussive and Burn.
Dax: Yup, and, so...how many Advantages did you roll?
Graeme: I rolled one.
Dax: And for your Despair. This weapon of yours collides with the necromancer and as it does so, you watch as these cracks form in the black body of this figure. You watch as those cracks in their bright purple essence cover almost their entire body. Before suddenly they shrink back to the center where your hammer was and your hammer ignites into a ball of flame. You are forced to drop your weapon.
Graeme: Alright, I will drop the hammer. And, odd question, but do I recognize the voice?
Dax: I would say that it sounds familiar in the sense of it sounds like a lot of other people that you've encountered over your years of adventuring but does it belong to a specific person you might recognize? No.
Graeme: Alright, that's it for me.
Dax: With that, the skelemens are going to go again. They are going to try and stab Rou. They're going to take a Maneuver to get closer to Rou and then they're going to try and stab again. They actually are fumbling pretty bad. I mean, for ex-adventurers, these skeletons are not great at what they were tasked to do.
Kappa: Listen, it's the knees, yo!
Dax: It is the knees and you feel like this- this dagger kind of just glance against your armor. PC slot.
Kappa: I would like to counter-attack, this time! Swinging my sword. Just as a sweeping motion to try and knock, one, deal damage. And I am aiming at their arms and hands and stuff. Hopefully, just, in case something cool happens. So, that's going to be Melee Light. And you said this is medium? Or does it matter?
Dax: It will be medium for these guys.
[Dice rolls]
Kappa: Okay! One, two. That's one Advantage.
Dax: Recover some Strain? [chuckles]
Kappa: I have no Strain to recover! Can I- can I Boost someone else?
Dax: You can. You can add a Boost to the next allied character's check. So, you can't pick specifically but you can say whoever is the next person that activates.
Kappa: Yeah, whoever is the next person. I'll just say,
Kappa (as Rou): I've got them occupied, just in case and distracted.
Kappa: That's the Boost, I guess. I don't got to worry about it.
Dax: That works, yeah! I guess that means Eight?
Wren: For this turn I will continue to verbally assail the necromancer. Scathing Tirade! [Dice rolls] That's going to be a Triumph and a Threat. So, I would like him to feel really badly. [Laughs] I'd like him to feel real badly. So, basically, I say,
Wren (as Eight): Well, it's no wonder you don't have any friends, the way you treat us here! Gosh, you must have been living down here for so long that you forgot how to be polite and kind to people. Also, I didn't want to say anything, but, I bet your hygiene is pretty atrocious.
Wren: And that will cause one Strain because of the Triumph.
Dax: Okay.
Wren: And that's.. that's fun for me. I would.. I would just like this necromancer to feel bad. Perhaps, putting a Setback on the skeletons because their concentration is momentarily broken!
Dax: Okay, that's what you want to use your Triumph for?
Wren: Yeah.
Dax: Okay.
Wren: Or, upgrading their difficulty to their next check. One of the two. One of those two! Probably the upgrade. And then I would like to take a look at my sling, take a look at the fact that Dawson is engaged with this enemy and I will drop my sling and say,
Wren (as Eight): This will not work for this current situation. This requires a more personal touch.
Wren: And I will draw my meat tenderizer as a Maneuver. And I will forego my action to run into combat. Now, I'm not doing any actions. I'm just incidentaling and double maneuvering.
Dax: Okay, great. And Dawson, that necromancer is still engaged with you. You feel a tightness in your chest. [Dice rolls] I need you to take nine damage before Soak as you feel this icy, like, almost as if someone was reaching into your heart.
Wren: Oh no, anxiety!
Dax: Top of the round. Yeah, right?
Graeme: I don't mind going first. So, with it grabbing me, I'm going to take a look back at the two adventurers I suckered into this ordeal. As I'm pulling out my sword and a shield. And I am going to try and hit this individual with the sword and shield. That is...[Dice rolls] Two Successes and nothing else.
