Molly attempts to not break the communicator. Lanshu steps back from Molly. She asks him who would have kidnapped Todd. She thinks perhaps Gwyatzi might have some enemies, Lanshu doesn't think so.
Sudo reminds Molly that they're an organized crime ring. Determines it's not the Flannigans. Molly is going to get the group together to figure out what to do.
Meanwhile Todd is unharmed. Still in the van. Drove for about 45 minutes to an hour. The van goes dark, and stops. The doors open and Todd is now bound, feet together and arms by his side, and pick him up like the child he is, and takes him out.
Todd finds himself in a warehouse filled with boxes. He looks at the boxes and sees stamps on them that say KB. He gets taken into the plain office and placed on a chair. There's one lady in the office and three men. The men in the room are tall, stoic, caucasian. Todd notices that two of the men in the room seem to be related.
There's some maps in the room, star charts, files, a communication screen. There's also 6 or 7 small screens for security, showing doors. Todd notices that four of the doors being monitored doesn't look like warehouse doors. There is a sign on a wall that he sees has a string of pearls on it. He also notices that there's a storage unit, hidden compartment behind the people in the room. There also seems to be a section of wall where there's papers overlapping on it and one part where there is a line of papers down instead of haphazardly.
Fig guy comes back and puts a glass of water on the table for Todd.
Suit guy asks Todd what his name is.
Todd says nothing.
He says that he won't hurt Todd, but he was the easiest member of the party to get to and they need information. Once they get it, which is for their survival, Todd is free to go.
Todd tells the man his name.
Suit guy asks if Todd is working with the ship that used to be run by Kai. He mentions that there's locked doors on the ship.
Todd doesn't know anything about locked doors.
They ask if Kai is dead.
Todd says yep, pretty dead.
The man asks about the hired guys they now have working with them and what their capacity is.
Todd says he doesn't really know much about them. He gets asked what he's doing on this planet.
Todd says to fuel up and get odd jobs.
"Do you know what planet you came from before this planet?"
"No, but it was a fair distance away."
"Do you know people who have interacted with your party members other than the Suns?"
"Yes there was one family we saw. I don't know their names."
"Was it a nice house?"
"Yes. Nicer part of town."
"And it was after that that the Suns came to you?"
"Yes"
"Do you know what they asked?"
Todd rolls for a lie check.
"No."
He is believed. Mwahaha
Suit guy recaps the situation.
"Why did you go to Suntients by yourself?"
"I wasn't"
"Effectively."
"Because I couldn't go with the others."
"You were bored on the ship?" asked the Suit Guy.
"Did you talk to my friend behind you (Fig Guy)?"
Todd glares at fig guy, who doesn't look at Todd but turns to Suit Guy and tells him that "the boy likes plants" in a Russian accent.
Suit guy tells Todd that he told them what they need to know, so they will return him near the docks of the ship for him to get back without them getting caught.
Suit and Fig guys talk in another language, and Suit Guy says that they will give Todd a cutting from their tree.
Fig guy picks Todd up again and carries him out. Todd glares at him. They go back to the van and fig guy holds him down. People get in the van and it takes off.
Todd notices the warehouse smells like Higgins moon. Specifically the part with the buckets.
Todd asks fig guy for his name.
He answers with 'No'.
Back at the farm Molly made Wren and Kale get out of their happy places and armed so that they can go attack whenever they figure out who took Todd. Both of them are less than pleased.
The van stops, Todd is taken out and untried, left with the plant as it drives away. Todd looks for distinguishing features on the van and just sees that it's a white van with dark windows.
He notices a toll booth guy who is blatantly ignoring him and he goes up to him to talk. Todd knocks on the window, and the response is that the man moves away from the window.
Todd starts carrying the plant to the ship. He gets sad, puts the plant down, debates leaving it, picks it up and keeps going.
A vehicle goes by. Todd looks at it. It screeches to a stop, and Gwaitzai asks the small child if he's okay. Seifu gets out and checks that Todd is actually okay, then puts Todd into the van and they drive to the Calamity.
Seifu contacts the ship to tell them that she has Todd and Gwaitzai with her. Molly opens the door with the gun. Seifu tells her that Gwaitzai has to go off planet with them as he's useless and can't stay on the planet. She leaves.
Gwaitzai looks like a scared dog. Molly asks if Todd is okay. He responds with the fact that he's okay now.
Laitzu takes Gwaitzai off. Sudo Kent asks Todd what he can remember. He mentions the 45ish minute trip, the warehouse had boxes with KB on them. He mentions the smell to Molly, specifically how it was like the buckets. Molly just looks at him.
He tells about the four people in the room, and how they looked related. He mentions the security system, but stops as he's not sure about Sudo Kent.
Molly prompts him to continue. He mentions the doors, how they reminded him of the fancy house they had dined in.
Molly knows that the Bellvues have brothels with fancy doors, and one of them is called the Dutchess's Pearls.
Todd tells them about the questioning.
Todd mentions the safe. And the odd paper wall.
Molly asks Sudo Kent about whether or not enemies of the Suns have a habit of kidnapping small children. Molly asks him point blank if Sudo Kent knows who kidnapped Todd.
Kale interjects that they should ignore this kidnapping and move on as Jon Snow was more important. Molly looks disturbed but everyone else seems fine with this. Molly mentions that she is taking Lazy Pig and going to go talk to bloody Bo Peep as everyone else botched the job last time. Wren has no idea what she is talking about as she doesn't remember the botched job.
Molly tells the others to research the Bellevue's. She gets in disguise and leaves the ship.
Just then the doorbell rings! Bum bum buuuuum.
It's Xwishang! Yaaaay! He's got two buddies with him. Sudo Kent checks them out. Wren checks out the door and sees Kale and his buddy going into the engine room and follows, wanting to make sure that the engine is in one piece.
Kale goes to add in a piece that Xwishang had brought with him, and breaks his arm as Wren comes in the room, by dropping the coil on himself. Freaks out and goes to get Sudo Kent. She tells him a bit of what is happening, mentioning blood, he sends Wren to the med room to turn on the lights. She does so.
Sudo Kent leaves the two men with Gwaitsai and goes to get Kale. He looks at his arm and says it's broken. Kale agrees. They walk to the med bay together. Sudo Kent puts gauze on the wound. They decide to take the van to the Suntians. Wren asks if everyone is going and questions that plan. She goes to tell Molly the plan, Molly freaks out. Wren tells her that they are going to Suntians to get healed. She says she will meet them there.
The others get in the van.
Wren and Molly talk. She gets instructions to take money, med kit, and lock the doors and make sure that the ship is locked up.
Kale doesn't pass out on the way.
Gwaitsai stays in the van and gets glared at. Kale gets fixed up by the lady at Suntients. Laoche meets Molly at the door and points her up the stairs. She goes up and makes sure that Kale is okay. They all get into the van and Molly asks what the bloody hell happened. Kale tells his version of the story, Wren interjects and mentions that Kale was in the engine room instead of researching the Bellevues. They get back to the ship and everything is okay.
Notes by Ash.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
#9 Serenity Campaign Session Player Notes
November 15
The outward group comes back into the fold, much to Wren's happiness. They convene over dinner to discuss the day's events.
Wren is traumatized, Sudo Kent explains the evenings learning.
Molly knows of Henry's boys. Need to go to citadel. Wren is traumatized with the events but knows she has to go out again tomorrow. Feeling better being told it will be clean.
Wren asks Molly of their day's events. Todd says opening doors was boring. G and L talk in Chinese so Wren hears about what was in the rooms. She tunes out after they start talking about the Orchard.
Wren makes a mental note to talk to Molly about what she found in the room.
Todd and Molly try to figure out what they will do tomorrow. Molly asks Lanju if there's any places in the Sun corp that they can go that have plants growing. He says no. Mentions that there's places to eat, like good noodles. Discuss whether or not they can see plants at the herbalists house. Mention of a tree and Todd gets excited.
Lanju tells Molly that Guai Sai HAS to stay on the ship tomorrow as he would be needed there. Molly invokes a cone of silence and she talks to him about Guai Sai and his obvious lusting at the idea of the BDSM Citadel. Lanju tells her that he has problems around dirty women. They decide that Guai Sai is going to be babysitting Todd in town instead and Sudo Kent will be going with Wren. Lanju tells Molly that they were told in no uncertain terms to leave any party member alone so he will be with Molly.
Suddenly Kale appears out of the engine room covered in engine grease. Holy shit he's still here! Talks insanely fast and mentions that he made the ship faster. Wren gets upset and sends him back to fix it.
Wren and Molly go talk the plans over in Wren's room. Discuss bribing the Citadel. Molly quells some of Wren's fears about the place.
Wren asks Molly about the room with the papers. Mentions that the records were well laid out but didn't explain what was being moved. 'Cargo' and all that. Mentions that the Suns would know more information, they discuss whether or not they should ask.
Todd pops around the corner and says that they should probably get the money first. Molly asks how long he's been there. He mentions not long and asks for tape and sticks. Molly points to Wren's desk and the drawer that she keeps her tape in while Wren looks confused, and mentions that there's probably pencils as well instead of sticks. Todd bounces off.
All go to bed.
Next day. Todd and Guai Sai got up obnoxiously early, made breakfast. Header outer.
Wren, Sudo Kent and Kale head out to the Citadel.
Molly asks if she can do diagnostics and if that's a thing. She asks Kale and Wren on the com. Wren tries to go back, worried for the ship. Talk to Molly about how to use the diagnostics. Nothing comes up. Molly asks if Wren or Kale have blueprints for the ship. They do not. She goes around measuring rooms, trying to be sneaky. Lanju notices Molly and sees what she is doing, then walks back to the kitchen. He doesn't care.
Todd and Guai Sai get to the Sentients [Editor: Suntian's]. Todd is happy at all of the plants. Medicine lady is looking grumpy. Security lady talks to Guai Sai in Chinese. She looks unpleased. Sun Laoche [Editor: Lao Shi] lets them know to let him know if they want food.
Todd tries to talk to the medicine lady about the plants, she is pretty non responsive.
Scooby gang get to the Citadel. Scary music ensues.
The gang have entered into the Citidel, Sudo Kent speaks to a woman at the entrance, asking if he can see, King Henry. Since he has been here before, he has a relationship with some of the subs, which allows his request to be granted. The gang stops to address whether or not Wren knows what a sub is, to which she replies tentatively, "Of course I do…"
Sudo Kent is not convinced by her proclamation and mutters quietly, "You are the sub."
Music resumes ~rolling, rolling, rolling~
The gang heads off to see Henry. They ascend a a bland stair case and past some rooms with closed doors.
They enter through a door that opens to reveal a sitting room.
They contemplate the cleanliness of the room, Sudo Kent tells them to sit down it's fine. *awkward music plays* Sudo Kent does not sit.
Kale can't find a single mechanical object so dies in a chair of boredom.
A man, King Henry, resembling a cheerful elf enters into the room. Sudo Kent is the one who recognizes him, * "All Men Are Pigs" blasts as King Henry walks into the room in slow motion, tossing his hair back as he struts into the centre of the gang.
His hair looks like a fringe on a lamp.
"Well hello again" To Sudo Kent, who greets him back.
He immediately zones in on Wren, asking her what kind of tea she would like before performing a form of "Bend and Snap" only it's the "Flex and Snap" and a lovely young fellow arrives with the Oolong [actually arrives and is told to go get Oolong for the lady].
Kale is melting into the chair out of boredom.
Despite their first impressions he's not terribly flamboyant.
"What's your name my darling?" To Wren, who introduces herself and Kale.
He turns to Sudo Kent, assuming based on his present company he is not here for personal reasons. Hearing that they are seeking to find a person, the King turns to Wren intrigued, asking who they are looking for.
"Stay calm Wren, it will be fine." Comes the whisper of Molly in Wren's ear.
Wren does not make it known that there is a little Molly voice in her ear. She says that they are looking for "John Snow". The King asks if she can describe him at all, as "I just meet so many men in this profession."
"He might have gone by Field Hog [Editor: Feoil Tog]…" Sudo Kent says quietly to the King.
"Might he have? Is that the word on the street?" The King purrs. He turns to Wren. "You both seem to have different information, do you my dear know what Field Hog [Feoil Tog] means?" Wren is silent. "Oh my, that is wonderful.' Says the King, his interest becoming more intense. "Very interesting, so you are new with the Sun's, and you, Sudo Kent, are helping them…. So, how many of yous does it take to show them around?"
"As you can see its just me, because they only came looking for information." Sudo Kent is keeping his calm.
The King becomes loud again, turning his attention to Wren to gossip. "Why are you looking for this man? He's a terrible man. I heard he had a wife."
Molly in Wren's ear "You don't know. You don't know. You don't know"
"I heard he and his wife had a place back in [some] Backwater?"
"I DON'T KNOW" yelps Wren.
The King slides across the room and seizes her hands. "Wren, if we are going to find this terrible man, I need you to give me some details about him."
"You don't know anything Wren!" Hushes Molly, not knowing how near the King is to Wren now.
Roll made on Luck and Intuition (Molly) A 3 is rolled. Molly passes.
The King does not hear Molly which is GOOD.
"I need you to help me my dear, do think of his poor wife. If we are going to find this man, we will need some details about him" Says the King.
"You can tell him about what we learned yesterday but nothing else!" Molly snaps.
"He frequents the Orchard, Oh and Rebecca, he had a … mistress? A Rebecca who lives here and is concerned about his whereabouts. She was pretty convinced he was going to live with her."
"Maybe he went to see his wife to break up with her. What do you think Sudo?"
"I don't know anything."
"That's a shame, we could have used that information. [King pauses, turns back to Wren] He was a whore working for me. Strictly speaking, the Citidal does not deal with whores. But some slip through the cracks and we try to be hospitable. I couldn't say where he is, but if you could give me your contact information, then, if I heard from one of my boys, I could let you know."
Sudo Kent asks now, "Have YOU heard from any of your contacts? Perhaps Turonac [Editor: Tioranach] or Shanae [Editor: Ceannai]?"
"Ah yes they would be good to speak too."
"Are they here?"
"One may be, the other is on and off planet a lot."
Kale snaps from boredom and barks from the chair "Listen! If we bribe you will this go faster? Wren! We brought money right? You have the ship's money?" his gaze fixed on her, his eyes deadened with boredom.
The King is loosing his mind at how hilarious this conversation has become.
"Wreeeeen! Give him the money! There are no machines here, the tea is NEVER coming back. Sir! Can we just give you money? How much money do we need to give you to find out what happened to the John Snow guy, who ever her is."
Kale yells mostly to the room, but a little bit at the King.
"Ah, what a good point…. about the TEA. Timothy my sweet, Oolong for the lady!" Timothy brings the tea and performs a gliding flounce from the room, throwing in a pirouette as he flights from the door way.
King: "Sudo my young boy, you didn't say you'd brought gifts!"
"Well… what information can you give them?" Asked Sudo Kent.
"How much money have you brought, my darling little bird?" Purrs the King.
"We brought the money and uh yeah credits." Wren seems awkward.
