Rotvalan Reveries Ep3: Leaving Coxhaven

 Run Date: May 6, 2024

PCs
Marymay: Lv1 Bard
Helena: Lv2 Bladedancer
Gwendolyn: Lv2 Fighter
Antony: Lv2 Mage

Hench
(Hired This Session)
Todd the Barber
Francois the Crossbowman
Harshnik the Lv1 Barbarian

Leaving Coxhaven

I want to preface this with something. I started running 1:1 time about a year ago, and one of the concerns I had always had was for what I refer to as “Roleplay Sessions.” The incentive to use session time for action is a big one, especially when combined with GP:XP situations. Time spent faffing about in town is time not spent shooting for loot. “Shopping sessions” are also not particularly exciting for the average player. Then there’s the open table and whether or not the people who arrive will agree to such a thing (for the previously stated reasons). Today’s session was one of those where everything lined up fairly well; a group that wanted granular in-session RP, a desire to set the groundwork for future endeavours, and the starting point to finding a new target.

Rotvalan Reveries Ep2: GM Made an Error in Your Favor: Collect 200gp

 Run Date: April 28, 2024

PCs
Antony: Lv1 Mage
Gwendolyn: Lv1 Fighter
Helena: Lv1 Bladedancer

Hench
None

GM Made In Error In Your Favor: Collect 200GP

There wasn’t much to resolve prior to the session. One player was out due to work, but replaced by a new one we picked up. After answering a few setting questions, the group gathered up their mercs and headed out of town with explicit instructions to avoid Porco Rosso.

The march to the Golden Sun took a bit longer this week because I remembered that forests slow expedition speed by 1/3. I also didn’t read up on weather rules to account for the recent rains (Sorry Alex!). Despite the delays, the group’s only encounter was a hamlet of pilgrims in charge of keeping an eye on the plains north of Coxhaven.

Rotvalan Reveries Ep1: A Fresh Start

 Run Date: April 21, 2024

PCs
MaryMay: Lv1 Bard
Antony: Lv1 Mage
Gwendolyn: Lv1 Fighter

Hench
None

Foreword

After Ep30 of Salkan Soiree, I sat down with my players to have a talk and work through feedback. The major points involved a low player count, poor signposting, and a lack of VTT or similar software for shared vision/communication. There was, however, interest in trying something at the Faction/Patron level. We tossed out a few joke ideas and settled on Capture the Flag. I’d intended to try this as a pseudo-battle braunstein but there was little commitment. More on that later.

For Capture the Flag, I wanted to set up a simple play area. This resulted in me reviewing the Judge’s Journal for settlement information and discovering that I had messed up… a lot. Though it didn’t hinder adventures, I found that the map’s spacing was too cramped. I wanted something closer to the Borderlands with its in-borders wilderness, swamps, hills, and other varied terrain. The new map is… better? I overshot the size and have a blank canvas to fill for years to come!

By the time I finished the map, it was time to review the factions for CTF… Asking for a simple alignment and two sentence concept to start was too much it seems. Still, three factions is better than zero, and messing with the map left a lot of time for my failures to sink in. The Braunstein idea was dead at this point, but I wasn’t ready to let it go yet. I also have to admit that my morale was pretty low. I pushed through it and tossed out the net to recruit new players for a new start, and forced myself on a timeline to avoid Prep Hell. The next couple weeks were draining (yep, Prep Hell) but I got the simple foundations set up.

What about Capture the Flag? I turned it into the primary opening hook. The factions were placed into the world and everyone would start time simultaneously. Worst case scenario, the Factions become tools I can use and didn’t have to spend time working on. Frankly, letting old players make things for the world takes a lot off my shoulders. Anyhow, recruitment is currently ongoing and of the projected 6 players for this new start, only 3 showed up. Will I step up and run a proper campaign, or will it explode in my face?

A Fresh Start

The beginning of this session was predominantly jokes and chatter. Though it ate up nearly an hour of session time (one player was late), the initial rapport building was solid. It’s always energizing to hear folks’ excitement firsthand. After that, they decided to hire on some Mercenaries with extra funds and begin their trek to the Golden Sun. I didn’t mention it before, but the Golden Sun is our Flag; an Avarian (sky people) derelict crashed into the Greenwood north of Coxhaven and left a glowing fragment floating in the sky. Shamans, Seers, Diviners, et al know it contains something of great power.

Putting a reminder here that I run a “learning table” of sorts. I’m still learning myself, and I walk through how mechanics work while executing them. This tends to scale back over time until we’re rolling as most expect. Today’s discussions involved how encounters worked during travel, and what each subtype meant. First on the docket? Porco Rosso.