Dax: Okay! As you attack, you hear a voice in your head,
Dax (as the necromancer): You've lost, old man.
Dax: Anything else on your turn?
Graeme: Uh, so, as my blade kind of slams into this creature, I kind of, like, press up the shield. And I think that I get face-to-face wherever its approximation of a face is.
Graeme (as Dawson): I may be old, but you know what? I ain't ever gonna' let go! You'll have to kill me, but it doesn't matter. Every adventurer I ever trained is going to come here and get you one day. I've known you. You're the darkness and the terrifying behind each door. But you know what? You're just for now! In a decade, you won't matter. No one's going to remember your name! No one's going to care what you did! And that's something that I will beat you at!
Dax: The necromancer is going to take this opportunity to reach further in. [Dice rolls] Another nine damage before Soak as you feel this cold start to spread in your chest. Um, and I would also like you to roll me a d100, please.
Graeme: Sure. And I am at half health. I don't know if that plays any factor. I couldn't remember.
Dax: No, not unless you have any abilities that have to key off of that kind of stuff, so...
[Dice rolls]
Graeme: Right, that is fifty-one.
Dax: Alright, any time you make a check that requires your Presence or Willpower, you will increase the difficulty of those checks. You have a Fearsome Wound. That actually worked pretty well, narratively. Alright, PCs are up next, the last two.
Kappa: I want to punch a skull off of its frickin' shoulders! Or, better yet, I'd like to try and wrench it from its shoulders.
Dax: Yeah! Go ahead.
Kappa: Ha-chah! [Laughing] Can I use this as a Brawl check?
Dax: Yeah.
Kappa: Okay. Heheheh, I can now use my Cunning. Heheh, take that! [Dice rolls] [Laughs] Oh, oh my god! That is a Triumph, three Successes, and an Advantage.
Dax: Very nice! Okay. How much damage do you do with this?
Kappa: I use my Cunning instead of my Brawn, so that's three.
Dax: Uh huh, uh huh. What does this look like as you wrench this skull from this skeleton?
Kappa: I parry one of the knives and then I take my other hand and grab, like, a bowling ball, the eyes and the nose and yank it free.
Dax: And, as you do so, all three skeletons crumple to the ground.
Kappa: Oh!
Dax: What would you like to use your Triumph for?
Kappa: This is distracting to the necromancer and pulls the attention off of Dawson for a little while.
Dax: Yeah, if you want to say that very easily, mechanically, add another Setback to the necromancer. Alrighty. Anything else?
Kappa: Yeah, I would like to Maneuver in a way that I can throw this at the necromancer next turn! I want an easier time!
Dax: I mean...
Kappa: Yeah, I mean, that- that- that's really it. I'm moving myself into a clear shot for next turn.
Dax: Eight.
Wren: I'm going to aim and I’m gonna hammer! Sorry, I am going to tenderize this necromancer [laughing]
Kappa: Tenderize!
Dax: Tenderize. Ah, yes. The hammer. Okay.
[Dice rolls]
Wren: Alright, I have three Success left over. So, that's going to be three plus three plus hammer damage...three. So that's nine damage before Soak. As I basically just flip the hammer once and bring the pointy end of the meat tenderizer down on the smokey form and just strike a few times. And each time, I am just saying,
Wren (as Eight): You! Must! Realize! Seasoned adventurers do not! Succumb! Easily!
Wren: And I will Scathing Tirade with that Incidental and I will make that check real quick. [Dice rolls] It's going to be two Strain from Successes. And then I had a Threat leftover. And that will be my turn.
Dax: This hammer strike hits and, again, you have that purple kind of crackling that occurs every time that you strike, Eight. And the necromancer kind of seems to just ignore you. He seems very focused on Dawson. [Dice rolls] Alright. Give me another d100 roll, please.
[Dice rolls]
Graeme: That is a sixty-three.