Sudo Kent inquires, "What is it you want?" he knows that the King doesn't care about money. The tea and the birds are all just wastes of the gangs time and he knows this.
"I'm a simple man Sudo, I just want to live to see tomorrow. I'd like to be sure of my immortality. Yes, that would be nice."
"You will… who is threatening you?" Sudo Kent asks.
"No one."
"Ah that is good… why are you worried about your mortality?"
The King says that the Citadel is like his home; home is like mortality and he does not wish for anything to change.
"Is there anyone we can talk to to find out about John Snow?" Asks Wren.
"No one you'd like to talk to." The King says to her with a smirk
"Anyone Sudo Kent can talk to?" She deflects. Wren earns a plot point.
"Sudo, I would ask at the Pelican. I am sure you will know where to find it."
"I know it." Sudo Kent replies abruptly.
GM takes a moment to be pleased with herself. [Editor: Shush, you!]
"I am not going there" says Wren.
King: "You can stay here dear, can't she Sudo?"
"DO NOT STAY." Molly barks, dropping the measuring tape back in the ship.
"I would prefer she comes with us, since she is the one who is looking for him." Says Sudo Kent.
Kale is sitting in the chair, turning the little handle on a music box that the King has given him.
The conversation of the group comes up, which the King zones in on, "There is a group of you looking for the group and they sent YOU my dear?" He asks Wren.
"They figured they wouldn't need more then one person coming to gather intel." Mutters Sudo Kent.
Kind: "I assume they are taking good care of Sudo's friends as well. Perhaps we could all meet and speak face to face!"
"We can inquire with the group but Wren cannot speak for them. But we can inquire."
King: "Ah yes, alright. It is good to have friends."
Sudo: "King before we go, where is Turonac [Tioranach]?"
King: "I don't think you want to speak to him on this matter. As a friend, I would advise you not to seek him out."
"Is there anyone at the Pelican we can speak to then?" Sudo Kent says.
King: "Well, no but I am told that Snow's taken to the… domesticated… Look for collars. But you should be off. Wren, my dear are you sure you are not going to stay?"
"Well, I think I should go with them." Wren says, Molly muttering away in her ear.
Sudo: "Thank you for your time King. Kale give the music box back to him."
Kale passes the box back and the group leaves the room.
The group, having now left the Citadel and are walking to the Pelican having a conversation to sort out the information the King has given them and prepare their next plan of action.
"Who is T? Why should we go to him?" Molly asks Sudo Kent
"He is someone who might have information. But with the King saying we shouldn't go there, I would advise we don't go or we might upset the Flannagens. [Editor: Flanagans]
The team then decides to forgo and continue to the Pelican.
"The interest in the wife seemed very particular." Molly says. "I think he knows more then what he is letting on. I think he might be trying to gain black mail."
"I have no doubt he knows more then he was telling us." Confirms Sudo Kent.
The King would only hire a whore due to pressures from higher up. Playing politics if you like. Another reason might be that a whore from the Pelican might train up to move up the ranks to join the Citadel. The third option is, sometimes becoming a whore is simply a punishment for… transgressions.
The gang arrives at the Pelican, the wooden sign portrays a disheveled Pelican with a huge engorged throat and it's beak just hanging open. Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" pours from the building.
As they enter, they cringe, feeling like they can almost taste the dirt. The women are crusty, moist and sometimes bruised.
"You will be fine, just don't touch anything Wren." Murmers Molly, taking another measurement back on the ship.
"You couldn't pay me to touch anything in here" whimpers Wren.
Wren clings to Kale for moral support. The boredom of Kale is uncanny, he glances at the piano, the only real mechanical thing in the building shaking his head. "Grounders."
A troll of a bouncer wanders over to him. "If you stay you need to buy."
So the gang wander to the bar as the bartender spits into a glance and rubs it clean with his grimy hands.
"Kale… would like a drink" says Sudo Kent.
"What do you want?" the man growls,
"Whatever is on tap."
The creature turns the tap and a thick, disgusting fluid explodes into the gross cup. He shoves the cup to kale who looks grimly at it. "Do you have a pencil and napkin?" The bartender grunts and hands it to him. kale takes a seat and begins drawing engine schematics, going quiet.
Sudo Kent addresses the bartender. "Is there anyone with a collar here?"
"What? Bo Peep? She is not up at this hour, what the hell is wrong with you?" the man grunts.
"Is anyone else up at this time of day?" asks Sudo Kent
The man glares and gestures to the room of disgusting creatures. He then glares at Wren, looking her up and down before spitting into another cup.
Sudo Kent walks up to the barkeeper, offering him a 30c bride.
"What is this for?" growls the man.
Kale is sitting, doodling away at the napkin. Two beers sitting in frame. One slides out of frame and Sudo Kent takes a disgusted sip before putting it back down.
"We are looking to speak to someone about John Snow?"
"John Snow, fuck that guy-"
"If you wish" interjects Sudo Kent.
The bartender glares at him before continuing to speak " That guy is an asshole. He tried to earn his tab here by trading strange. He drank more then he put out. He never paid his tab. He got traded to the Henry Boys. He used to hang with Bo peep but like I said, she's asleep."
"Did you sell him to Henry's Boys?"
"No. I don't deal in that shit." Growled the bartender.
"Who did then?" Molly asks.
"There are many fingers in the pie down here. I don't know. All I know is he didn't pay the tab."
"When can we speak to Bo Peep?" Sudo Kent asks the Bartender. He tells them 4 hours.
Sudo Kent turns to the others, "What do you want to do?"
They have a conversation about the Flannegans, deciding not to pursue looking for them.
Wren yells to Kale, "Come on Kale we are leaving. We will come back when Bo Peep comes back."
"Sex!" Bertha finds the group. She is tripping over herself with how drunk she is. "You! You and your shit ass friends. Back from yesterday are you?" She throws her arm around Wren. Stinking with filth.
Wren's flashbacks are triggered. She has to roll the dice.
She freezes up, going static.
Sudo Kent turns to Kale, "What is wrong with her?"
A high pitch blue screen noise leaves Wren, causing molly to tap the walkie talkie, wondering if it's feedback.
"Sudo Kent get her off Wren now!"
Sudo Kent speaks to Bertha "Come gives Kale a hug…" He redirects her easily to Kale.
Sudo Kent makes a roll to pick up Wren and carry her back to the ship.
Molly keeps speaking to Wren, trying to talk her down.
Unfortunatly a bouncer seems Kale kind of pushing Bertha around while Sudo Kent is trying to pick up Wren. "What's going on here!?" He shakes Kale.
Kale is startled. "We were just leaving" Sudo Kent says.
"Damn right you are. Get out."
Sudo Kent rolls to pick up Wren. Rolls a 1. He does not pick up Wren.
The group leaves the Pelican to jeers from the room.
Meanwhile Todd and Gwyatzi [Editor: Gwaizai].
Todd has bought noodles. Small clipping of tree.
Todd: "Do you know anywhere fun we could go?"
Gwaizai: 'I know a place."
Todd: "Oh really would it be fun?"
Gwaizai: "It could be fun. Yes. We could meet up with your friends…. and see if they are done."
Todd: "Oh well… Molly said I shouldn't go with them, which is why we are here."
Gwaizai: "Ok we should go back to the ship."
Todd rolls for perception. Rolls a 3, notices a woman walk walking to the bar. She shows no interest in us.
Gwyatzi [Gwaizai] sees a slutty, not fully dressed woman. After a few moments he wanders over to her.
Todd thinks of following but a man approaches him. Wants to talk about plants, he is totally enraptured. They talk about figs. Todd is intrigued. He asks Todd if he's had fruit before. Todd mentions he had some on this planet yes. The man gets upset that Todd wouldn't know better than to not eat the plants on this planet and he leaves to talk to other Chinese people.
Todd looks over and see that Gwyatzi [Gwaizai] is gone, and so is the woman. Todd is sad. He tries to eavesdrop into a conversation but as he doesn't know Chinese he learns nothing. Todd wanders around to see if he can find Gwyatzi. Nothing. Yijir [Editor: Yijer] finds Todd and wonders where Gwyatzi is and Todd mentions that a woman came in and she goes on a rampage to find him as she knows where he is. Todd gets pushed down the hallway from all of the exiting people and gets back into the common room. He goes and sits down.
An arm comes around his waist and his mouth and he is picked up and taken out of the door and put into a van. Todd tries to scream but nothing happens. He tries to kick but he only hits a doorjamb. It is unharmed. Todd drops his plant.
He is reassured by the man kidnapping him that he won't be harmed.
There is another person in the back of the van who holds Todd's feet down. Not forced but firmly held. Todd notices the man who kidnapped him is the same man who talked to him about plants.
Molly finds that there are no fewer then 5 hidden areas in the ship. One in the cargo bay, nothing special. 2 smaller and in less obvious places, by the locked doors. Little compartments for smaller things. Not files but not crates. None near the office. One has scary looking weapons in it, it's not fully but there are just some in there. Molly doesn't know how to use them. There is another small space in Kai's original room (4) it has small leather bags inside but there are no bird symbols inside them. There are a lot of them. Creepy. Fifth space is on the deck, nothing special.
The gang arrives back at the ship.
Wren: "Mollllllllly I don't want to do this anymore."
Molly: "Kale, i've got a project for you. Would you like to make a blueprint of the ship?"
Cale: "Can I start in the engine room?"
Molly: "Sure…."
Kale leaves abruptly, not hearing Wren's wails.
Molly: "You guys had a fun time…"
"I don't think Kale will be going back there anytime."
A conversation ensures where Molly growls at the all, saying NONE of them can go back there.
Molly: "Someone has to go back there tonight, but it can't be any of you can it?"
"Well you weren't there." Wren says to Molly
Molly: "I guess I will be tonight. Wren you bath is ready."
Wren runs from the room.
Molly: "Lazy Pig, would you come with me tonight?"
Lanju: "Yes that's fine."
Molly: "Can you just like, stay quiet…"
Lanju: "Yes it's fine… I don't touch the stuff… " He mutters to Molly, making a meaningful glance at Sudo Kent.
A conversation ensures about Kale. "He reminds me of Gwyatzi" says Lazy Pig.
Sudo Kent: "Yeah except he starts a fight when he's startled."
Molly: "Yeah tell me about that. Would any normal person accept a hug from Bertha without freaking out!?"
Lazy Pig yells now, breaking into the conversation, ending the back and forth between Molly and Sudo Kent.
Lazy Pig suggests Molly get in contact with Gwyatzi to find out where they are at. There is nothing but loud yelling on the other end. Then Gwyatzi's voice comes through. "It's fine now. Everything is fine."
'Where is Todd?"
"He's downstairs."
"Well meet up with him."
"I will do that as soon as possible."
'What did you do?!"
"…………………………….. Nothing. Listen I have to go. Bye."
A few moments later, Gwyatzi comes back in on the link.
"Hello. The small child is gone. There is a broken plant on the ground and Uh here I am giving you over to someone else." While Molly yells loudly in panic.
Stern sounding woman: "Hello. We believe the child has been taken by someone other then the Flannagens. We believe he will be returned soon and will not be harmed. We are dealing with our internal matters." And the phone goes dead.
Notes taken by Ash and Seb. Edits on spelling by GM.
The outward group comes back into the fold, much to Wren's happiness. They convene over dinner to discuss the day's events.
Wren is traumatized, Sudo Kent explains the evenings learning.
Molly knows of Henry's boys. Need to go to citadel. Wren is traumatized with the events but knows she has to go out again tomorrow. Feeling better being told it will be clean.
Wren asks Molly of their day's events. Todd says opening doors was boring. G and L talk in Chinese so Wren hears about what was in the rooms. She tunes out after they start talking about the Orchard.
Wren makes a mental note to talk to Molly about what she found in the room.
Todd and Molly try to figure out what they will do tomorrow. Molly asks Lanju if there's any places in the Sun corp that they can go that have plants growing. He says no. Mentions that there's places to eat, like good noodles. Discuss whether or not they can see plants at the herbalists house. Mention of a tree and Todd gets excited.
Lanju tells Molly that Guai Sai HAS to stay on the ship tomorrow as he would be needed there. Molly invokes a cone of silence and she talks to him about Guai Sai and his obvious lusting at the idea of the BDSM Citadel. Lanju tells her that he has problems around dirty women. They decide that Guai Sai is going to be babysitting Todd in town instead and Sudo Kent will be going with Wren. Lanju tells Molly that they were told in no uncertain terms to leave any party member alone so he will be with Molly.
Suddenly Kale appears out of the engine room covered in engine grease. Holy shit he's still here! Talks insanely fast and mentions that he made the ship faster. Wren gets upset and sends him back to fix it.
Wren and Molly go talk the plans over in Wren's room. Discuss bribing the Citadel. Molly quells some of Wren's fears about the place.
Wren asks Molly about the room with the papers. Mentions that the records were well laid out but didn't explain what was being moved. 'Cargo' and all that. Mentions that the Suns would know more information, they discuss whether or not they should ask.
Todd pops around the corner and says that they should probably get the money first. Molly asks how long he's been there. He mentions not long and asks for tape and sticks. Molly points to Wren's desk and the drawer that she keeps her tape in while Wren looks confused, and mentions that there's probably pencils as well instead of sticks. Todd bounces off.
All go to bed.
Next day. Todd and Guai Sai got up obnoxiously early, made breakfast. Header outer.
Wren, Sudo Kent and Kale head out to the Citadel.
Molly asks if she can do diagnostics and if that's a thing. She asks Kale and Wren on the com. Wren tries to go back, worried for the ship. Talk to Molly about how to use the diagnostics. Nothing comes up. Molly asks if Wren or Kale have blueprints for the ship. They do not. She goes around measuring rooms, trying to be sneaky. Lanju notices Molly and sees what she is doing, then walks back to the kitchen. He doesn't care.
Todd and Guai Sai get to the Sentients [Editor: Suntian's]. Todd is happy at all of the plants. Medicine lady is looking grumpy. Security lady talks to Guai Sai in Chinese. She looks unpleased. Sun Laoche [Editor: Lao Shi] lets them know to let him know if they want food.
Todd tries to talk to the medicine lady about the plants, she is pretty non responsive.
Scooby gang get to the Citadel. Scary music ensues.
The gang have entered into the Citidel, Sudo Kent speaks to a woman at the entrance, asking if he can see, King Henry. Since he has been here before, he has a relationship with some of the subs, which allows his request to be granted. The gang stops to address whether or not Wren knows what a sub is, to which she replies tentatively, "Of course I do…"
Sudo Kent is not convinced by her proclamation and mutters quietly, "You are the sub."
Music resumes ~rolling, rolling, rolling~
The gang heads off to see Henry. They ascend a a bland stair case and past some rooms with closed doors.
They enter through a door that opens to reveal a sitting room.
They contemplate the cleanliness of the room, Sudo Kent tells them to sit down it's fine. *awkward music plays* Sudo Kent does not sit.
Kale can't find a single mechanical object so dies in a chair of boredom.