Soiree's End, Reveries Begin

 Run Date: July 15, 2024 

Kidding, no session here. I just like to timestamp.

Thirty episodes of Salkan Soiree, nearly 8 months worth of gaming, finally posted. I discovered I had a flaw in my Reports template that made copy-pasting them to the blog a chore. I may have found a fix but won't know until my reports catch up; I prefer to keep them on a time-delay to support fog of war.

I haven't reviewed all my Afterwords to see if I'm going in circles, but I want to use this "break post" to vocalize various things. Call it a rant as I'm prone to that.

Firstly, my goal for a while has been figuring out how to manage club-play. When I make decisions or work through mechanics, I try to imagine them in the context of "what if I had to do this for 20-30 people." I love ACKS 2, but I've still got a lot of work to streamline various processes and abstractions. Beyond my years running 5e at my FLGS, I'm hardly an experienced game master. I'm sure there are myriad systems I could steal borrow from.

Secondly, the new game picked up in Rotval, a human centric area closer to Golden Age Spain (Dunsany). During my review of things, I found out that I did a horrific job laying out the play area. My map was extremely cramped due to various misunderstandings with the system. I messed up while trying to fix things and ended up making my new map too large. Like, the Four Flag Accord is just a small corner of a greater continent too large. Oh well, at least I have a canvas for 10 years from now.

Thirdly, player count is still bumpy. I can't quite pin down whether this is my own resistance to advertising to the world and filtering out failures, or my own lack of skill in creation, execution, etc. Learning a system on top of my First Goal is daunting enough, and I know few have the patience for it. If there's one thing I can do, it's show up for session time and try to make the best of it. Trial by fire, as it were.

Finally, thanks to those that continue to answer my questions, ELI5, stick around for sessions, or even read my reports (they are pretty dry). That's all for now. Take care.

Salkan Soiree Ep30: Oppressive Darkness

 Run Date: March 13, 2024

PCs
Kimli: Lv1 Vaultguard
Delvinan: Lv1 Nightblade
Enddilas: Lv1 Spellsword
Mina: Lv2 Explorer
Gimli brother of Kimli: Lv1 Craftpriest

Hench
None

Oppressive Darkness

After purchasing some extra supplies, the party headed back to the Manse. On their way, they spotted a pair of giant hyenas. After several moments of consideration, the party decided to take the initiative and fire a volley at the approaching creatures; with poor results. Kimli had stepped forward and landed a solid strike with his crossbow, but the creatures soon closed the gap and tore him down. While the hyenas’ powerful jaws snapped through bone, the party fled.

They ended up circling around and arriving at the Manse after dark, pitched camp, then marched down. Along the passages just before the cavern system they discovered Kimli’s brother Gimli. After news of his brother’s demise was passed on, he agreed to help in the delve. It was no long before the group arrived at the first chamber and heard the sound of snapping and crunching.

Salkan Soiree Ep29: Mapping the Unknown

 Run Date: March 6, 2024

PCs
Mina: Lv2 Explorer
Dalinar: Lv2 Ravager
Delvinan: Lv1 Nightblade
Enddilas: Lv1 Spellsword
Zile: Lv1 Ruinguard

Hench
None

Mapping the Unknown

The group jumped right into things by heading to the Wolfe Manse where they discovered a small group of the hyena barbarians making camp; the leader of which was the unblooded they’d tried to hire previously. After several obligatory greetings, the party camped out in their usual spot. The delve began the following morning.

Moving at combat speed and trusting Delvinan’s navigational skills, the party quickly arrived in the caves. After a bit more exploration and mapping, they ran across a group of giant centipedes. While the party made short work of them, Dalinar was left poisoned. The party formed a retreat and staggered back to town. Replacing Dalinar was Zile.

Salkan Soiree Ep28: Hungry Like The Wolfe Manse

 Run Date: February 28, 2024

PCs
Delvinan: Lv1 Nightblade
Enddilas: Lv1 Spellsword
Thea: Lv3 Barbarian
Dalinar: Lv2 Ravager
Mina: Lv2 Explorer

Hench
Frieda the Draper
Achilles the Goldsmith

Hungry Like The Wolfe Manse

The session opened with the recruitment of two Lv0 henchmen. It’s not something I had lined up ahead of time so we took the opportunity to explore the NPC generation section in the Judge’s Journal. More on that later.