Dax: You are now Disoriented as you are slightly dazed from this coldness that is continuing to permeate throughout your body. And you're also going to take eleven damage before Soak.
Graeme: Alright! I'm still standing. Barely.
Dax: You hear in your head,
Dax (as the necromancer): Just go to sleep. It'll all be over if you just go to sleep.
Dax: Top of the round.
Graeme: I will pull out a healing potion and quaff it. Er, a Healing Elixir, or so they are called. And I don't know what they do. I just know that they have "healing" in the word. [Laughs] And I'm going to Maneuver out of this thing's grasp, because it's been playing with my heart too much today and I will just move back.
Dax: Okay. As you move back you hear the words,
Dax (as the necromancer): You shouldn't have left me alone.
Graeme: Did I leave someone here alive? Well, I guess technically all of them. But, for the Healing Elixir, do I have to roll anything?
Dax: They are, uh, imbue the taker with feelings of warmth and nourishment and are used to ward of illness. They do not actually heal injuries, although they can help comfort and stabilize an injured individual.
Graeme: In retrospect, I should have done one of the items that I know heals. [Laughs] Yeah, ‘cause I think the Healing Herbs actually heal wounds. So...
Dax: Yes, eleven herbs and spices, I think?
Graeme: I'd take that back I would do that, yes. But if I could retroactively switch out which one I did?
Dax: I will allow it, I will allow it because this has been a rough fight for y'all.
Graeme: So, I will use a Healing Herb.
Wren: [High pitched noise] That's a healing noise. [Repeated high-pitched noise]
Graeme: My blood is coming back into my body! [Laughs]
Dax: With Herbs of Healing, you have to make a Medicine check and the herbs actually give you an automatic Success and Advantage to the check, so go ahead and roll your Medicine check, easy difficulty. You're used to patching up wounds during combat.
[Dice rolls]
Graeme: One Success, one Advantage.
Dax: Two Success, two Advantage. So, you're going to heal four Wounds plus two Strain. Alright, and with that! As you get away, uh, the necromancer is going to use a Maneuver to get close to you again. This time, they're going to get right up in your face. And you feel, as they put their hand with their palm covering your face, you get this really cold sensation. [Dice rolls] You are going to take another eleven points before Soak and you hear in your head,
Dax (as the necromancer): Don't. Leave me. Again.
Dax: PC Slot.
Kappa: I'm going to chuck this skull at the back of this necromancer's head.
Dax: [laughs] Do you want to aim?
Kappa: I do want to aim.
Dax: Alright, take a Maneuver to aim and toss it. And give me a Ranged Light attack roll.
Kappa: Okay, range – Ranged Light.
Dax: Because, why not? I feel like Ranged Light is suiting- fitting for a skull.
Kappa: I can use my Cunning on this! Hell yeah! You said medium?
Dax: Yep, medium.
[Dice rolls]
Kappa: [laughing] It's a Triumph and that's it!
Dax: So that would be two, uh, what would you like to use the significant boon part of your Triumph for?
Kappa: I don't know if this- if this is mechanically possible. But if I was writing this as a show, the remains of whoever's skull I pulled interferes with the thoughts of this necromancer as they- their cranial spaces merge for a quick second. And whatever that does narratively or thematically or whatever is helpful to us!
Dax: Okay! This skull gets tossed and it smacks into the necromancer. Dawson, suddenly you feel that coldness leave your face. All of you watch as the necromancer floats away. You hear this high-pitched scream. The purple smoke and the figure within become smaller and smaller and smaller and eventually, until it's like this pin-pricked-like size and then you hear a very loud "pop" as it disappears. You are left alone in this room with a pile of bones and a very wounded party member.
Music shifts to a somber tune [56:15]
Kappa: I'd like to help Dawson up. I'll reach out with my hand.
Graeme: Yeah, I think Dawson looks pretty rough, like coughing up blood, blood is like dotting his lips.