A man, King Henry, resembling a cheerful elf enters into the room. Sudo Kent is the one who recognizes him, * "All Men Are Pigs" blasts as King Henry walks into the room in slow motion, tossing his hair back as he struts into the centre of the gang.
His hair looks like a fringe on a lamp.
"Well hello again" To Sudo Kent, who greets him back.
He immediately zones in on Wren, asking her what kind of tea she would like before performing a form of "Bend and Snap" only it's the "Flex and Snap" and a lovely young fellow arrives with the Oolong [actually arrives and is told to go get Oolong for the lady].
Kale is melting into the chair out of boredom.
Despite their first impressions he's not terribly flamboyant.
"What's your name my darling?" To Wren, who introduces herself and Kale.
He turns to Sudo Kent, assuming based on his present company he is not here for personal reasons. Hearing that they are seeking to find a person, the King turns to Wren intrigued, asking who they are looking for.
"Stay calm Wren, it will be fine." Comes the whisper of Molly in Wren's ear.
Wren does not make it known that there is a little Molly voice in her ear. She says that they are looking for "John Snow". The King asks if she can describe him at all, as "I just meet so many men in this profession."
"He might have gone by Field Hog [Editor: Feoil Tog]…" Sudo Kent says quietly to the King.
"Might he have? Is that the word on the street?" The King purrs. He turns to Wren. "You both seem to have different information, do you my dear know what Field Hog [Feoil Tog] means?" Wren is silent. "Oh my, that is wonderful.' Says the King, his interest becoming more intense. "Very interesting, so you are new with the Sun's, and you, Sudo Kent, are helping them…. So, how many of yous does it take to show them around?"
"As you can see its just me, because they only came looking for information." Sudo Kent is keeping his calm.
The King becomes loud again, turning his attention to Wren to gossip. "Why are you looking for this man? He's a terrible man. I heard he had a wife."
Molly in Wren's ear "You don't know. You don't know. You don't know"
"I heard he and his wife had a place back in [some] Backwater?"
"I DON'T KNOW" yelps Wren.
The King slides across the room and seizes her hands. "Wren, if we are going to find this terrible man, I need you to give me some details about him."
"You don't know anything Wren!" Hushes Molly, not knowing how near the King is to Wren now.
Roll made on Luck and Intuition (Molly) A 3 is rolled. Molly passes.
The King does not hear Molly which is GOOD.
"I need you to help me my dear, do think of his poor wife. If we are going to find this man, we will need some details about him" Says the King.
"You can tell him about what we learned yesterday but nothing else!" Molly snaps.
"He frequents the Orchard, Oh and Rebecca, he had a … mistress? A Rebecca who lives here and is concerned about his whereabouts. She was pretty convinced he was going to live with her."
"Maybe he went to see his wife to break up with her. What do you think Sudo?"
"I don't know anything."
"That's a shame, we could have used that information. [King pauses, turns back to Wren] He was a whore working for me. Strictly speaking, the Citidal does not deal with whores. But some slip through the cracks and we try to be hospitable. I couldn't say where he is, but if you could give me your contact information, then, if I heard from one of my boys, I could let you know."
Sudo Kent asks now, "Have YOU heard from any of your contacts? Perhaps Turonac [Editor: Tioranach] or Shanae [Editor: Ceannai]?"
"Ah yes they would be good to speak too."
"Are they here?"
"One may be, the other is on and off planet a lot."
Kale snaps from boredom and barks from the chair "Listen! If we bribe you will this go faster? Wren! We brought money right? You have the ship's money?" his gaze fixed on her, his eyes deadened with boredom.
The King is loosing his mind at how hilarious this conversation has become.
"Wreeeeen! Give him the money! There are no machines here, the tea is NEVER coming back. Sir! Can we just give you money? How much money do we need to give you to find out what happened to the John Snow guy, who ever her is."
Kale yells mostly to the room, but a little bit at the King.
"Ah, what a good point…. about the TEA. Timothy my sweet, Oolong for the lady!" Timothy brings the tea and performs a gliding flounce from the room, throwing in a pirouette as he flights from the door way.
King: "Sudo my young boy, you didn't say you'd brought gifts!"
"Well… what information can you give them?" Asked Sudo Kent.
"How much money have you brought, my darling little bird?" Purrs the King.
"We brought the money and uh yeah credits." Wren seems awkward.
Sudo Kent inquires, "What is it you want?" he knows that the King doesn't care about money. The tea and the birds are all just wastes of the gangs time and he knows this.
"I'm a simple man Sudo, I just want to live to see tomorrow. I'd like to be sure of my immortality. Yes, that would be nice."
"You will… who is threatening you?" Sudo Kent asks.
"No one."
"Ah that is good… why are you worried about your mortality?"
The King says that the Citadel is like his home; home is like mortality and he does not wish for anything to change.
"Is there anyone we can talk to to find out about John Snow?" Asks Wren.
"No one you'd like to talk to." The King says to her with a smirk
"Anyone Sudo Kent can talk to?" She deflects. Wren earns a plot point.
"Sudo, I would ask at the Pelican. I am sure you will know where to find it."
"I know it." Sudo Kent replies abruptly.
GM takes a moment to be pleased with herself. [Editor: Shush, you!]
"I am not going there" says Wren.
King: "You can stay here dear, can't she Sudo?"
"DO NOT STAY." Molly barks, dropping the measuring tape back in the ship.
"I would prefer she comes with us, since she is the one who is looking for him." Says Sudo Kent.
Kale is sitting in the chair, turning the little handle on a music box that the King has given him.
The conversation of the group comes up, which the King zones in on, "There is a group of you looking for the group and they sent YOU my dear?" He asks Wren.
"They figured they wouldn't need more then one person coming to gather intel." Mutters Sudo Kent.
Kind: "I assume they are taking good care of Sudo's friends as well. Perhaps we could all meet and speak face to face!"
"We can inquire with the group but Wren cannot speak for them. But we can inquire."
King: "Ah yes, alright. It is good to have friends."
Sudo: "King before we go, where is Turonac [Tioranach]?"
King: "I don't think you want to speak to him on this matter. As a friend, I would advise you not to seek him out."
"Is there anyone at the Pelican we can speak to then?" Sudo Kent says.
King: "Well, no but I am told that Snow's taken to the… domesticated… Look for collars. But you should be off. Wren, my dear are you sure you are not going to stay?"
"Well, I think I should go with them." Wren says, Molly muttering away in her ear.
Sudo: "Thank you for your time King. Kale give the music box back to him."
Kale passes the box back and the group leaves the room.
The group, having now left the Citadel and are walking to the Pelican having a conversation to sort out the information the King has given them and prepare their next plan of action.
"Who is T? Why should we go to him?" Molly asks Sudo Kent
"He is someone who might have information. But with the King saying we shouldn't go there, I would advise we don't go or we might upset the Flannagens. [Editor: Flanagans]
The team then decides to forgo and continue to the Pelican.
"The interest in the wife seemed very particular." Molly says. "I think he knows more then what he is letting on. I think he might be trying to gain black mail."
"I have no doubt he knows more then he was telling us." Confirms Sudo Kent.
The King would only hire a whore due to pressures from higher up. Playing politics if you like. Another reason might be that a whore from the Pelican might train up to move up the ranks to join the Citadel. The third option is, sometimes becoming a whore is simply a punishment for… transgressions.
The gang arrives at the Pelican, the wooden sign portrays a disheveled Pelican with a huge engorged throat and it's beak just hanging open. Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" pours from the building.
As they enter, they cringe, feeling like they can almost taste the dirt. The women are crusty, moist and sometimes bruised.
"You will be fine, just don't touch anything Wren." Murmers Molly, taking another measurement back on the ship.
"You couldn't pay me to touch anything in here" whimpers Wren.
Wren clings to Kale for moral support. The boredom of Kale is uncanny, he glances at the piano, the only real mechanical thing in the building shaking his head. "Grounders."
A troll of a bouncer wanders over to him. "If you stay you need to buy."
So the gang wander to the bar as the bartender spits into a glance and rubs it clean with his grimy hands.
"Kale… would like a drink" says Sudo Kent.
"What do you want?" the man growls,
"Whatever is on tap."
The creature turns the tap and a thick, disgusting fluid explodes into the gross cup. He shoves the cup to kale who looks grimly at it. "Do you have a pencil and napkin?" The bartender grunts and hands it to him. kale takes a seat and begins drawing engine schematics, going quiet.
Sudo Kent addresses the bartender. "Is there anyone with a collar here?"
"What? Bo Peep? She is not up at this hour, what the hell is wrong with you?" the man grunts.
"Is anyone else up at this time of day?" asks Sudo Kent
The man glares and gestures to the room of disgusting creatures. He then glares at Wren, looking her up and down before spitting into another cup.
Sudo Kent walks up to the barkeeper, offering him a 30c bride.
"What is this for?" growls the man.
Kale is sitting, doodling away at the napkin. Two beers sitting in frame. One slides out of frame and Sudo Kent takes a disgusted sip before putting it back down.
"We are looking to speak to someone about John Snow?"
"John Snow, fuck that guy-"
"If you wish" interjects Sudo Kent.
The bartender glares at him before continuing to speak " That guy is an asshole. He tried to earn his tab here by trading strange. He drank more then he put out. He never paid his tab. He got traded to the Henry Boys. He used to hang with Bo peep but like I said, she's asleep."
"Did you sell him to Henry's Boys?"
"No. I don't deal in that shit." Growled the bartender.
"Who did then?" Molly asks.
"There are many fingers in the pie down here. I don't know. All I know is he didn't pay the tab."
"When can we speak to Bo Peep?" Sudo Kent asks the Bartender. He tells them 4 hours.
Sudo Kent turns to the others, "What do you want to do?"
They have a conversation about the Flannegans, deciding not to pursue looking for them.
Wren yells to Kale, "Come on Kale we are leaving. We will come back when Bo Peep comes back."
"Sex!" Bertha finds the group. She is tripping over herself with how drunk she is. "You! You and your shit ass friends. Back from yesterday are you?" She throws her arm around Wren. Stinking with filth.
Wren's flashbacks are triggered. She has to roll the dice.
She freezes up, going static.
Sudo Kent turns to Kale, "What is wrong with her?"
A high pitch blue screen noise leaves Wren, causing molly to tap the walkie talkie, wondering if it's feedback.
"Sudo Kent get her off Wren now!"
Sudo Kent speaks to Bertha "Come gives Kale a hug…" He redirects her easily to Kale.
Sudo Kent makes a roll to pick up Wren and carry her back to the ship.
Molly keeps speaking to Wren, trying to talk her down.
Unfortunatly a bouncer seems Kale kind of pushing Bertha around while Sudo Kent is trying to pick up Wren. "What's going on here!?" He shakes Kale.
Kale is startled. "We were just leaving" Sudo Kent says.
"Damn right you are. Get out."
Sudo Kent rolls to pick up Wren. Rolls a 1. He does not pick up Wren.
The group leaves the Pelican to jeers from the room.
Meanwhile Todd and Gwyatzi [Editor: Gwaizai].
Todd has bought noodles. Small clipping of tree.
Todd: "Do you know anywhere fun we could go?"
Gwaizai: 'I know a place."
Todd: "Oh really would it be fun?"
Gwaizai: "It could be fun. Yes. We could meet up with your friends…. and see if they are done."
Todd: "Oh well… Molly said I shouldn't go with them, which is why we are here."
Gwaizai: "Ok we should go back to the ship."
Todd rolls for perception. Rolls a 3, notices a woman walk walking to the bar. She shows no interest in us.
Gwyatzi [Gwaizai] sees a slutty, not fully dressed woman. After a few moments he wanders over to her.
Todd thinks of following but a man approaches him. Wants to talk about plants, he is totally enraptured. They talk about figs. Todd is intrigued. He asks Todd if he's had fruit before. Todd mentions he had some on this planet yes. The man gets upset that Todd wouldn't know better than to not eat the plants on this planet and he leaves to talk to other Chinese people.
Todd looks over and see that Gwyatzi [Gwaizai] is gone, and so is the woman. Todd is sad. He tries to eavesdrop into a conversation but as he doesn't know Chinese he learns nothing. Todd wanders around to see if he can find Gwyatzi. Nothing. Yijir [Editor: Yijer] finds Todd and wonders where Gwyatzi is and Todd mentions that a woman came in and she goes on a rampage to find him as she knows where he is. Todd gets pushed down the hallway from all of the exiting people and gets back into the common room. He goes and sits down.
An arm comes around his waist and his mouth and he is picked up and taken out of the door and put into a van. Todd tries to scream but nothing happens. He tries to kick but he only hits a doorjamb. It is unharmed. Todd drops his plant.
He is reassured by the man kidnapping him that he won't be harmed.
There is another person in the back of the van who holds Todd's feet down. Not forced but firmly held. Todd notices the man who kidnapped him is the same man who talked to him about plants.
Molly finds that there are no fewer then 5 hidden areas in the ship. One in the cargo bay, nothing special. 2 smaller and in less obvious places, by the locked doors. Little compartments for smaller things. Not files but not crates. None near the office. One has scary looking weapons in it, it's not fully but there are just some in there. Molly doesn't know how to use them. There is another small space in Kai's original room (4) it has small leather bags inside but there are no bird symbols inside them. There are a lot of them. Creepy. Fifth space is on the deck, nothing special.
The gang arrives back at the ship.
Wren: "Mollllllllly I don't want to do this anymore."
Molly: "Kale, i've got a project for you. Would you like to make a blueprint of the ship?"
Cale: "Can I start in the engine room?"
Molly: "Sure…."
Kale leaves abruptly, not hearing Wren's wails.
Molly: "You guys had a fun time…"
"I don't think Kale will be going back there anytime."
A conversation ensures where Molly growls at the all, saying NONE of them can go back there.
Molly: "Someone has to go back there tonight, but it can't be any of you can it?"
"Well you weren't there." Wren says to Molly
Molly: "I guess I will be tonight. Wren you bath is ready."
Wren runs from the room.
Molly: "Lazy Pig, would you come with me tonight?"
Lanju: "Yes that's fine."
Molly: "Can you just like, stay quiet…"
Lanju: "Yes it's fine… I don't touch the stuff… " He mutters to Molly, making a meaningful glance at Sudo Kent.
A conversation ensures about Kale. "He reminds me of Gwyatzi" says Lazy Pig.
Sudo Kent: "Yeah except he starts a fight when he's startled."
Molly: "Yeah tell me about that. Would any normal person accept a hug from Bertha without freaking out!?"
Lazy Pig yells now, breaking into the conversation, ending the back and forth between Molly and Sudo Kent.
Lazy Pig suggests Molly get in contact with Gwyatzi to find out where they are at. There is nothing but loud yelling on the other end. Then Gwyatzi's voice comes through. "It's fine now. Everything is fine."
'Where is Todd?"
"He's downstairs."
"Well meet up with him."
"I will do that as soon as possible."
'What did you do?!"
"…………………………….. Nothing. Listen I have to go. Bye."
A few moments later, Gwyatzi comes back in on the link.