After recruiting a Draper and a Goldsmith (a pair the party decided were husband and wife), the group headed out back to the Wolfe Manse. Enddilas stripped down some of his plate to lighten the load and improve the group’s overall travel speed, allowing the party to arrive at the Manse at sunset. They spotted a lone lion on their approach, but it fled back into the savanna. Sometimes the encounter avoids you.

Salkan Soiree Ep27: Baited Hooks, Monstrous Bites

 Run Date: February 21, 2024

PCs
Mina: Lv2 Explorer
Delvinan: Lv1 Nightblade
Enddilas: Lv1 Spellsword

Hench
None

Baited Hooks, Monstrous Bites

We opened with the party reviewing new hooks and updated rumours. The object of their interest today involved a bounty hunt for whatever savage beasts were murdering people along the road south of Fayum. 50GP a head for extraordinary creatures? Sign them up.

The last time I’d run this sort of event, I was unsure how to “trigger” the encounter. It was a brigand hunt and the party just spent a week wandering up and down the road in the hopes of coming across them. Today we had the opposite happen. The very first encounter was against werewolves.

Salkan Soiree Ep26: A Bridge Too Far

Run Date: February 14, 2024

PCs
Mina: Lv2 Explorer
Maud: Lv2 Shaman (plus doggo)
Delvinan: Lv1 Nightblade
Enddilas: Lv1 Spellsword

Hench
None

A Bridge Too Far

A new wave of hooks met with a short discussion and the group deciding to find out what exactly is going on at the bridge site. For some reason or other, it’s taking longer than expected.

After the party handled their purchases in town and stocked for the trip, they headed south from Fayum on the road to Sherbin. They didn’t make it far before an incursion of orc raiders were spotted heading their direction. Mina took charge and lead the group out of sight. They arrived in Sideways a little while later.

Salkan Soiree Ep25: Hunting for Harambe

 Run Date: February 7, 2024

PCs
Helvezia: Lv1 Paladin
Fenric: Lv3 Thief
Mina: Lv2 Explorer

Hench
None

Hunting for Harambe

The party set out north from Sherbin in search of an old hook from like session 2 involving a shrine to an ape god. I feel like I’ve used that phrase before…

On the way up, they came across a construction site. The main bridge was out and detours were sending people west to a little hamlet called Duloc; where they attempted to cross a smaller, makeshift bridge. The party soon found themselves surrounded on both sides by the residents demanding a toll. The party, wanting no trouble, paid out 10gp and went on their way. They quickly passed through Fayum, and a new hamlet, Pilgrim’s Pass. Soon after, they ventured into the mountains.

Salkan Soiree Ep24: Picking the Bones

Run Date: January 31, 2024

PCs
Zen Po: Lv2 Crusader
Fenric: Lv3 Thief
Mina: Lv2 Explorer
Maud: Lv1 Shaman

Hench
None

Picking The Bones

The players decided to revisit the Vissus Burial and see if it held anymore secrets. Zen Po pulled out the map he’d started of the site while the others managed last minute shopping.

The trip to the Burial was uneventful, and the party quickly fell into rank to descend. Since they’d mapped the eastern half of the area, they decided to begin their trek south. The room they entered was a strange one with centered pillars bearing iconography of Vissus (six arms, snake body, snake hair, emerald sheen). The group spotted a chamber off to the west and sent Fenric to explore it.

Salkan Soiree Ep23: Treasure Hunting In The Drop

Run Date: January 24, 2024

PCs
Fenric: Lv2 Thief
Zen Po: Lv1 Crusader
Dalinar: Lv1 Ravager
Mina: Lv1 Explorer

Hench
None

Treasure Hunting in The Drop

The players came to the table with the express plan to return to The Drop and dig out whatever other wonderful trinkets might be down there. On the way there, they hit up Zardoz; the giant head-shaped rock.

Fenric walked around Zardoz to get a better look at the entire picture. He noticed that the back of the neck had a hollow in it, and discussed delving it with the group. This discussion took quite a bit of time, as the party was expecting to find a dungeon entrance. Fenric ended up sliding down first and finding that it was nothing more than a single “chamber.” The head itself was hollow with a small stone landing allowing viewing from behind the eyes. The group seemed to take little interest in experimenting or even looking around so I used Zardoz as a learning opportunity. “Yo, look through the eyes.” Zardoz’s eyes worked a lot like one of those viewing binoculars at major parks you use to see vistas. Simple, but effective. The response of, “This is worthless,” made me smile. Anyway, I explained to them that the world can sometimes have wondrous and magical points of interest, and that this example was their one freebie. Have fun boyos.