Kappa: Yeah, I'll help you up and also prop you up over my shoulder or something like that.
[Graeme Coughing]
Kappa (as Rou): I mean, that wasn't – I used my head but it wasn't mine.
Graeme (as Dawson): Yeah, uh, I saw that. It was pretty good thinking.
Kappa (as Rou): Are you okay? You.. they were really focused on you.
Graeme (as Dawson): Yeah. Uh, I don't think they're gone. But they're somewhere. Maybe not here...
Dax: I would like the group to give me a group Vigilance check real quick.
Graeme: [in a nasally voice] As the mummy comes down the stairs, finally arriving! [Laughs] Oh no!
Kappa: I was going to say! Second form!
Wren: I have three Willpower.
Kappa: I have four Willpower.
Wren: I have one rank in Vigilance.
Graeme: I have two ranks in Vigilance.
Wren: Get two Boosts because of your buddy, Eight!
[Kappa and Wren laughing]
Kappa: So, who's rolling?
Graeme: Probably you?
Wren: Yeah.
Dax: It'll be easy difficulty.
Kappa: Easy difficulty, oh my god. I swear to god, if I have any failures on this...Yeah, okay. That's a lot of Successes and one Advantage. One, two, three, four, five, six. Six Successes.
Dax: As the three of you are standing together after this battle, you start to notice a very pale, blue energy. Very similar to what you saw with the necromancer, arrive. Out of it are three dark, humanoid figures and they take much clearer form so that you can see the faces of individuals that look very familiar to Dawson. You see the face of Forrester, Taylor, and Crick.
Graeme (as Dawson): That means that Delilah and Jezebel...
Graeme: I think I pull my arm off of Rou's shoulder and kind of stumble forward and be like,
Graeme (as Dawson): Well, hey gang. It's, uh, been a while.
Dax: You hear a very ethereal voice respond out of Forrester.
Dax (as Forrester): [Echoing] You look like shit.
Graeme (as Dawson): Yeah, well...got old.
Dax (as Forrester): [Echoing] Thanks for coming back for us.
Graeme (as Dawson): You know I'd never leave any of you down here.
Dax (as Forrester): [Echoing] Look, I know you couldn't do anything about what happened to us after you left.
Dax: Forrester kind of nudges Crick, because Crick was the one you took out during that last fight, right?
Graeme: Yeah.
Dax (as Forrester): [Echoing] Crick told us what you did. We made a mistake coming here. We didn't know that that thing had taken up residence. Just glad you got out.
Graeme (as Dawson): Not everyone is here, though.
Dax (as Forrester): [Echoing] Jezebel escaped.
Graeme (as Dawson): And Delilah?
Dax (as Forrester): [Echoing] She found a way out. We were… too big of fools to follow. We don't know what happened to Delilah, though.
Graeme (as Dawson): Well, I mean – I'm going to get you all out. I guess there was a whole lot inside of this place that I ain't been. Maybe she's over there? I'm not going to leave any of you behind here.
Dax (as Forrester): [Echoing] Just remember to give yourself some grace.
Dax: And the three forms of your former friends slowly disappear. And with that, if there's nothing else that anybody would like to accomplish, we'll end this session.
Music fades out [1:01:02]
Dax: Thanks for listening. We hope you'll join us next time. But in the interim, follow us on twitter @RoadsUncharted.
The Roads Uncharted podcast is GM'd and produced by Dax, who you can find on Twitter @GM_Dax. We use the Genesys RPG system published by Fantasy Flight Games and music licensed by Epidemic Sound.
Eight is played by Wren, who also composed the music for our opening theme. Follow them on Twitter @ThornyDryad.
Rou is played by Kappa, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheKappaChris.
Arthas, Champion of Offam, is played by Neil.
And Dawson is played by our guest, Graeme. You can follow him on Twitter @GraemeCrackerz1 and Twitch at twitch.tv/GraemeCrackerz.