"Hello. The small child is gone. There is a broken plant on the ground and Uh here I am giving you over to someone else." While Molly yells loudly in panic.
Stern sounding woman: "Hello. We believe the child has been taken by someone other then the Flannagens. We believe he will be returned soon and will not be harmed. We are dealing with our internal matters." And the phone goes dead.
Notes taken by Ash and Seb. Edits on spelling by GM.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
#8 Serenity Campaign Session Player Notes
Wren, Kale, Quai-sai and Sudo Kent get suited up. Kale tries to figure out how to conceal his weapon. Both of them.
Molly helps Wren get into scary poor people's clothes. Takes a small concealed knife, and small sized pistol with her.
The four travel to Nice and make their way to the Lighthouse pub.
It is busy enough, and seems not too dirty.
There are kids there dressed in clothing that you can tell they aren't poor, but pretending to be poor. We have hit the hipster bar.
After getting asked to move out of the doorway, our heroes wander on over to the bar and sit down, get drinks. Quai sai and Sudo Kent turn down drinks, Sudo Kent finds the head waitress and goes over to talk to her.
He asks her about Jon Snow and shows her a picture. She goes to talk to the other girls about Jon, see if they've seen him recently.
Kale and Wren talk to the bartender about Jon Snow. He mentions that he owes the establishment a lot of money. Points out Rebecca, a girl who was last with Jon Snow. Mentions we could talk to her.
We talk to the head waitress again, and she is reluctant to have us talk to Rebecca, but agrees. Mentions that the Flanigans might be using him.
We go upstairs to the third floor to talk with Rebecca. She is pregnant and hoping that Jon is okay. She tells us what she knows, which is very little, beyond he promised to take her back to the farm, someone owes him money and did him wrong, and he was stressed in the last few days before he disappeared. She got a promise out of Sudo Kent that we would not harm Jon if we found him, and Kale comforted her as she cried.
Back on the ship, Lanju is opening locked doors on the ship. Found some huge ass weapons in the first room., like from a battlefield that has seen battle, making Molly rethink what she knew about the old captain.
Molly asks Lanju to look up Kai in the records to find out more about Kai. She seems to have turned up in the records once only, and one could assume that she flew under the radar.
The next door reveals body armour. And riot shields. In various stages of repair.
Back to Nice, the group decides to go to the orchard to find some information on Jon if possible. Wren clings to Kale on the way there.
Kale hones in on the cleanest people there; a portly man with two women on his arms. Kale approaches them with Wren and Guai-zai while Sudo Kent hangs out in ears range. Kale talks to the woman who is flirting with him and then hones in on Guai-zai, who is responding. Wren implicates that he is looking for a male specifically, then the woman loses her flirty nature and asks what we want. We ask about Jon Snow, she tells us to talk to someone of a lesser standard.
We find a woman selling sex by loudly saying sex. Cheap sex. She's.. frightening. Wren is beside herself for the look and smell of her, and wants out of the situation immediately. She hones in, again, on Guai-zai, who is vibrating from desire to go with her. They find out that Jon Snow was with the Henry boys so they got something out of the strange encounter. They have to drag Guai-zai away. They decide they have to go to either the Citadel or the Atrium and probably have to deal with the Flanigans.
Back on the ship, they open door number three. It contains nitrogen and other things that appear to be used to make bombs. Molly and Lanju exchange a look and it goes over Todd's head. They quickly leave.
Next locked room is a cot, a toilet and rings on the floor. They leave quickly.
Next room reveals ledgers, notebooks and paper, lots of information. Molly is going to spend time in here. She sends Todd to go and make dinner, they eat and Lanju is happy.
Notes taken by Ash.
Molly helps Wren get into scary poor people's clothes. Takes a small concealed knife, and small sized pistol with her.
The four travel to Nice and make their way to the Lighthouse pub.
It is busy enough, and seems not too dirty.
There are kids there dressed in clothing that you can tell they aren't poor, but pretending to be poor. We have hit the hipster bar.
After getting asked to move out of the doorway, our heroes wander on over to the bar and sit down, get drinks. Quai sai and Sudo Kent turn down drinks, Sudo Kent finds the head waitress and goes over to talk to her.
He asks her about Jon Snow and shows her a picture. She goes to talk to the other girls about Jon, see if they've seen him recently.
Kale and Wren talk to the bartender about Jon Snow. He mentions that he owes the establishment a lot of money. Points out Rebecca, a girl who was last with Jon Snow. Mentions we could talk to her.
We talk to the head waitress again, and she is reluctant to have us talk to Rebecca, but agrees. Mentions that the Flanigans might be using him.
We go upstairs to the third floor to talk with Rebecca. She is pregnant and hoping that Jon is okay. She tells us what she knows, which is very little, beyond he promised to take her back to the farm, someone owes him money and did him wrong, and he was stressed in the last few days before he disappeared. She got a promise out of Sudo Kent that we would not harm Jon if we found him, and Kale comforted her as she cried.
Back on the ship, Lanju is opening locked doors on the ship. Found some huge ass weapons in the first room., like from a battlefield that has seen battle, making Molly rethink what she knew about the old captain.
Molly asks Lanju to look up Kai in the records to find out more about Kai. She seems to have turned up in the records once only, and one could assume that she flew under the radar.
The next door reveals body armour. And riot shields. In various stages of repair.
Back to Nice, the group decides to go to the orchard to find some information on Jon if possible. Wren clings to Kale on the way there.
Kale hones in on the cleanest people there; a portly man with two women on his arms. Kale approaches them with Wren and Guai-zai while Sudo Kent hangs out in ears range. Kale talks to the woman who is flirting with him and then hones in on Guai-zai, who is responding. Wren implicates that he is looking for a male specifically, then the woman loses her flirty nature and asks what we want. We ask about Jon Snow, she tells us to talk to someone of a lesser standard.
We find a woman selling sex by loudly saying sex. Cheap sex. She's.. frightening. Wren is beside herself for the look and smell of her, and wants out of the situation immediately. She hones in, again, on Guai-zai, who is vibrating from desire to go with her. They find out that Jon Snow was with the Henry boys so they got something out of the strange encounter. They have to drag Guai-zai away. They decide they have to go to either the Citadel or the Atrium and probably have to deal with the Flanigans.
Back on the ship, they open door number three. It contains nitrogen and other things that appear to be used to make bombs. Molly and Lanju exchange a look and it goes over Todd's head. They quickly leave.
Next locked room is a cot, a toilet and rings on the floor. They leave quickly.
Next room reveals ledgers, notebooks and paper, lots of information. Molly is going to spend time in here. She sends Todd to go and make dinner, they eat and Lanju is happy.
Notes taken by Ash.
Friday, June 19, 2015
#4 Serenity Campaign Session GM Notes
Title: Not my best day ever.
Well, picking up from where we left off, we had 2 injured crew members and our beautiful ship was nose planted into the mud in the middle of what my dear mother would call "buttf*ck nowhere" on Higgin's Moon. We had yet to see combat.
Mercifully, the ship was alright, at least. And we had a quest! And, so far unknown to my players, they were about to come into possession of a ship. I made the mistake, once again, of having it all planned out: Kai was going to go talk to the robber gang, get killed (obviously), the crew would inherit the ship and all its mooing cargo, and would be able to go sell the cows and turn a tidy profit therefrom. If they were feeling really adventurous, I'd made the robbers stupid enough to have their camp rigged with mines, so all the crew would have to do is set off a few of them and the whole place would blow. The crew could then scavenge all sorts of goody from the rubble, including the pocketwatch quest item I'd set up last session, and no one would have to fire a shot. The session would be all character interaction, dialogue, spot checks, bartering, and figuring out what they wanted to do with their brand new ship.
The first part goes brilliantly. Everyone is on board for the decision Kai makes to go down and barter. I can see tension mount amongst the crew as the time narratively ticks by. Players are clearly starting to understand that this is a major hiccup, and, just as clearly, different crew members are having different reactions to the situation, forming different theories about what's now expected of them and where the story is going from here. However, unlike our first couple sessions, a pattern of leadership is apparent, and even a loose decision-making hierarchy among the crew. Awesome! Clearly people are settling into their characters. I am almost bursting with pride as Wren makes the call down to the bandit camp, nearly wriggling with self-congratulatory glee as I describe the bandits holding up the (obviously, to my mind) dead Kai. I do a quick mental inventory of all the clues I have set up about the explosives ringing the camp, the armaments of the ship, etc. I try not to look too pleased with myself.
And then they decided to mount a rescue mission.
I sat in mounting dread as characters with no gun or fighting skills whatsoever planned a full-on ground infiltration of what I had established as a well-planned camp of armed, murderous bandits. Between desperately asking my players whether they were SURE that they wanted to do this, and half-heartedly overseeing their lockpicking of the different armaments rooms on ship, I took stock of the situation. I had already given descriptions of the bandits in the tavern, and had established the red haired twins and the uber creepy brunette; I had them established as a 'band' of robbers, but hadn't specified how many of them there were - that was something, at least. Maybe I had some wiggle room there; and, after all, maybe Molly and Will would manage to sneak in to the camp. Afterall, the bandits would only really have sentries covering the road...
...the road that Molly and Will decide to walk straight down towards the camp.
Right. Ok. Fine. If that's how they want to play it, that's how we're going to play it.
So, obviously they get captured, and obviously they get taken to the headhonchos. I've realised by now that nothing will induce my crew to abandon my NPC Kai, so I decide to cut the apron strings and let Molly and Will get up close and personal with hard evidence of both the bad-ness of the predicament they're in and irrefutable proof of Kai's demise. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy leading my players through the PTSD bunker. That's normal, though, right? Sure. Everyone feels like that.
While team 1 (Molly and Will) and team 2 (Wren, Todd, and Cale) are deciding what they should do, I decide on a strategy. Admittedly, it hinges pretty hard on being able to roll dice where my players can't see them, but given that we've all just started to settle into the campaign I really don't want this to result in a party-wipe. That being said, there's nothing to say it needs to be a cakewalk either. My players are set on having a bit of violence, I figure, may as well give them what they want. I jot some quick numbers for my baddies and let the fun begin.
In fairness to my players, I only need to fudge a couple rolls, and almost all of them are Cale taking care of the sentries ringing the camp. I might find some of my players methods (and choices) dubious, but they're all quick on their feet and fully involved in the story, and a good dozen rounds of combat go by in the blink of an eye. When team 2 finally manage to get Will and Molly clear, and they blast the camp to smithereens, there's a real sense of the victory being earned. No one remembers the pocket watch fetch quest, but it doesn't really matter.
My Big Damn Heroes collect their just reward from the office in Jaynestown and find the handy-dandy IOU plot points in the late Kai's desk. After a bit of in-character bickering, they decide to name their new ship after the situation which led to their possession of it: The Calamity.
I wholeheartedly agree.
Well, picking up from where we left off, we had 2 injured crew members and our beautiful ship was nose planted into the mud in the middle of what my dear mother would call "buttf*ck nowhere" on Higgin's Moon. We had yet to see combat.
Mercifully, the ship was alright, at least. And we had a quest! And, so far unknown to my players, they were about to come into possession of a ship. I made the mistake, once again, of having it all planned out: Kai was going to go talk to the robber gang, get killed (obviously), the crew would inherit the ship and all its mooing cargo, and would be able to go sell the cows and turn a tidy profit therefrom. If they were feeling really adventurous, I'd made the robbers stupid enough to have their camp rigged with mines, so all the crew would have to do is set off a few of them and the whole place would blow. The crew could then scavenge all sorts of goody from the rubble, including the pocketwatch quest item I'd set up last session, and no one would have to fire a shot. The session would be all character interaction, dialogue, spot checks, bartering, and figuring out what they wanted to do with their brand new ship.
The first part goes brilliantly. Everyone is on board for the decision Kai makes to go down and barter. I can see tension mount amongst the crew as the time narratively ticks by. Players are clearly starting to understand that this is a major hiccup, and, just as clearly, different crew members are having different reactions to the situation, forming different theories about what's now expected of them and where the story is going from here. However, unlike our first couple sessions, a pattern of leadership is apparent, and even a loose decision-making hierarchy among the crew. Awesome! Clearly people are settling into their characters. I am almost bursting with pride as Wren makes the call down to the bandit camp, nearly wriggling with self-congratulatory glee as I describe the bandits holding up the (obviously, to my mind) dead Kai. I do a quick mental inventory of all the clues I have set up about the explosives ringing the camp, the armaments of the ship, etc. I try not to look too pleased with myself.
And then they decided to mount a rescue mission.
I sat in mounting dread as characters with no gun or fighting skills whatsoever planned a full-on ground infiltration of what I had established as a well-planned camp of armed, murderous bandits. Between desperately asking my players whether they were SURE that they wanted to do this, and half-heartedly overseeing their lockpicking of the different armaments rooms on ship, I took stock of the situation. I had already given descriptions of the bandits in the tavern, and had established the red haired twins and the uber creepy brunette; I had them established as a 'band' of robbers, but hadn't specified how many of them there were - that was something, at least. Maybe I had some wiggle room there; and, after all, maybe Molly and Will would manage to sneak in to the camp. Afterall, the bandits would only really have sentries covering the road...
...the road that Molly and Will decide to walk straight down towards the camp.
Right. Ok. Fine. If that's how they want to play it, that's how we're going to play it.
So, obviously they get captured, and obviously they get taken to the headhonchos. I've realised by now that nothing will induce my crew to abandon my NPC Kai, so I decide to cut the apron strings and let Molly and Will get up close and personal with hard evidence of both the bad-ness of the predicament they're in and irrefutable proof of Kai's demise. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy leading my players through the PTSD bunker. That's normal, though, right? Sure. Everyone feels like that.
While team 1 (Molly and Will) and team 2 (Wren, Todd, and Cale) are deciding what they should do, I decide on a strategy. Admittedly, it hinges pretty hard on being able to roll dice where my players can't see them, but given that we've all just started to settle into the campaign I really don't want this to result in a party-wipe. That being said, there's nothing to say it needs to be a cakewalk either. My players are set on having a bit of violence, I figure, may as well give them what they want. I jot some quick numbers for my baddies and let the fun begin.
In fairness to my players, I only need to fudge a couple rolls, and almost all of them are Cale taking care of the sentries ringing the camp. I might find some of my players methods (and choices) dubious, but they're all quick on their feet and fully involved in the story, and a good dozen rounds of combat go by in the blink of an eye. When team 2 finally manage to get Will and Molly clear, and they blast the camp to smithereens, there's a real sense of the victory being earned. No one remembers the pocket watch fetch quest, but it doesn't really matter.
My Big Damn Heroes collect their just reward from the office in Jaynestown and find the handy-dandy IOU plot points in the late Kai's desk. After a bit of in-character bickering, they decide to name their new ship after the situation which led to their possession of it: The Calamity.
I wholeheartedly agree.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
#7 Serenity Campaign Session Player Notes
Kale is cleaning the ship after being convinced that it would go faster if he does by Will. After Will has the conversation with the three who are at the Bael's, he goes and checks up on Kale who promptly falls on him.