Salkan Soiree Ep22: The Drop

Run Date: January 17, 2024

PCs
Lucy: Lv2 Thief
Fenric: Lv1 Thief
Maud: Lv1 Shaman
Zen Po: Lv1 Crusader
Dalinar: Lv1 Ligerian Ravager
Mina: Lv1 Explorer

Hench
None

The Drop

Due to last week’s side venture, the group decided to focus on The Drop today. They’d spent the money on all that rope, why let it go to waste?

The travel there was smooth sailing, and the group found the volcano-shaped rise that signaled their location. They lashed some ropes together and spiked the top for some extra security; then headed down. Maud and her dog were sent down first to sniff out potential danger. Lucy followed after, but a hitch in the rope made her lose her grip and plummet to her death. She hit the stone floor with a loud crunch and desperately gasped for breath while her punctured lungs filled with blood (thank you Mortal Wounds table). After her untimely demise, the group realized they could have lessened the risk by lowering everyone and the final person doing the climbing. The Drop takes another life.

Salkan Soiree Ep21: New Group, Who Dis?

Run Date: January 10, 2024

PCs
Fenric: Lv1 Thief
Zen Po: Lv1 Crusader
Dalinar: Lv1 Ligerian Ravager

Hench
None

New Group, Who Dis?

You may have noticed various gaps in the dates of sessions. Such is life with a small table and busy people. I’ve started widening the net little by little to see if I couldn’t fill the table out a bit more, and only occasionally get a catch. An open table works best when you’ve got a solid and consistent core to serve as the foundation. Today’s session introduced a new player, and entirely new characters.

I explained the setup of the game and general expectations. We’re all learning, and it’s best to keep things simple and spread our wings as we practice. Once that was out of the way, the group decided to hit up a rumour involving a massive hole in the hills known as The Drop. Mysteries, treasure, and potential death awaited them. The party looked over their funds, purchased a bunch of extra rope, and headed into the eastern hills outside of Sherbin.

Salkan Soiree: Ep20: Below the Sanctum

 Run Date: December 27, 2023

PCs
Lucy: Lv1 Thief
Helvezia: Lv1 Paladin
Thea: Lv3 Barbarian
Zile: Lv1 Ruinguard

Hench
Vasher: Lv0
Matt: Lv0
Leena: Lv1 Priestess

Below the Sanctum

Slacking on writing so I don’t quite remember the opening situation, but the party decided to return to Ogavaka’s Sanctum and continue exploring it in the hopes of finding more treasure.

On the march to the Sanctum, the group came across a trade caravan. The merchants were quite friendly, and very open about having gotten a great deal on a rare and valuable weapon. The party inquired as to what it was and learned that the leader had won a hefty bet; earning a Flamebrand Sword. It was far too rich for the player’s blood, but everyone (excepting the Paladin) weighed the risk of stealing it. After a back and forth discussion, they settled for hoping the caravan would be killed by something else and they’d be able to pick the remains on their way home.

Salkan Soiree Ep19: Super Short: Return to Lionheart Mine

 Run Date: December 20, 2023

PCs
Zile: Lv1 Ruinguard
Lucy: Lv1 Thief
Helvezia: Lv1 Paladin

Hench
Matt: Lv0 Dunestrider

Super Short: Return to Lionheart Mine

Small group, short session. The players decided to continue exploring the Lionheart mine. They were making plans to hire on some workers and harvest the silver ore they discovered last time. This time, they also found the mine had more within.

While on the road, the party passed a patrol. After some simple pleasantries, they moved toward the cave haven and stayed the night. The following morning, the PCs arrived at the old Lionheart mine and discovered that what little vegetation the area had had become decrepit, dry, and black. They paid it no mind and descended straight into the mine.

Salkan Soiree Ep18: Faffing About

Run Date: December 6, 2023

PCs
Lucy: Lv1 Thief
Helvezia: Lv1 Paladin

Hench
Matt Lv0 Dunestrider

Faffing About

A couple of players and a real slow start. Tossed some dice, set up a scenario, and went to it. After deciding they didn't want to trek back to the Crystal Sanctum, and declining the other old hooks floating around; Lucy and Helvezia hung out in Sherbin and drank. Over several days, they learned about Sherbin's most hated drunk's manic exploits, and various commentary on how he should just be left to hang out in the savanna. 

As fate would have it, said drunk found his way into the PCs card game. After gaping silence and utter confusion, the pair managed to get a conversation going and quickly discovered the man used to be part of a mining crew. After some catastrophic event (ie: I don't remember), the mine had been abandoned, as was Mr Exploit. The pair bought the location for a drink after finding out it was an old silver mine. Then they packed up and set out.

