Fugees and Iron Scene 1

Scenario 1

I have found with solo campaigns that I find it much easier to get going if I begin with one character at a time and get to know them a bit before adding more to the mix. Usually I like to play wizards of some kind, but for this campaign I broke the mold and started with a Paladin. For some reason the idea of a divinely empowered striker appealed to me, and Verden was born.

So to begin the first scenario I picked an issue and a character aspect;

Refugees are outstaying their welcome/Champion of the dispossessed

I then mashed them together into a story question;

What if a series of attacks and murders are being blamed on the refugees?

And brainstormed a series of questions following on from this. The intention was for these questions to provide seeds that would guide the creation of scenes in the scenario. More seed questions can be added as needed, but this is the starting list;

Will Verden be able to clear the refugees and track down the culprits?

Can he foil an attack?

Can he stop reprisals against the refugees?

Can he prove that the refugees are innocent?

Can he put an end to the attacks?

I answered yes/no questions using the loom of fate from conjecture games, partly because I have it on an excellent ‘adventuresmith’ ap on my phone. Most random elements in this adventure came from generators on the adventuresmith ap.

The following scenes have been left exactly as I chronicled them during play. I have attempted to highlight sections which purely apply to the mechanics being used in the hope that this will make it easier to read, however please be aware that this was essentially a stream of consciousness and as such mechanics and story are intertwined throughout the text.

Scene1.

So there are two possible places to start this scenario – stopping an attack, or stopping reprisals against the refugees. Lets say an attack has already happened and that a mob is gathering to blame the refugees for the problem.

Verden’s goal is to stop the mob from targeting the refugees.

Do the refugees know about the attacks that have been happening? No. It has only just happened, and the mob is a knee jerk reaction.

Verden is attending a council meeting with the appointed leaders of his refugee group when they are disturbed by a commotion outside and a young Cyran man bursts into the room ranting about mobs and violence. Verden bids the councillors remain in hiding and goes to see what the fuss is about.

Are the mob armed? No, they have come with words and accusations. This is potentially the prelude of greater repercussions.

This will be a challenge in order for Verden to deesculate tensions and stop things from getting out of hand.

Firstly he must Get the crowds attention centered on himself using Rapport

Secondly he must determine the cause of the unrest using empathy

Thirdly h must convince them he can discover the true cause of the problems using Lore.

Each task has a difficulty of Fair (2).

As he approaches the mob, Verden calls upon the flame, illuminating himself with its light (create advantage using faith for a roll of 2+3=5. Creating ‘filled with the living flame’ with 2 invokes.)

“Enough!” As Verden addresses the crowd, he is lit from within by burning flames, and his voice crackles and roars with divine authority. “We are harmless refugees. Our homeland has been destroyed, and we simply wish to live in peace beside your city. What can we possibly have done to provoke this violence?”

(Overcome using Rapport for a roll of -2+2=0. Tagging both invokes on ‘filled with living flames’ for a total 4, and success)

The mob draw round him, cowed by the obvious divinity of his presence but unswayed by his words. “What have you done? What have we done to draw you to our city like parasites? For a hundred years we have fought your kind. A hundred years we have bled to keep you in your forsaken nation. And now we are expected to welcome you as guests?”

The speaker is a youngish man, probably a labourer, possibly a veteran of the war himself. Is he a nationalist? Yes.

“There was blood spilt by both our people.” Verden retorts, “We lost our families, our nation, and our home. We know of loss Brelander, none more than us. But the war is over. I for one am sick of the violence. A million of my countryfolk lie dead – can you not pardon those of us who remain?”

(Overcome using empathy for a roll of 2+2=4, and success)

“Aye. Peace would be fine if only that were offered. You come to us with open words and hidden swords. We will not stand and let you murder our kin.”

“There has been killing?” Verden asks with a sinking feeling, “This is news to our camp. I swear by the flame that I will find the culprits and bring them justice. Leave now in peace, and I will find your killer.”

(overcome using Lore for a roll of 0, tagging ‘champion of the dispossessed’ for a fate point and success at a minor cost).

“Then you had best start looking within your own walls. We will leave you now, but blood demands blood. We will be back with the weight of the law and the strength of the crown. Hand those responsible over for justice, and we will allow the rest of you to leave in peace.”

Success (mostly). Verden has gained time to look for the killer, but disaster has been delayed rather than averted. If he cannot find the killer before the mobs can gain official sanction then the blood of his people will be spilt.