Will breaks his leg and has a gash on his head.
Kale puts him into his deck chair and drags him away from the ship, after locking it up, and gets stopped by a driver, Schwishang in a food truck
The driver takes Kale and Will to a lady who does traditional and Chinese medicine. She rushes him in to take care of him. Kale is useless to tell her what is wrong with Will and she ushers him out.
Kale takes a rickshaw back to the ship.
Wren, Molly and Todd get back to the ship. They admire the cleanliness, and notice the stuff left out. Wren thinks its rude that the things were left out, Molly is concerned and looks for blood Todd notices the drag tracks. They go inside and call for Kale and Will. No answer.
Wren goes to check the cockpit and kitchen and main room. Nothing.
Molly sends Todd out to look for witnesses.
Molly goes to get some medical supplies.
Todd ignores Molly and follows the drag tracks which lead to tire tracks.
Todd looks around at other ships and goes to a neighbouring one after establishing that it doesn't look reaver esque
Todd finds a few people outside a ship eating. They ask if he's lost.
Todd is all optimism and gets a bit of info. They get suspicious and he leaves without giving his name. They call the authorities to tell them what is going on.
Wren checks the engine room, then their cabins. Nothing out of order in any.
Todd gets back and tells Molly about the van. And the phone call.
Molly sends Todd in to clean the blood. Molly calls Wren down to the door and she arrives when the organizer gets there, who sucks up again. Asks if Wren is alright and after assuring that she is, mentions that Todd should stay on the ship.
He leaves, the rickshaw with Kale arrives, and the driver waits for him to take him back.
Kale walks up to the ship and Molly pounces on him. She and Kale leave to go back on the rickshaw back to Suntient.
Todd gets rid of the blood and then goes to his plants. Wren goes to the cockpit.
Kale meets back up with Schwishang, they go to check out his motorcycle engine when Molly tells the men to leave. Molly and Schwishang's grandmother talk about Will.
Molly talks to Will, he mentions that he is getting too old for this and that they are to leave him on this planet.
Molly tries to talk him out of it, but eventually says goodbye.
Molly and the woman walk down into the restaurant to talk, they wait for an old man to finish his food. The grandma offers Molly food.
Kale and Schwishang look over the motorcycle. Talk engines. Talk about Schwishang's uncle and the fleet of ships he owns.
The old man finishes his meal and comes over. Mentions that he knows about the ship and says he has a job.
Molly mentions they are already in a job and the man says that he understands that and that he's sure the Bael business won't take more than two weeks so after that we could come back and take the job.
He mentions that the job is taking some things off planet to another planet. Molly didn't ask questions.
Molly goes and badly plays Maajong.
She meets up with Kale and mentions Will leaving. They go with Schwishang to go and check out the guards that will be on their mission in two weeks. They meet Schwishang's father, Laoshe.
He mentions that the shipment is people, but it is a legal shipment. He says that the bodyguards are for the people getting transported. He mentions his ship, the Empress.
Schwishang drives Kale and Molly to the Empress to meet the new crew members. He mentions that the people they are to be transporting are monks.
They get to the Empress, which is shiny and pretty. The door opens and new people walk in.
Sudo Kent saunters through the doorway, much to Kale's growing happiness. He notices that Sudo has a rifle in one hand and is wearing a mechanical belt and starts geeking out.
Lanju also enters, he seems nice, portly. He is 34.
Quai-sai has an awesome sense of humour in that he doesn't have any.
They interact with each other, get to know each other a little bit better.
Kale and Molly get a ride back with Schwishang, who gets invited in the ship, much to Wren's chagrin. Kale and Schwishang go to the engine room, Wren tries to follow to make sure everything is fine, Molly intercepts her and they argue about the current plan of attack, which is for Wren to go with Kale and two of the soldiers into the shady parts of town to search for signs of Jon Snow. Wren eventually comes around to the idea. Molly will be giving Wren as much info beforehand as possible.
After the conversation Wren goes and checks on the boys in the engine room. Thankfully, they seem to be basking in the glory of the engine, not taking it apart.
Schwishang says he can help with the communication between Molly and Wren for the day. Wren thanks the strange man who she doesn't know, but who seems to respect her and she responds to that.
Notes Taken By Ash.
Will breaks his leg and has a gash on his head.
Kale puts him into his deck chair and drags him away from the ship, after locking it up, and gets stopped by a driver, Schwishang in a food truck
The driver takes Kale and Will to a lady who does traditional and Chinese medicine. She rushes him in to take care of him. Kale is useless to tell her what is wrong with Will and she ushers him out.
Kale takes a rickshaw back to the ship.
Wren, Molly and Todd get back to the ship. They admire the cleanliness, and notice the stuff left out. Wren thinks its rude that the things were left out, Molly is concerned and looks for blood Todd notices the drag tracks. They go inside and call for Kale and Will. No answer.
Wren goes to check the cockpit and kitchen and main room. Nothing.
Molly sends Todd out to look for witnesses.
Molly goes to get some medical supplies.
Todd ignores Molly and follows the drag tracks which lead to tire tracks.
Todd looks around at other ships and goes to a neighbouring one after establishing that it doesn't look reaver esque
Todd finds a few people outside a ship eating. They ask if he's lost.
Todd is all optimism and gets a bit of info. They get suspicious and he leaves without giving his name. They call the authorities to tell them what is going on.
Wren checks the engine room, then their cabins. Nothing out of order in any.
Todd gets back and tells Molly about the van. And the phone call.
Molly sends Todd in to clean the blood. Molly calls Wren down to the door and she arrives when the organizer gets there, who sucks up again. Asks if Wren is alright and after assuring that she is, mentions that Todd should stay on the ship.
He leaves, the rickshaw with Kale arrives, and the driver waits for him to take him back.
Kale walks up to the ship and Molly pounces on him. She and Kale leave to go back on the rickshaw back to Suntient.
Todd gets rid of the blood and then goes to his plants. Wren goes to the cockpit.
Kale meets back up with Schwishang, they go to check out his motorcycle engine when Molly tells the men to leave. Molly and Schwishang's grandmother talk about Will.
Molly talks to Will, he mentions that he is getting too old for this and that they are to leave him on this planet.
Molly tries to talk him out of it, but eventually says goodbye.
Molly and the woman walk down into the restaurant to talk, they wait for an old man to finish his food. The grandma offers Molly food.
Kale and Schwishang look over the motorcycle. Talk engines. Talk about Schwishang's uncle and the fleet of ships he owns.
The old man finishes his meal and comes over. Mentions that he knows about the ship and says he has a job.
Molly mentions they are already in a job and the man says that he understands that and that he's sure the Bael business won't take more than two weeks so after that we could come back and take the job.
He mentions that the job is taking some things off planet to another planet. Molly didn't ask questions.
Molly goes and badly plays Maajong.
She meets up with Kale and mentions Will leaving. They go with Schwishang to go and check out the guards that will be on their mission in two weeks. They meet Schwishang's father, Laoshe.
He mentions that the shipment is people, but it is a legal shipment. He says that the bodyguards are for the people getting transported. He mentions his ship, the Empress.
Schwishang drives Kale and Molly to the Empress to meet the new crew members. He mentions that the people they are to be transporting are monks.
They get to the Empress, which is shiny and pretty. The door opens and new people walk in.
Sudo Kent saunters through the doorway, much to Kale's growing happiness. He notices that Sudo has a rifle in one hand and is wearing a mechanical belt and starts geeking out.
Lanju also enters, he seems nice, portly. He is 34.
Quai-sai has an awesome sense of humour in that he doesn't have any.
They interact with each other, get to know each other a little bit better.
Kale and Molly get a ride back with Schwishang, who gets invited in the ship, much to Wren's chagrin. Kale and Schwishang go to the engine room, Wren tries to follow to make sure everything is fine, Molly intercepts her and they argue about the current plan of attack, which is for Wren to go with Kale and two of the soldiers into the shady parts of town to search for signs of Jon Snow. Wren eventually comes around to the idea. Molly will be giving Wren as much info beforehand as possible.
After the conversation Wren goes and checks on the boys in the engine room. Thankfully, they seem to be basking in the glory of the engine, not taking it apart.
Schwishang says he can help with the communication between Molly and Wren for the day. Wren thanks the strange man who she doesn't know, but who seems to respect her and she responds to that.
Notes Taken By Ash.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
#5 Serenity Campaign Session Player Notes
So, this is a bit of a cheat because no one actually *took* notes on session 5. Suffice to say, though, that it was mostly sleuthing on Verbena in the old Snow house.
In there, they found some tantalising evidence and a lot of sad family history. The story, as they were able to piece it together through broken crockery, empty rooms, a whole mess of dust, and one very interesting digital recording, is essentially this:
John Snow is the man who owed the late Kai 21,000 credits. John Snow lived in an awful fancy house on a backwater planet thanks to being a handsome rascal and marrying rich; specifically, the sweet Arabella Bael, daughter of none other than Jensen Bael, Manager of the Hao Yun Blue Sun Factory. Daddy dear was never much a fan of Johnny boy, though he could never refuse his only child anything she set her mind on; so, when she insisted on marrying John, Jensen set up his son-in-law on nice, quiet, distraction-less Verbena working at the Alliance armaments plant and hoped for the best.
All was well for a good spell of time, until John scored an off world business trip, and wouldn't you know it? Immediately sidetracked into the old distractions that his father in law had hoped to keep him away from, and burned a nice tidy hole in the family fortune while he was at it. Good thing Kai was on hand to bail him out - for a price. Only downside - besides a 21,000 credit IOU - is that while John was away, Riddick, the eldest of John and Arabella's 2 boys, got old enough to turn browncoat, and helped blow up the Alliance gun factory, perishing heroically in the doing.
After John got back to Verbena, it was all downhill... No more job, a child dead, and a sudden lack of financial security sent Arabella begging to her daddy, who just about snapped his crackers at hearing all the money had evaporated from his daughter's dowry, and he informed poor sweet Arabella of her husbands more... "exotic" extracurricular activities and begged her to hurry home.
Which she did, a couple thrown vases later.
The youngest (and only remaining) kid, Tomjon, stayed on with his dad and tried to help him make a go of things. Instead he learned the hardest lesson any boy can learn about his father: that he's a useless, shallow wastrel. Been probably about a year now, as such things are reckoned, that Tomjon took off after his mom. No one really knows for sure what happened to Handsome John after that, but from the look of the farm equipment, he certainly hasn't been on Verbena farmsteading.
In there, they found some tantalising evidence and a lot of sad family history. The story, as they were able to piece it together through broken crockery, empty rooms, a whole mess of dust, and one very interesting digital recording, is essentially this:
John Snow is the man who owed the late Kai 21,000 credits. John Snow lived in an awful fancy house on a backwater planet thanks to being a handsome rascal and marrying rich; specifically, the sweet Arabella Bael, daughter of none other than Jensen Bael, Manager of the Hao Yun Blue Sun Factory. Daddy dear was never much a fan of Johnny boy, though he could never refuse his only child anything she set her mind on; so, when she insisted on marrying John, Jensen set up his son-in-law on nice, quiet, distraction-less Verbena working at the Alliance armaments plant and hoped for the best.
All was well for a good spell of time, until John scored an off world business trip, and wouldn't you know it? Immediately sidetracked into the old distractions that his father in law had hoped to keep him away from, and burned a nice tidy hole in the family fortune while he was at it. Good thing Kai was on hand to bail him out - for a price. Only downside - besides a 21,000 credit IOU - is that while John was away, Riddick, the eldest of John and Arabella's 2 boys, got old enough to turn browncoat, and helped blow up the Alliance gun factory, perishing heroically in the doing.
After John got back to Verbena, it was all downhill... No more job, a child dead, and a sudden lack of financial security sent Arabella begging to her daddy, who just about snapped his crackers at hearing all the money had evaporated from his daughter's dowry, and he informed poor sweet Arabella of her husbands more... "exotic" extracurricular activities and begged her to hurry home.
Which she did, a couple thrown vases later.
The youngest (and only remaining) kid, Tomjon, stayed on with his dad and tried to help him make a go of things. Instead he learned the hardest lesson any boy can learn about his father: that he's a useless, shallow wastrel. Been probably about a year now, as such things are reckoned, that Tomjon took off after his mom. No one really knows for sure what happened to Handsome John after that, but from the look of the farm equipment, he certainly hasn't been on Verbena farmsteading.
#6 Serenity Campaign Session Player Notes
On our way to New Dunsmere, the capitol of Beaumonde
On this planet Molly goes by Debbie Jenkins
Nice city, similar to LA in terms of pollution, Calamity is the worse looking ship but not by much
Got Todd cleared to exit the ship
Will and Kale stay behind to get fuel, food
Connection to guy checking us in- know's Wren's uncle, Rhys. Got us a connection to find Bael
Driven out to an area in the country to a nice establishment
Talked to the secretary of Bael. Set up a meeting at 1400 at the Toll Booth cafe tomorrow
Exploring the fancy neighbourhood!
Traveled through a fence to find strawberries growing up a hill
Traveled further in to find blackberries
Keep traveling up the hill to find fancy bushes, roses, etc.
Keep traveling and start to feel discomfort. Todd and Wren feel flush, Molly feels like she needs to find a washroom pronto.
Come across a pond by a building. Molly drinks the water, Todd and Wren don't. Wren sits in the shade, Todd is playing in the cattails. Molly sits on the buildings steps.
Todd learns that the building is the New Dunsmere Fergusen Water Treatment and Chemical Disposal Rejuvenation Area
Molly did a medical check with us and gave us rehydration pills
Molly checked out that the chemicals won't do us harm
Wren had a hypochondriac attack and wanted more pills- Molly didn't give them to her
They walked back down to the Bael residence to wait for a ride back to the ship
Got harassed by a security guard while waiting in the shade behind the residence and Wren pulled rank on him- got them in to the guest house to freshen up before dinner with the Bael's
Washed clothing and showers before the dinner
Wren arranged for a ride back to their ship after dinner at the residence
Dinner happens, Wren feels embarrassed by her companions' eating styles, the Bael's ignore it
Todd is sent away to look at the gardens as business is broached
Molly gives Arabelle back the photo albums. Her son eagerly takes them
Molly explains why we are here and tells them that Jon is on the planet
Arabelle can't handle this and leaves
Bael and Molly discuss the fact that we know Jon is on the planet
Bael asks the crew to do some reconnaissance work to find Jon before he gets to the Bael residence to contact Arabelle
Bael offers us double the amount that Jon owes Kai to learn where he lives
The three head back to the ship
On this planet Molly goes by Debbie Jenkins
Nice city, similar to LA in terms of pollution, Calamity is the worse looking ship but not by much
Got Todd cleared to exit the ship
Will and Kale stay behind to get fuel, food
Connection to guy checking us in- know's Wren's uncle, Rhys. Got us a connection to find Bael
Driven out to an area in the country to a nice establishment
Talked to the secretary of Bael. Set up a meeting at 1400 at the Toll Booth cafe tomorrow
Exploring the fancy neighbourhood!