Salkan Soiree Ep17: Return to the Crystal Sanctum

Run Date: November 29, 2023

PCs
Thea: Lv2 Barbarian
Ham: Lv1 Fighter
Lucy: Lv1 Thief
Helvezia: Lv1 Paladin

Hench
G'Mhattamantura aka Matt: Lv0 Dunestrider
Vasher: Lv0 Fighter
Leena: Lv1 Priestess

Return to the Crystal Sanctum

Today was the debut of a new player and character, as well as one of the stretch goal additions to the Revised Rulebook (Paladin, Warlock, Witch, btw). The players took the initiative and explained to the new guy the various hooks available, and some of the nuance of previous sessions. Once the pleasantries were over, the group settled in and started their trek outside Sherbin to meet up with Sarvus; who by this time looked more like an overgrown statue.

The trek back to Ogavaka's Sanctum was uneventful, but I did rehash the description of the light playing off the crystal for the benefit of our new guy. After staying the night in the usual kitchen, the party opted to hop straight into the dungeon and get hunting. Sarvus guided them to the meeting area, provided the metamphora, and wished them luck. At this time, I also got to explain the blood-activated fuller for the door.

Salkan Soiree Ep16: The Crystal Sanctum

Run Date: November 8, 2023

PCs

Ham: Lv1 Fighter
Thea: Lv2 Barbarian
Lucy: Lv1 Thief

Hench
None

The Crystal Sanctum

Feels like forever since the last session. Today the players decided to examine a hook that came up in the last week regarding a strange man asking for help for his master. The party headed outside Sherbin and found the heavily cloaked and wrapped man lying against the wall of a dilapidated farmhouse. As they called out, he pulled himself from the various vines and roots that had started to grow over him.

The PCs didn't pay much mind to the situation, only noting that the man's face didn't move; as if he was masked. He explained that his master needed people for a service, and was well-laden with gold to give as reward. Given the various issues they've dealt with in the past, some simple work for gold sounded pleasant.

Salkan Soiree Ep15: A Long Fall

Run Date: October 10, 2023

PCs
Dailorianne: Lv1 Explorer
Orla: Lv1 Shaman Thea: Lv2 Barbarian
Lucy: Lv1 Thief
Kelsyr: Lv1 Nightblade

Hench
None

A Long Fall

The Vengeance Crew picked up with their "leader" available for the session today. The primary goal is still the same: Earn Money, Buy Firebombs, Ruin the Crimson Daggers of Matai.

The party supplied themselves in Sherbin and decided to hit up a rumour of an unexplored hole in the eastern hills referred to as The Drop. On the way there, Orla stumbled down a rock face and lost a chunk of rations. Furthermore, by the time the party found The Drop, late evening had set in. They looked over the raised pit and decided to explore it in the morning. They then searched for a place to hunker down for the night.

Salkan Soiree Ep14: Autonomy and the Sandbox III: What Freedom Means

 Run Date: October 3, 2023

Dear Diary: Today I leaned hard into an idea and the players had fun. You know, sometimes I amaze even myself.

PCs
Bola: Lv1 Barbarian
Ham: Lv1 Fighter
Beatrice: Lv1 Explorer

Hench
None

Autonomy and the Sandbox III: What Freedom Means

The players jumped right in and decided to use new characters since they were missing their friend from the "Vengeance" crew. They reviewed some hooks and events of late and decided to go with their normal bread and butter: exploration.

The party headed east out of Fayum, taking them through the various baronies toward Luxa. A horrible storm and splitting winds had come through a short time prior, and most of what they saw were citizens repairing homes and cleaning up the leftover messes. As the group arrived at Chipton, they struck gold and discovered a large tree that had been thrown from elsewhere and blasted into the ground. Out of its trunk, and strewn about the grass, were coins of gold. There was a moment of hesitation that it was a trap, but greed won out and the party bagged themselves a nice haul. Storms revealing caches is something I should do more often. 

Salkan Soiree Ep13: Autonomy and the Sandbox II: Consequence Boogaloo

 Run Date: September 26, 2023

PCs
Dailorianne: Lv1 Explorer
Orla: Lv1 Shaman
Lucy: Lv1 Thief
Kelsyr: Lv1 Nightblade

Hench
None

Autonomy and the Sandbox II: Consequence Boogaloo

The session started with a review of the plan from the previous week and the group beginning their execution of it. Orla began drafting a letter to hand off to the Crimson Daggers while Kelsyr ventured into the city to scout the gambling hall where they supposedly resided. It didn't take long for Kelsyr to discover the place was well out of his group's league; an uptown gambling hall for finer wealthy folk and proper bouncers and security. He soon returned to relay the information.