Traveled through a fence to find strawberries growing up a hill
Traveled further in to find blackberries
Keep traveling up the hill to find fancy bushes, roses, etc.
Keep traveling and start to feel discomfort. Todd and Wren feel flush, Molly feels like she needs to find a washroom pronto.
Come across a pond by a building. Molly drinks the water, Todd and Wren don't. Wren sits in the shade, Todd is playing in the cattails. Molly sits on the buildings steps.
Todd learns that the building is the New Dunsmere Fergusen Water Treatment and Chemical Disposal Rejuvenation Area
Molly did a medical check with us and gave us rehydration pills
Molly checked out that the chemicals won't do us harm
Wren had a hypochondriac attack and wanted more pills- Molly didn't give them to her
They walked back down to the Bael residence to wait for a ride back to the ship
Got harassed by a security guard while waiting in the shade behind the residence and Wren pulled rank on him- got them in to the guest house to freshen up before dinner with the Bael's
Washed clothing and showers before the dinner
Wren arranged for a ride back to their ship after dinner at the residence
Dinner happens, Wren feels embarrassed by her companions' eating styles, the Bael's ignore it
Todd is sent away to look at the gardens as business is broached
Molly gives Arabelle back the photo albums. Her son eagerly takes them
Molly explains why we are here and tells them that Jon is on the planet
Arabelle can't handle this and leaves
Bael and Molly discuss the fact that we know Jon is on the planet
Bael asks the crew to do some reconnaissance work to find Jon before he gets to the Bael residence to contact Arabelle
Bael offers us double the amount that Jon owes Kai to learn where he lives
The three head back to the ship
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
#3 Serenity Campaign Session GM Notes
Title: ...out of a clear, blue sky.
I freely admit: I was feeling a little cocky after the relative success of the previous 2 sessions. I thought I was really starting to get a handle on this whole GM thing, and that the hard part (getting the players together and moving) was over; from now on, they'd start playing the main roles and I would just be filling in details and providing boundaries.
I knew exactly what was going to happen this session, and for once I'd actually tried to do my homework on the system. We were going to land on Higgin's Moon, but the contact wasn't going to be there; instead, Kai would have to haggle with a new guy, and he wasn't going to agree to do anything unless Kai and the crew went and took out some robbers who were in the area screwing things up for everybody. If they went to the town they'd be able to pick up a sidequest that would get them some extra cash and prizes, but if they went straight out to look for the robbers they'd find them, Kai would go down to negotiate and conveniently get killed, the crew could nuke the site from orbit, take the ship, and continue on their merry way with some fun-fun-fun tidbits scattered around the ship to give them a little direction. Next session we'd be on another world, with none of my squishy, non-combat players ever needing to damage their hitpoints. Great!
Ha.
Things went wrong almost immediately. Kai had barely started haggling with the new contact before Will got carried away and levelled a gun at him, which naturally soured the deal and the new guy took off into the woods (and safety). So much for that part of the storyline, or, you know, Will 'not liking violence'. Mercifully, this meant the crew now HAD to go to the town, where they learned about the robbers in the woods. They also 100% talked to the sidequest guy in the bar, but then essentially forgot all about it. Oh well.
So, armed with info and finally on their way, they head off to find the robbers. As I'm writing this and looking back on all the sessions we've now had, I'm starting to realise that my group plays far more aggressively than you'd think their characters would allow. I mean, we have all these squishy, non-violent, non-weapon-using folks, and instead of playing like sleuths and con men and diplomats and pickpockets, they play like freaking tanks, charging towards the issue in the most direct way possible. Odd. Oh well.
Anyway, back to the session. I felt like our pilot, Wren, wasn't really getting able to role play a lot compared to the other characters, and the next section of the story called for the party to be sort of skimming over the tops of trees looking for the robber camp - perfect time to get her to do some rolling and some role playing, right? This is where I learned Note to Self #2: Don't get a character to roll on any action you don't want to open up to failure. Oh well.
And, of course, no good ship nosedive is complete unless several characters get injured in the crash. In our case, of course, the most severely injured character was also our medical expert, because, really, why would you even expect anything else ever. So, what I had imagined to be a nice, clean little session full of sleuthing, haggling, and intrigue, immediately dissolved into damage control, and the last half of the session was spent frantically tending to the wounded and assessing ship damage (luckily Higgin's Moon is known for its nice, impact absorbing mud). My pilot got to role play, all right, as the rest of the crew took turns yelling at her, and the bulk of the die rolling was done by our mangled healer, Molly. An interesting and memorable session, certainly, but definitely not quite what I'd imagined. Note to self #3:
Oh well.
I freely admit: I was feeling a little cocky after the relative success of the previous 2 sessions. I thought I was really starting to get a handle on this whole GM thing, and that the hard part (getting the players together and moving) was over; from now on, they'd start playing the main roles and I would just be filling in details and providing boundaries.
I knew exactly what was going to happen this session, and for once I'd actually tried to do my homework on the system. We were going to land on Higgin's Moon, but the contact wasn't going to be there; instead, Kai would have to haggle with a new guy, and he wasn't going to agree to do anything unless Kai and the crew went and took out some robbers who were in the area screwing things up for everybody. If they went to the town they'd be able to pick up a sidequest that would get them some extra cash and prizes, but if they went straight out to look for the robbers they'd find them, Kai would go down to negotiate and conveniently get killed, the crew could nuke the site from orbit, take the ship, and continue on their merry way with some fun-fun-fun tidbits scattered around the ship to give them a little direction. Next session we'd be on another world, with none of my squishy, non-combat players ever needing to damage their hitpoints. Great!
Ha.
Things went wrong almost immediately. Kai had barely started haggling with the new contact before Will got carried away and levelled a gun at him, which naturally soured the deal and the new guy took off into the woods (and safety). So much for that part of the storyline, or, you know, Will 'not liking violence'. Mercifully, this meant the crew now HAD to go to the town, where they learned about the robbers in the woods. They also 100% talked to the sidequest guy in the bar, but then essentially forgot all about it. Oh well.
So, armed with info and finally on their way, they head off to find the robbers. As I'm writing this and looking back on all the sessions we've now had, I'm starting to realise that my group plays far more aggressively than you'd think their characters would allow. I mean, we have all these squishy, non-violent, non-weapon-using folks, and instead of playing like sleuths and con men and diplomats and pickpockets, they play like freaking tanks, charging towards the issue in the most direct way possible. Odd. Oh well.
Anyway, back to the session. I felt like our pilot, Wren, wasn't really getting able to role play a lot compared to the other characters, and the next section of the story called for the party to be sort of skimming over the tops of trees looking for the robber camp - perfect time to get her to do some rolling and some role playing, right? This is where I learned Note to Self #2: Don't get a character to roll on any action you don't want to open up to failure. Oh well.
And, of course, no good ship nosedive is complete unless several characters get injured in the crash. In our case, of course, the most severely injured character was also our medical expert, because, really, why would you even expect anything else ever. So, what I had imagined to be a nice, clean little session full of sleuthing, haggling, and intrigue, immediately dissolved into damage control, and the last half of the session was spent frantically tending to the wounded and assessing ship damage (luckily Higgin's Moon is known for its nice, impact absorbing mud). My pilot got to role play, all right, as the rest of the crew took turns yelling at her, and the bulk of the die rolling was done by our mangled healer, Molly. An interesting and memorable session, certainly, but definitely not quite what I'd imagined. Note to self #3:
Oh well.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
#2 Serenity Campaign Session GM Notes
Title: Fly, my little fledglings, FLY!
A thing I've heard from a lot of the other GM's I know is that a big part of the role you play as GM is "reading your group", both as individual character niches / player styles, and, perhaps most importantly, how the whole mish-mash functions together as a team.
I noticed in the first session that my group didn't really have any brassy, instantly-take-charge types. There were a couple naturally more passive types (I don't think anyone would have bought a 10 year old character trying to be party leader), and I thought I could see where leadership would eventually come from once people settled more into their roles, but for the first few sessions, at least, it didn't really make sense for any of the characters (from a role-playing standpoint) to put themselves forward.
Now, in a more established campaign this wouldn't have been an issue, because people would already have developed the necessary bonds with each other to keep everyone in mostly the same place going in mostly the same direction. However, this party was just starting out, so I felt like a leader/catalyst was important.
My original idea was, I gotta admit, very heavily based on the 'choose your own adventure' books from back in the day. It always annoyed me when GM's herded characters around like sheep instead of letting us figure things out on our own, so I figured the best way to avoid that would be to develop a series of "proto plots", stagger them around the confined area I'd managed to wrangle my characters into, and then see what they chose.
This turned out to be a really rewarding exercise in and of itself, and I'd definitely recommend it to any GM's who are keen to start but don't really have any solid idea of what they want their campaign to consist of. Essentially what I did was come up with a series of story beginnings; one of them, actually, was in the last session where the Alliance stopped the shuttle the party was on in order to make way for one of their military ships. But none of my players seemed particularly interested in that situation, so I turfed it and focused my energy on creating story beginnings that could be 'triggered' by my players talking to specific NPC's in the hiring fair. To make sure that everyone ended up on the same quest instead of going to all different ones, I decided that once the first event was 'triggered', that is, once an individual player had decided to follow a specific lead, I would allow myself to 'turn off' the events if I felt that was appropriate. Basically, first come, first served.
Story fragment number one, I decided, would be triggered by the players going over to the garbage company, United Reclamation, booth at the hiring fair. This company was a large enough size to be looking for several different posts, I decided. Will, Molly, and Wren would all make good impressions on the company spokesperson, and because Todd was tied to Molly, and Cale had stuck himself to Wren, that would pretty well take care of everyone. Once they were all on a ship, things could happen to bring them back to the Alliance storyline I'd pseudo-introduced in the first session.
Story fragment number two would be a macguffin, specifically, a shipment that a courier company had had stolen from them on route to delivery. I decided that once a player walked up to the table, the front man would be only grudgingly interested but would be interrupted suddenly by a subbordinate saying that one of their ships was damaged and its cargo taken, and that the crew was injured and would not be able to pursue this immediately. Being unwilling to involve the authorities for his own reasons, and not having sufficient crew to man their remaining ship, the front man would then have almost no choice but to employ some mercenary-minded individuals to help retrieve the stolen cargo.
Story fragment number three, and the one that ended up being chosen, was The Mysterious Stranger. A mysterious, no nonsense woman with a ship and a quest who wanted a crew that wouldn't ask questions. She, of course, would die soon into the quest and conveniently leave the party with a ship and a bunch of mysteries they could solve for fun and profit, but, like the other 2 story beginnings mentioned above, would provide the necessary (if temporary) direction and leadership to mold the fledgling party into a cohesive team.
Each of the story beginnings above depended on a player actively going and talking to a specific person. I even staggered the event triggers around the space station so that the most 'urgent' one, #2, was in the far corner from the entrance and the players would have to pass the other event triggers to get to it. As a final backup, though, I decided there would be a 4th story fragment, one that couldn't ignored or walked by - a disaster. I figured, if it came to a point where all my players were wandering around the station being bored and disparate, one of Vera's Chop Shop ships up there for display could explode and funnel everyone into another ship for the evacuation. Once everyone was together, the ship would tragically suffer a navigational malfunction and the crew would end up landing only spitting distance away from the locale of the Alliance-centric storyline I'd originally envisaged.
As I mentioned, it was story fragment #3 that ended up being triggered first, just by virtue of what direction the party members started moving around the station. Cale and Wren went to the left and only spoke to a couple 'dummy' booths before taking off to look at ships, and Will had gone straight to the canteen. Molly and Todd, on the other hand, had gone right and, after hitting a couple dummy booths on that side had triggered the Mysterious Stranger event. Now, I hadn't really put too much planning into this event, besides 'mysterious stranger who will conveniently die and leave them with a ship', but Molly and Todd both leapt at this storyline and I obligingly 'shut off' the other event triggers and let everyone collect sort of naturally in the ship. I had to sort of ad lib a primary quest - I figured I should make it a "simple job that somehow goes sideways" type thing cus otherwise it'd be either too dangerous to sign up for or too boring to make an engaging campaign - and because I was mostly pulling names out of the air, the primary quest became an under-the-table cattle drop to Higgin's Moon, and within a matter of minutes my players were a group on one ship with one united mission. End of session 2!
For me, the big value in going the 'story fragment' route was that it helped me flesh out the universe I was creating for my players without getting a) too bogged down in details, or b) too attached to a storyline that my players had no enthusiasm for. Coming up with a series of different stories meant I had to develop different characters and different roles, and think of different methods to make my goals happen, all within the same universe. This meant that, again, my characters got to wander around and act and do things on their own without me having to narrate their decisions to them, AND I got the added benefit of having created a small database of stock characters/roles/events that fit into my universe that I could draw on later down the road.
In terms of the final effect of the group following The Mysterious Stranger, its main strength and its main weakness was the introduction of an NPC to take the leadership role. This was helpful because it herded the different characters onto a ship and assigned them roles on that ship; it gave them a united purpose as well as a group leader who everyone trusted to make decisions on everyone's behalf; and it kept everyone more or less together. However, and this is another reason this character had to die, it also gave the players an easy way out of developing problem solving or leadership skills of their own, and because it was me, the GM, talking for the NPC, it felt way too much like I was running the campaign and prescribing actions for the players to take. Essentially, it was like I was writing the story and then narrating it, and just feeding the characters lines instead of them being able to take a couple plot points and write their own story.
So, yeah. The Mysterious Stranger bit was fun while it lasted, but Kai Had To Die. It was just a question of how.
A thing I've heard from a lot of the other GM's I know is that a big part of the role you play as GM is "reading your group", both as individual character niches / player styles, and, perhaps most importantly, how the whole mish-mash functions together as a team.
I noticed in the first session that my group didn't really have any brassy, instantly-take-charge types. There were a couple naturally more passive types (I don't think anyone would have bought a 10 year old character trying to be party leader), and I thought I could see where leadership would eventually come from once people settled more into their roles, but for the first few sessions, at least, it didn't really make sense for any of the characters (from a role-playing standpoint) to put themselves forward.
Now, in a more established campaign this wouldn't have been an issue, because people would already have developed the necessary bonds with each other to keep everyone in mostly the same place going in mostly the same direction. However, this party was just starting out, so I felt like a leader/catalyst was important.
My original idea was, I gotta admit, very heavily based on the 'choose your own adventure' books from back in the day. It always annoyed me when GM's herded characters around like sheep instead of letting us figure things out on our own, so I figured the best way to avoid that would be to develop a series of "proto plots", stagger them around the confined area I'd managed to wrangle my characters into, and then see what they chose.
This turned out to be a really rewarding exercise in and of itself, and I'd definitely recommend it to any GM's who are keen to start but don't really have any solid idea of what they want their campaign to consist of. Essentially what I did was come up with a series of story beginnings; one of them, actually, was in the last session where the Alliance stopped the shuttle the party was on in order to make way for one of their military ships. But none of my players seemed particularly interested in that situation, so I turfed it and focused my energy on creating story beginnings that could be 'triggered' by my players talking to specific NPC's in the hiring fair. To make sure that everyone ended up on the same quest instead of going to all different ones, I decided that once the first event was 'triggered', that is, once an individual player had decided to follow a specific lead, I would allow myself to 'turn off' the events if I felt that was appropriate. Basically, first come, first served.
Story fragment number one, I decided, would be triggered by the players going over to the garbage company, United Reclamation, booth at the hiring fair. This company was a large enough size to be looking for several different posts, I decided. Will, Molly, and Wren would all make good impressions on the company spokesperson, and because Todd was tied to Molly, and Cale had stuck himself to Wren, that would pretty well take care of everyone. Once they were all on a ship, things could happen to bring them back to the Alliance storyline I'd pseudo-introduced in the first session.
Story fragment number two would be a macguffin, specifically, a shipment that a courier company had had stolen from them on route to delivery. I decided that once a player walked up to the table, the front man would be only grudgingly interested but would be interrupted suddenly by a subbordinate saying that one of their ships was damaged and its cargo taken, and that the crew was injured and would not be able to pursue this immediately. Being unwilling to involve the authorities for his own reasons, and not having sufficient crew to man their remaining ship, the front man would then have almost no choice but to employ some mercenary-minded individuals to help retrieve the stolen cargo.
Story fragment number three, and the one that ended up being chosen, was The Mysterious Stranger. A mysterious, no nonsense woman with a ship and a quest who wanted a crew that wouldn't ask questions. She, of course, would die soon into the quest and conveniently leave the party with a ship and a bunch of mysteries they could solve for fun and profit, but, like the other 2 story beginnings mentioned above, would provide the necessary (if temporary) direction and leadership to mold the fledgling party into a cohesive team.
Each of the story beginnings above depended on a player actively going and talking to a specific person. I even staggered the event triggers around the space station so that the most 'urgent' one, #2, was in the far corner from the entrance and the players would have to pass the other event triggers to get to it. As a final backup, though, I decided there would be a 4th story fragment, one that couldn't ignored or walked by - a disaster. I figured, if it came to a point where all my players were wandering around the station being bored and disparate, one of Vera's Chop Shop ships up there for display could explode and funnel everyone into another ship for the evacuation. Once everyone was together, the ship would tragically suffer a navigational malfunction and the crew would end up landing only spitting distance away from the locale of the Alliance-centric storyline I'd originally envisaged.
As I mentioned, it was story fragment #3 that ended up being triggered first, just by virtue of what direction the party members started moving around the station. Cale and Wren went to the left and only spoke to a couple 'dummy' booths before taking off to look at ships, and Will had gone straight to the canteen. Molly and Todd, on the other hand, had gone right and, after hitting a couple dummy booths on that side had triggered the Mysterious Stranger event. Now, I hadn't really put too much planning into this event, besides 'mysterious stranger who will conveniently die and leave them with a ship', but Molly and Todd both leapt at this storyline and I obligingly 'shut off' the other event triggers and let everyone collect sort of naturally in the ship. I had to sort of ad lib a primary quest - I figured I should make it a "simple job that somehow goes sideways" type thing cus otherwise it'd be either too dangerous to sign up for or too boring to make an engaging campaign - and because I was mostly pulling names out of the air, the primary quest became an under-the-table cattle drop to Higgin's Moon, and within a matter of minutes my players were a group on one ship with one united mission. End of session 2!
For me, the big value in going the 'story fragment' route was that it helped me flesh out the universe I was creating for my players without getting a) too bogged down in details, or b) too attached to a storyline that my players had no enthusiasm for. Coming up with a series of different stories meant I had to develop different characters and different roles, and think of different methods to make my goals happen, all within the same universe. This meant that, again, my characters got to wander around and act and do things on their own without me having to narrate their decisions to them, AND I got the added benefit of having created a small database of stock characters/roles/events that fit into my universe that I could draw on later down the road.
In terms of the final effect of the group following The Mysterious Stranger, its main strength and its main weakness was the introduction of an NPC to take the leadership role. This was helpful because it herded the different characters onto a ship and assigned them roles on that ship; it gave them a united purpose as well as a group leader who everyone trusted to make decisions on everyone's behalf; and it kept everyone more or less together. However, and this is another reason this character had to die, it also gave the players an easy way out of developing problem solving or leadership skills of their own, and because it was me, the GM, talking for the NPC, it felt way too much like I was running the campaign and prescribing actions for the players to take. Essentially, it was like I was writing the story and then narrating it, and just feeding the characters lines instead of them being able to take a couple plot points and write their own story.
So, yeah. The Mysterious Stranger bit was fun while it lasted, but Kai Had To Die. It was just a question of how.
Monday, February 9, 2015
#1 Serenity Campaign Session GM notes
Title: A promising start.
It's a player-driven campaign system, I thought. Just get the players to give you their character ideas and it'll be super easy to just weave them into a beautiful 'choose your own adventure' style campaign narrative, I thought. I'll just supply some macguffins, a couple stock bad guy archetypes, and colour in the backgrounds (so to speak) and the players will take care of the rest!
WRONG.
My awesome happy fun time ride of fantasy experienced its first bit of turbulence when my players sent me their character ideas... and not a single person mentioned being able to use a weapon. Don't get me wrong, the characters were all cool, unique ideas, complete with special talents, a hint of backstory, and chock-full of delicious gameplay-enhancing personality. But NO ONE even MENTIONED being able to use a gun, or having a history as a soldier or mercenary... Not even being able to throw a punch! These people were so far away from a Jayne or a Zoe that they came out the other side. Seriously, a petty thief, a spoiled city girl, a skinny nerd, and a freaking 10 year old, and then the one guy who kind of at least sounded like he SHOULD be able to hold his own specifically included in his description that he was non-violent. Le sigh.
So, Note to Self #1: Zelda, not World of Warcraft. I was going to need to focus on detective work and puzzle solving rather than 'random encounters' - or even being chased by mysteriously violent mysterious bad guys - to move the plot along.
I decided for the beginner session to focus more on putting all the disparate characters into a roughly believable setting and situation, one where I wouldn't need to handwave too much shared backstory among them but which would naturally funnel them all into running into each other naturally. So where would this weird bunch of miscreants all looking for a new ship end up? Well, on Beylix, of course, home of the DIY ship for cheap. Once I'd decided on that, it wasn't too much of a stretch to come up with an event that would be sure to draw our ragtag bunch together: a junker's hiring fair complete with ships for sale. Vera's Chop Shop was born.
In the end, I did handwave Molly and Todd knowing each other, and sort of "placed" Cale and Wren where I needed them to be, but all in all I'm still slightly proud of how this first session went. The players got to play their characters and make decisions, but because the 'prize' I'd invented (the chop shop job fair) was big enough, the decision to go there was still essentially theirs. They all came together from different areas, they all had a reason to interact with each other and test out their character-acting chops, and by the time the session ended we had 5 characters in the same place at the same time for roughly the same purpose - without me having to narrate to them what I needed them to do. Not bad for a first try, right?
It's a player-driven campaign system, I thought. Just get the players to give you their character ideas and it'll be super easy to just weave them into a beautiful 'choose your own adventure' style campaign narrative, I thought. I'll just supply some macguffins, a couple stock bad guy archetypes, and colour in the backgrounds (so to speak) and the players will take care of the rest!
WRONG.
My awesome happy fun time ride of fantasy experienced its first bit of turbulence when my players sent me their character ideas... and not a single person mentioned being able to use a weapon. Don't get me wrong, the characters were all cool, unique ideas, complete with special talents, a hint of backstory, and chock-full of delicious gameplay-enhancing personality. But NO ONE even MENTIONED being able to use a gun, or having a history as a soldier or mercenary... Not even being able to throw a punch! These people were so far away from a Jayne or a Zoe that they came out the other side. Seriously, a petty thief, a spoiled city girl, a skinny nerd, and a freaking 10 year old, and then the one guy who kind of at least sounded like he SHOULD be able to hold his own specifically included in his description that he was non-violent. Le sigh.
So, Note to Self #1: Zelda, not World of Warcraft. I was going to need to focus on detective work and puzzle solving rather than 'random encounters' - or even being chased by mysteriously violent mysterious bad guys - to move the plot along.
I decided for the beginner session to focus more on putting all the disparate characters into a roughly believable setting and situation, one where I wouldn't need to handwave too much shared backstory among them but which would naturally funnel them all into running into each other naturally. So where would this weird bunch of miscreants all looking for a new ship end up? Well, on Beylix, of course, home of the DIY ship for cheap. Once I'd decided on that, it wasn't too much of a stretch to come up with an event that would be sure to draw our ragtag bunch together: a junker's hiring fair complete with ships for sale. Vera's Chop Shop was born.
In the end, I did handwave Molly and Todd knowing each other, and sort of "placed" Cale and Wren where I needed them to be, but all in all I'm still slightly proud of how this first session went. The players got to play their characters and make decisions, but because the 'prize' I'd invented (the chop shop job fair) was big enough, the decision to go there was still essentially theirs. They all came together from different areas, they all had a reason to interact with each other and test out their character-acting chops, and by the time the session ended we had 5 characters in the same place at the same time for roughly the same purpose - without me having to narrate to them what I needed them to do. Not bad for a first try, right?
Saturday, February 7, 2015
#4 Serenity Campaign Session Player Notes
6 x 6 grid
Crashed in A1
Scanning for habitations
30 seconds per square
PROCESSING
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Wren perception 6
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Wren perception 2
C n _ _ _ _
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Wren perception 2
C n _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Row 3 grid 4 there is something odd. Burnt out building.
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Wren perception 6
C n _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
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Wren perception 1
C n _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Pretty bird!
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Wren perception 5
C n _ _ _ _
_ n _ _ _ _
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Pretty bird!
_ _ _ _ _ 1 Old mud extraction pits. Very abandoned.
Kai checks on cow. It is fixed. Yay Earl.
Kai goes back to bridge. We found some burnt out buildings and underground settlement.
Wren, do you think you would be able to set me down somewhere near the settlement without hurting the ship or the people and valuable cargo inside it.
Kai suits up. Wren is in charge. Kai needs three hours then guns a blazing rescue.
WE'RE GOING TO LAND!
Wren rolls 5.
WE LAND!
Kai leaves the ship and heads off into the distance.
Half hour goes by. Hanging around the area. We see Kai arrive at the settlement. Met by people. Enters one of the things.
Another half hour.
Another hour.
Another hour.
Three hours gone by.
Molly rolls resistance 4, awake but not doing well. Groggy.
Todd rolls resistance 7, wakes up. Awake awake.
Todd rolls 1 vitality. Tries to sit up. Almost falls on face. Room is spinning. Curls up in sickness nest.
Molly and Todd are sick and out of it. Cale is messing with engines again.
Cale is out of it.
Over grid 4 4
C n _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Pretty bird!
_ _ _ _ _ 1 Old mud extraction pits. Very abandoned.
Will rolls 6/6 perception.
Sees that it's an inhabited area. Trails. Long building to one side looks like a storage facility. Hoof marks. Smoke coming out of two of the five small buildings. Of the other three one doesn't have a chimney.
Wren over external announcement system: Attention all you people down *squeak* okay um *head in hands* I hate you all. No that's not part of it that's out of game out of character. *sniffle*
Sons of bitches speech.
I hate you all.
See movement. Guy walks out of building with chimney. Waves. Points at radio in hand.
Wren talks to guy on radio.
He says who is this.
Give us back Kai now!
Well shoot. Kai has decided she wants to stay with us. Pity she didn't tell you.
Goes back into place with chimney. Comes back out with two guys. Go to place with no chimney. Go inside. Come out holding Kai up by the arms, to the entrance. Put her back inside.
Molly rolls vitality 4/4. Molly is okay, groggy but otherwise fine.
Todd rolls vitality 2/4. Todd is using walls to stay upright but walking.
Molly rolls discipline/concentration 8/8.
Todd rolls survival/trapping 4/6. Free.
Cale comes up. Asks where Kai is.
They plan. Distraction, people in to negotiate while the others rescue Kai.
Electric Lockpick Stats:
1: Critical fail, lock breaks
2 - 8: Reroll.
Mechanical Lockpicks
Skill will be included in Covert - Open Locks
Will rolls 5/8 for electronic lockpick. Door opens.
Camp is at grid 44
C n _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Pretty bird!
_ _ _ _ _ 1 Old mud extraction pits. Very abandoned.
We land at grid 6/5
C n _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Pretty bird!
_ _ _ _ L 1 Old mud extraction pits. Very abandoned.
Into the armory! Will takes a rifle. Molly grabs some pistols. Molly grabs a bunch of grenades. Will takes a bunch of grenades as well.
Molly has
- 2 six shooter pistols, 18 rounds each
- 2 flash
- 2 frags
- 2 special nades
- radio
Will has
- sniper rifle, 48 rounds
- 4 frag
- 4 flash
- radio
Todd has the fedband scanner.
The teams go on their way. Team 1 Molly/Will head on foot to the camp. Team 2 Wren/Cale take the shuttle. Todd stays.
Will rolls 4/6 survival. Navigation is good.
25 minute mark team 1 reaches camp.
Will rolls 5/6
Molly rolls 6/6 perception
Bottom of blind in tree, scope in tree.
Todd hears sse 2.
Wills roll 4/6 guns. Misses, alerts camp. Guards come out, order them to drop weapons.
Team 2. Shuttle is leaving. They arrive. Wren is in charge.
Three or four guys out of chimney bunker nearby. Grab all the stuff. Shove down road towards chimney with talking guy.
Two redheaded guys, black haired thousand yard stare. The brothers. Two guards stay, two others leave. Five guards.
Molly rolls 3/8 acting to imitate Wren.
Molly/Will offer to trade cows for hostages. They accept the offer, take them to see Kai.
Molly/Will taken to room. Molly checks out the implements on table, look like torture stuff. Blades and restraints. She checks out some lumps. Lump #1 is soft decaying male body. Lump #2 bundle, nothing. Rags and bones. Lump #3 and #4, one is Kai.
Lump #4 is another male body, fresher, five days to a week. Well dressed, insignia of Higgins moon guys. Will searches him. Find an ID badge, it's our contact.
Team 2 is figuring out how to save the day. They decide to go talk to the magistrate.
Team 1, Kai is dead. We got some knives, the lamp, some oil. Plot: burn and stab.
Will rolls 5/6. Change clothes, swap stuff, set traps.
Guys come back, door opens out.
Molly rolls 5/8 on atack, puts knife into guy's throat.
Molly 5
Will rolls 12
#2 guard, not on fire, has rolled a 9 so as I grab gun he's batting out his fire.
Will rolls 4/6 on guns.
Will does 3 damage to guard.
Will gets shot. 5 damage. Health now 11.
Molly makes a break for it and stabs the guy shooting. Rolls 4/8. She hits him with utility knife, D2. Rolls 1/2, grazes him. Guy attacks her with butt of rifle. Molly rolls 3, guy misses.