The party decided to commit to their plan, though shifted it toward dropping the letter off with a taste of the information they found. One of the players considered dropping the entire load into the laps of the CD, but another spoke better of it. Show their worth, then negotiate the payment for the rest. The question was, how would they react?

Salkan Soiree Ep12: Autonomy and the Sandbox

 Run Date: September 19, 2023

PCs

Dailorianne: Lv1 Explorer
Orla: Lv1 Shaman
Lucy: Lv1 Thief
Kelsyr: Lv1 Nightblade

Hench

None

Autonomy and the Sandbox

I started this session touching base with the players. It's been a few months now (missed a couple sessions due to work), and last week's party wipes seemed a good time to sit down and chat. The conversation ended up a mix of comparisons to the Low Fantasy Gaming sessions I ran, mechanics from LFG they missed (Rescues), and general feelings on the campaign itself. Points of note were the players doing little to nothing with downtime (lowered engagement), missing Training requirements (whoda thunk it?), and the Carousing Tables from LFG companion. Enforced Training Time and Carousing Tables were the big two because "they were a lot of fun and we always had stories to tell or NPCs we befriended."

Salkan Soiree Ep11: Rocs Fall, Everyone Dies

 Run Date: September 12, 2023

PCs

Baldor: Lv3 Barbarian
Conner: Lv4 Fighter
Tavi: Lv3 Shaman

Hench

Ruckus and Leela (Lv0s)

Rocs Fall, Everyone Dies

Another late start today as the players trickled in. They also weren't entirely sure of their target MO for the session so chose to spend some time recruiting henchmen while they decided. Enter Ruckus and Leela, Lv0s. The former was a man accustomed to hard work and the latter a messy-haired librarian type. There was a bit of fun roleplaying through the hiring process, but otherwise things got underway.

The group decided they wanted to just go out and explore. The random direction they chose, however, meant they'd spend the first day and a half traveling through settled lands. The party geared up and left Fayum with the intent to head southeast. They traveled through the various baronies and hamlets until arriving at the road outside of Luxa along the Sapphire Road; where they decided to rest for the night. The next morning, while the river still misted, the party packed up and began looking for a means across.

Salkan Soiree Ep10: Return to the Tower of Chaos

 Run Date: September 5, 2023

PCs

Baldor: Lv2 Barbarian
Conner: Lv3 Fighter
Tavi: Lv3 Shaman

Hench

Arthur: Lv0

Return to the Tower of Chaos

It took us a bit to get going, and I can't remember why. Nonetheless, it ended with the PCs hiring Arthur, a red-faced proselytizer. Baldor did the talking, and was quickly talked out of 50gp and a suit of armor. The group then started their march to Sherbin to hire on another. They never made it.

Conner purchased a riding horse to speed the group's travel, and the party marched out of Fayum. Along the road, they met some chipper laborers working to build a set of homes. They asked about rumours and talked about recent happenings in the area. The men suggested the party avoid the road since brigands had been raiding of late, but they blew them off and kept marching. Sure enough, prophecy does as it will.

Salkan Soiree Ep9: Ricky's Rangers

Run Date: August 29, 2023

PCs

Baldor: Lv2 Barbarian
Conner: Lv3 Fighter
Orla: Lv1 Shaman
Tavi: Lv3 Shaman
(George: Lv2 Wonderworker)

Hench

Cyrus: Lv1 Mage

Ricky' Rangers

One of the players lost their character sheets so hopped in with a fresh Shaman, the others are familiar faces. The players talked for a bit about last session's rather interesting haul before deciding to go bandit/brigand hunting again. The catch is that this party didn't have the information on the location of the watchtower so had to go out exploring to locate it. Before the group headed out, though, it was time to hire on an extra body.

Enter: Cyrus the Mage. Baldor somehow ends up being the one managing these interactions, and watching a barbarian try to convince a mage of his value makes for rather entertaining roleplay. Cyrus made several snide remarks that Baldor probably didn't understand, or perhaps his will is like his namesake (boulder). Nonetheless, Cyrus was eventually hired on.