Will rolls 8. Point blank shotgun shot to back of redhead's shot. WIN.
Molly is outside battling. Tries to run for it, slice guy as she runs past. Misses.
Will rolls 5/6 on hitting guy with empty rifle. Successful hit. Rolls 3 for damage.
Fire did 2 damage to guard.
Molly rolls agility + running 8 & 2. 10
She darts in, grabs the bags of weapons, and gets back outside. She heads South. Face to face wiht guard.
Red attacks with bit of metal. Hits Will, does 1 damage. Will now has 10 health.
Guard attacks Will, does 0 damage, no hit.
Will runs towards Molly. Closes door and locks it.
Wills rolls 2/6 strength. Hits guy in side of head running past to Molly.
Wills rolls 2/6 strength for range of grenade.
Molly rolls 1. Guard rolls 2. 2 damage to Molly.
We have escaped! Camp is blown up! Bad guys dead!
Molly rolls 10/10 on medical roll. Will is fine.
Everyone is fine. We take in bodies for bounty.
The ship is named: The Calamity.
We sell the cows for 200 credits. We now have 550 credits.
125 tons, fuel is 5 per ton.
3 ious in Kai's desk.
1st: Hera. Serenity Valley battle. Agricultural. Geographic coordinates. Jeremiah Benthwaithe. 800 credits. Date 2 years past.
2nd: Verbena. John Snow. 2100 credits. note 'parts'.
3rd: Cryptic. Osirus. Shaman. Line underneath.
Option 3 is chosen. To Osirus.
Going to stop in Verbena for IOU 2. Fuel up, head on to Osirus.
Notes taken by Paul Keely of www.paul-keely.com
Crashed in A1
Scanning for habitations
30 seconds per square
PROCESSING
C _ _ _ _ _
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Wren perception 6
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Wren perception 2
C n _ _ _ _
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Wren perception 2
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Row 3 grid 4 there is something odd. Burnt out building.
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Wren perception 6
C n _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
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Wren perception 1
C n _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Pretty bird!
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Wren perception 5
C n _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Pretty bird!
_ _ _ _ _ 1 Old mud extraction pits. Very abandoned.
Kai checks on cow. It is fixed. Yay Earl.
Kai goes back to bridge. We found some burnt out buildings and underground settlement.
Wren, do you think you would be able to set me down somewhere near the settlement without hurting the ship or the people and valuable cargo inside it.
Kai suits up. Wren is in charge. Kai needs three hours then guns a blazing rescue.
WE'RE GOING TO LAND!
Wren rolls 5.
WE LAND!
Kai leaves the ship and heads off into the distance.
Half hour goes by. Hanging around the area. We see Kai arrive at the settlement. Met by people. Enters one of the things.
Another half hour.
Another hour.
Another hour.
Three hours gone by.
Molly rolls resistance 4, awake but not doing well. Groggy.
Todd rolls resistance 7, wakes up. Awake awake.
Todd rolls 1 vitality. Tries to sit up. Almost falls on face. Room is spinning. Curls up in sickness nest.
Molly and Todd are sick and out of it. Cale is messing with engines again.
Cale is out of it.
Over grid 4 4
C n _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Pretty bird!
_ _ _ _ _ 1 Old mud extraction pits. Very abandoned.
Will rolls 6/6 perception.
Sees that it's an inhabited area. Trails. Long building to one side looks like a storage facility. Hoof marks. Smoke coming out of two of the five small buildings. Of the other three one doesn't have a chimney.
Wren over external announcement system: Attention all you people down *squeak* okay um *head in hands* I hate you all. No that's not part of it that's out of game out of character. *sniffle*
Sons of bitches speech.
I hate you all.
See movement. Guy walks out of building with chimney. Waves. Points at radio in hand.
Wren talks to guy on radio.
He says who is this.
Give us back Kai now!
Well shoot. Kai has decided she wants to stay with us. Pity she didn't tell you.
Goes back into place with chimney. Comes back out with two guys. Go to place with no chimney. Go inside. Come out holding Kai up by the arms, to the entrance. Put her back inside.
Molly rolls vitality 4/4. Molly is okay, groggy but otherwise fine.
Todd rolls vitality 2/4. Todd is using walls to stay upright but walking.
Molly rolls discipline/concentration 8/8.
Todd rolls survival/trapping 4/6. Free.
Cale comes up. Asks where Kai is.
They plan. Distraction, people in to negotiate while the others rescue Kai.
Electric Lockpick Stats:
1: Critical fail, lock breaks
2 - 8: Reroll.
Mechanical Lockpicks
Skill will be included in Covert - Open Locks
Will rolls 5/8 for electronic lockpick. Door opens.
Camp is at grid 44
C n _ _ _ _
_ n _ _ _ _
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Pretty bird!
_ _ _ _ _ 1 Old mud extraction pits. Very abandoned.
We land at grid 6/5
C n _ _ _ _
_ n _ _ _ _
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Burnt out building.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Non topographic bumps in terrain. 4 or 5. Long one to side.
_ _ _ 1 _ _ Pretty bird!
_ _ _ _ L 1 Old mud extraction pits. Very abandoned.
Into the armory! Will takes a rifle. Molly grabs some pistols. Molly grabs a bunch of grenades. Will takes a bunch of grenades as well.
Molly has
- 2 six shooter pistols, 18 rounds each
- 2 flash
- 2 frags
- 2 special nades
- radio
Will has
- sniper rifle, 48 rounds
- 4 frag
- 4 flash
- radio
Todd has the fedband scanner.
The teams go on their way. Team 1 Molly/Will head on foot to the camp. Team 2 Wren/Cale take the shuttle. Todd stays.
Will rolls 4/6 survival. Navigation is good.
25 minute mark team 1 reaches camp.
Will rolls 5/6
Molly rolls 6/6 perception
Bottom of blind in tree, scope in tree.
Todd hears sse 2.
Wills roll 4/6 guns. Misses, alerts camp. Guards come out, order them to drop weapons.
Team 2. Shuttle is leaving. They arrive. Wren is in charge.
Three or four guys out of chimney bunker nearby. Grab all the stuff. Shove down road towards chimney with talking guy.
Two redheaded guys, black haired thousand yard stare. The brothers. Two guards stay, two others leave. Five guards.
Molly rolls 3/8 acting to imitate Wren.
Molly/Will offer to trade cows for hostages. They accept the offer, take them to see Kai.
Molly/Will taken to room. Molly checks out the implements on table, look like torture stuff. Blades and restraints. She checks out some lumps. Lump #1 is soft decaying male body. Lump #2 bundle, nothing. Rags and bones. Lump #3 and #4, one is Kai.
Lump #4 is another male body, fresher, five days to a week. Well dressed, insignia of Higgins moon guys. Will searches him. Find an ID badge, it's our contact.
Team 2 is figuring out how to save the day. They decide to go talk to the magistrate.
Team 1, Kai is dead. We got some knives, the lamp, some oil. Plot: burn and stab.
Will rolls 5/6. Change clothes, swap stuff, set traps.
Guys come back, door opens out.
Molly rolls 5/8 on atack, puts knife into guy's throat.
Molly 5
Will rolls 12
#2 guard, not on fire, has rolled a 9 so as I grab gun he's batting out his fire.
Will rolls 4/6 on guns.
Will does 3 damage to guard.
Will gets shot. 5 damage. Health now 11.
Molly makes a break for it and stabs the guy shooting. Rolls 4/8. She hits him with utility knife, D2. Rolls 1/2, grazes him. Guy attacks her with butt of rifle. Molly rolls 3, guy misses.
Will rolls 8. Point blank shotgun shot to back of redhead's shot. WIN.
Molly is outside battling. Tries to run for it, slice guy as she runs past. Misses.
Will rolls 5/6 on hitting guy with empty rifle. Successful hit. Rolls 3 for damage.
Fire did 2 damage to guard.
Molly rolls agility + running 8 & 2. 10
She darts in, grabs the bags of weapons, and gets back outside. She heads South. Face to face wiht guard.
Red attacks with bit of metal. Hits Will, does 1 damage. Will now has 10 health.
Guard attacks Will, does 0 damage, no hit.
Will runs towards Molly. Closes door and locks it.
Wills rolls 2/6 strength. Hits guy in side of head running past to Molly.
Wills rolls 2/6 strength for range of grenade.
Molly rolls 1. Guard rolls 2. 2 damage to Molly.
We have escaped! Camp is blown up! Bad guys dead!
Molly rolls 10/10 on medical roll. Will is fine.
Everyone is fine. We take in bodies for bounty.
The ship is named: The Calamity.
We sell the cows for 200 credits. We now have 550 credits.
125 tons, fuel is 5 per ton.
3 ious in Kai's desk.
1st: Hera. Serenity Valley battle. Agricultural. Geographic coordinates. Jeremiah Benthwaithe. 800 credits. Date 2 years past.
2nd: Verbena. John Snow. 2100 credits. note 'parts'.
3rd: Cryptic. Osirus. Shaman. Line underneath.
Option 3 is chosen. To Osirus.
Going to stop in Verbena for IOU 2. Fuel up, head on to Osirus.
Notes taken by Paul Keely of www.paul-keely.com
#3 Serenity Campaign Session Player Notes
On the ship.
Approaching moon. 45 mins.
Wren rolls 6/10 piloting
Minor whatevers
Cale roll for following orders: 3/4. Follows orders.
Molly rolls 4/8 on medical knowledge for salvaging stuff from old med bay. Salvages some stuff that will work.
Todd rolls 4/4, plants are flourishing.
WE LANDED
Kai near Wren. Wren rolls for alertness. Rolls 4/8. Aware of Kai talking/hagging but not aware of much else.
Todd alertness 9/10
Hears that Kai is exchanging info/instructions with someone on the ground. Not landing on the main landing site. Going somewhere secondary or tertiary.
Kai asking for someone. Angry they aren't available.
Kai comes over intercom. Needs everyone down to storage area to offload cows. First Will and Cale go meet Kai outside bridge. Todd, go to your plant room and lock the door.
Wren needs to go down to the cargo bay. But then come back on ship. Not happy to move cows.
Cale gets a gun, Will gets a gun. Not very good with them, gets a hunting grade rifle. Kai takes a shotgun.
Heads to cargo bay. Wren is sad.
Kai opens second door and stops. Holds up hand "stop" and goes outside.
Kai comes back in. Angry. Upset.
Will, come here. Will and Kai go outside. Meet a guy.
Will rolls 6/6 on influence negotiating with contact. Kai strongarms him.
Cale and Molly pop out and interject. Kai is unhappy they came out.
The guy runs off.
Everyone gets back on the ship. Kai is at wits end.
Cale and Molly go with Kai. Wren is told to fly ship to location in 90 minutes.
Todd and Will are left on the ship.
FAST FORWARD!!!!!!!1!
The trio go to the tavern. Inhabitants: Bartender, clean looking dude at bar, couple groups of mudders (one more noisy).
Kai goes to happy mudders. Molly goes to bartender.
The mudders send them off to kill some people.
Everyone's back on the ship. Heading off somewhere else.
Wren rolls 2/10.
WE FUCKING CRASH
Todd rols 2/4
Will rolls 6/6
Molly rolls 1. Well shit.
Kai rolls okay
Molly was in the infirmary. Nasty headwound.
MOLLY DAMAGE: 6 - HEALTH 4
TODD DAMAGE: 3 - HEALTH 5
Kai asks everyone.
Todd rols D6: 6. Head wound.
Molly rolls D6: 4. Right arm wound.
Molly rolls willpower. Calm and awake.
Cale brings Todd in, they check him over. Patch him up.
Cat rolls for cows. One of the cows has a broken leg. But the rest are okay. Hurt cow is named Earl.
Cat rolls for Kai not stabbing wren. Barely survives.
Molly willpower roll. Rolls 6. In medical zone.
Will and Kai fix Molly's broken arm. Wren faints.
We're being shot at.
We go to leave. God Wren is flying again.
Everyone straps in.
Wren rolls for piloting. 8/10. Gets us out of mud. Nose heavy because of mud but we lift off. Back in orbit.
END
Notes taken by Paul Keely of www.paul-keely.com
Approaching moon. 45 mins.
Wren rolls 6/10 piloting
Minor whatevers
Cale roll for following orders: 3/4. Follows orders.
Molly rolls 4/8 on medical knowledge for salvaging stuff from old med bay. Salvages some stuff that will work.
Todd rolls 4/4, plants are flourishing.
WE LANDED
Kai near Wren. Wren rolls for alertness. Rolls 4/8. Aware of Kai talking/hagging but not aware of much else.
Todd alertness 9/10
Hears that Kai is exchanging info/instructions with someone on the ground. Not landing on the main landing site. Going somewhere secondary or tertiary.
Kai asking for someone. Angry they aren't available.
Kai comes over intercom. Needs everyone down to storage area to offload cows. First Will and Cale go meet Kai outside bridge. Todd, go to your plant room and lock the door.
Wren needs to go down to the cargo bay. But then come back on ship. Not happy to move cows.
Cale gets a gun, Will gets a gun. Not very good with them, gets a hunting grade rifle. Kai takes a shotgun.
Heads to cargo bay. Wren is sad.
Kai opens second door and stops. Holds up hand "stop" and goes outside.
Kai comes back in. Angry. Upset.
Will, come here. Will and Kai go outside. Meet a guy.
Will rolls 6/6 on influence negotiating with contact. Kai strongarms him.
Cale and Molly pop out and interject. Kai is unhappy they came out.
The guy runs off.
Everyone gets back on the ship. Kai is at wits end.
Cale and Molly go with Kai. Wren is told to fly ship to location in 90 minutes.
Todd and Will are left on the ship.
FAST FORWARD!!!!!!!1!
The trio go to the tavern. Inhabitants: Bartender, clean looking dude at bar, couple groups of mudders (one more noisy).
Kai goes to happy mudders. Molly goes to bartender.
The mudders send them off to kill some people.
Everyone's back on the ship. Heading off somewhere else.
Wren rolls 2/10.
WE FUCKING CRASH
Todd rols 2/4
Will rolls 6/6
Molly rolls 1. Well shit.
Kai rolls okay
Molly was in the infirmary. Nasty headwound.
MOLLY DAMAGE: 6 - HEALTH 4
TODD DAMAGE: 3 - HEALTH 5
Kai asks everyone.
Todd rols D6: 6. Head wound.
Molly rolls D6: 4. Right arm wound.
Molly rolls willpower. Calm and awake.
Cale brings Todd in, they check him over. Patch him up.
Cat rolls for cows. One of the cows has a broken leg. But the rest are okay. Hurt cow is named Earl.
Cat rolls for Kai not stabbing wren. Barely survives.
Molly willpower roll. Rolls 6. In medical zone.
Will and Kai fix Molly's broken arm. Wren faints.
We're being shot at.
We go to leave. God Wren is flying again.
Everyone straps in.
Wren rolls for piloting. 8/10. Gets us out of mud. Nose heavy because of mud but we lift off. Back in orbit.
END
Notes taken by Paul Keely of www.paul-keely.com
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