Salkan Soiree Ep8: A Collision of Ideals

Run Date: August 22, 2023

PCs

Sunbeam: Lv2 Spellsword
Horus Lance: Lv1 Dunestrider

Hench

Lilith: Lv0

A Collision of Ideals

Another small session where everyone's busy; that's on top of a two week hiatus from me filling shifts. The player who continues to lose characters to disease and poison decided to jump in and start playtesting one of the race/classes I made in the two-week gap. Khana Dunestrider is a hybrid of the Explorer and Thief styles, a veritable Tuskan and Tomb Raider. It does, however, assume that the delayed acquisition of Thief skills matches the level of said Thief vs starting at Lv1: ie, Lv8 Sneaking isn't 18+. I've written my experiences with ACKS' customization elsewhere, but the long and short is that everything is a trade off and the more I hit the walls of limitations the more I love it. On to the session:

The players chat for a while and catch up on the missing weeks. They lean heavily into exploration and letting the random rolls fill in the session for most sessions, but decided to follow some rumours about a growing band of brigands. Before leaving, they spend a day trying to get a hold of a local hench that caught their eye. Lilith answered the call, a not-yet-bladedancer better suited for a brothel. The pair then suited up and hit the road.

Salkan Soiree Ep7: And Now, For Something Completely Different

 Run Date: August 1, 2023

PCs

Baldor: Lv2 Barbarian
Conner: Lv3 Fighter
Henry: Lv2 Wonderworker

Hench

Walter: Lv2 Fighter
Tachaka: Lv3 Barbarian

And Now, For Something Completely Different

We were down a few players this week, but the game must go on! We went over the process of calculating monthly expenses and how it had ripple effects on how the greater world would treat them, and the players worked out a plan of action. Henry took advantage of increased spending to bump his station up enough to interview Tachaka, and hired him on. The group then decided to search for a rumoured Shrine Of the Ape God in the northern mountains.

The first day was uneventful and the group arrived at the Sapphire Road, the local river, at nightfall. They decided to sleep on the side of civilization and set their camp and watches. Baldor was up first. The humidity and chill coming from the river bothered him so he was on edge. He ended up stoking the fire to keep the ambient humidity from snuffing it out. At this point, he spotted shadows rushing the camp. A group of Grave Ghouls rushed the sleeping bodies of Baldor's allies, and I made a grave mistake. A sleeping character is Helpless, and arguably should have been instantly killed by the ghouls mauling them. I forgot this. In hindsight, I think the resulting battle was more sportsmanlike than "ya'll are dead, kthx."

Salkan Soiree Ep6: The Twin Towers

 Run Date: July 25, 2023

PCs

Baldor: Lv2 Barbarian
Conner: Lv3 Fighter
Tabitha: Lv3 Bladedancer
Henry: Lv2 Wonderworker
Julius: Lv2 Assassin

Hench

Walter: Lv2 Fighter

The Twin Towers

Once everyone got settled, the players sorted out the characters and their plan for the session: Stay close to town and hit up the towers they found last session.

On the way out of civilization, the party came across a roadhouse with no road; very much a "last stop" before the wilderness proper. Perhaps the fort-like description or mercenaries were too much because the players outright avoided it. The next morning, the group arrived at the Twin Towers; a pair of ruined towers, wall, and courtyard of unknown history.

Salkan Soiree Ep5: Hooks, Agency, and Random Encounters

 Run Date: July 18, 2023

PCs

Sunbeam: Lv1 Spellsword
Adelyn: Lv1 Fighter
Max: Lv1 Fighter
Henry: Lv1 Wonderworker

Hooks, Agency, and Random Encounters

A few people missing this week, a few more working through downtime, and a slew of new characters. The initial 30m or so of the session was Q&A, clarifications, and deciding what to do for the session. I've been busy with life and slacking hard on developing layers and hooks for the players, but they do well enough on their own to make my life easy. Today's goal was to find the lost tower of Sha Talani, the mad mage obsessed with flight.

The group gathered their gear and headed northwest out of Fayum, along a similar path as the previous scouting party. Their first day was rather uneventful, but the following morning the party came across a strange semi-circle of pillars with tall grasses and a hole within the earth. The group had zero interest in investigating it and attempted to skirt around, but were noticed by a massive camel spider swollen with evil energy. The monstrosity and its posse began rushing the party, but the distance allowed the group to set battle lines and make a desperate stand.

Salkan Soiree Ep4: New Party, Who Dis?

Run Date: July 11, 2023 

The online table grows and we continue learning. The downside to voice is when everyone starts trying to talk all at once, but I imagine we'll feel it out. I got to enjoy some more wilderness stocking and the group learned that even extra levels can't save you from death.

PCs

Zarlag: Lv1 Ruinguard
Valad: Lv1 Crusader
Beatrice: Lv1 Explorer
Julius: Lv1 Assassin
Sunbeam: Lv1 Spellsword
Thia: Lv1 Barbarian

New Party, Who Dis?

The party from last week decided to earn some money as guards for that small push to their next level. In the meantime, they joined up with new characters and players to figure out what the agenda is. It took a bit of talking before settling on asking the archaeologist about her desire to find an old mage's tower somewhere in the northwestern wilderness of the Flaming Valley.

The party asked around to find where their potential employer was staying, and found themselves once again visiting Fayum's dormitory for dignitaries. With some directions gained from a guard, they located the library and Valad stepped forward to ramble on about the quest. Too bad for him, the lady his was talking to was the librarian. After she pointed him and the party in the right direction, the group headed upstairs and Valad repeated his introduction. Alas, a rarity occurred: hostile reaction.

Salkan Soiree Ep3: Last Minute Decisions

Run Date: July 4, 2023

Independence Day festivities kept a couple players from joining us this week. I continued to flounder looking through the 2e documents and spent a lot of table time explaining various options available in ACKS.

PCs

Conner: Lv1 Fighter
Tabitha: Lv1 Bladedancer
Conklyn: Lv1 Explorer
Tavi: Lv1 Shaman

Last Minute Decisions

The session opened with me reminding the group that if they want me to adjudicate downtime, to do so well ahead of time and not at the last minute. Time moves ever onward.

The group decided to do a bit of brigand hunting this session since they'd heard rumours about Saltstrikers hitting the local settlements. There wasn't much information to be found within town since the raids happened throughout the region. They headed east to hit up a nearby hamlet in the hopes of learning more or running into Saltstrikers themselves. What the party found instead was a trap. Conklyn, the explorer, never saw it as he stepped over the edge of a hill near some tall grasses. He spotted a path leading into the hamlet and thought it safe, but was quickly devoured by a pit with a pair of spears set at the bottom. Tabitha quickly rushed to his aid with a rope and checked to see if he was still alive. Whether he was lucky or not would later be revealed, but at this time he managed to survive with the loss of half of his hand. He could no longer wield his bow, but at least he had a spear.

Salkan Soiree Ep2: Return to the Wolfe Manse

 Run Date: June 27, 2023

We had a new player join this session, and I think his older brother is looking to join in next week. Moving online definitely expanded the table, but I've yet to decide if I want to use a VTT or keep it simple. I have already had a couple of players ask me about playing factions in the world, and I have to say that it's tempting to jump straight in the fire. For now, I'll let caution win out until we're all more familiar with the rules.

PCs

Conner: Lv1 Fighter
Tabitha: Lv1 Bladedancer
Baldor: Lv1 Barbarian
Tavi: Lv1 Shaman
Zarlag: Lv1 Ruinguard

Return to the Wolfe Manse

We opened with a quick Q&A, but didn't really cover anything of interest. The party decided to hop on in and start their trek back to the manse to try and find the golden holy symbol. Tabitha was navigator this round, and just after leaving the gentle tended lands of civilization discovered a ruined barrow mound. The party spent some time searching the area for any valuables and discovered pieces for ancient stone statuettes: a weather reptilian face and a quarter-sized claw. Not wanting to delay too long, the group continued their march until they found Blacktop; the former claim of Bazuman.

Salkan Soiree Ep1: The Wolfe Manse

 Run Date: June 20, 2023

Session 1 using the ACKS Imperial Imprint. Myself and my players are new to ACKS and I figured it would be easier to start using the rules available through the Autarch Patreon so we wouldn't have to double back later. All in all, this session was a lot of getting used to everything; from new game questions to trying to find the relevant information and see what changed. The group survived a rather easy local delve, but are otherwise ready for more.

Optional Rules

I spoke with my players prior to Session 1 regarding optional rules. For those curious; Max HP at 1st level, Fate Points equal to 3+Con mod(Only restored on Level Up), Overcasting, Custom Generation (option to skip the template), and Attribute Trade Off. I have concerns regarding Fate, Attribute Trades, and Max HP at 1st; but I'm going to trust the process and actually put it to the test.

PCs

Conner: Lv1 Fighter
Portia: Lv1 Bard
Baldor: Lv1 Barbarian
Tavi: Lv1 Shaman

The Wolf Manse

Our session began with a review of the various rules and assisting a straggler with getting the rest of a character built. It's been a bit since the group got together so it was nice sitting down and speaking with everyone again. Oh right, I forgot to note that our game used to be an open table at the local library. Events pushed us out and now we're trying online play. I don't have a VTT so we're just voice and dice at the moment. I am considering finding something to assist on the visual end so my players can map. I'm terrible at explanations and the visual aid will help.