The Legend of Admir—Chapter 3: Down, Down The Violent Path
Admir leaves Kozen Crest and sets off towards the ruins.
[Roll]
Maaannnnnnnnnnnnnnn. So we have no inn to stay at right now, because of the fucking shrine!? Luckily Tiga tells us some good information, though I'm not sure what we do with that to prepare.
Upping Chaos to 6.
Expected scene is preparing. And also finding someplace to stay for the night. lol
Chaos roll...7, as expected.
Also, I'm giving myself The Kozen Elementals of Fire story. I think this story tag will help me face some danger when something related to the story happens. I would've given it to a player so why not.
"You seem lost in thought."
He'd been staring off into the distance trying his best to decipher what the story was trying to tell him, but he was coming up short. There would be no telling what the story really meant until he experienced it for himself. Admir had told enough stories to know that there were some pretty words mixed in there meant to evoke a feeling more than tell the literal truth. But, I mean, it was pretty clear that the violent path would be a...violent path. And darkest fear was also probably something pretty literal. But the rest of it?
"I love stories," he said, attempting to wrangle his thoughts into a coherent statement. "I know a ton, from all over the Dales. Even a few beyond. I haven't heard this one before, so I'm trying to make sense of it. You know, what parts are true, what parts are made up. What makes you think the fire elementals had something to do with the shrine?"
[Roll]
Does she have any idea why?
Unlikely, -1. CF6, +1. => +0
10+2 = 12, yes.
Okay, so what reason does she have for blaming this on the fire elementals in the story?
Action+Theme
2, 88: Acquire Supply.
Okay, here's my logic.
"Supply" here could be actual offerings left, but I think it moreso relates to the meta supply that some Magic has. In this instance, it's the tended status.
I think they were not being tended to, so they attacked the shrine. Now, whether it's fire elementals or not is a different question. BUT whatever creature was attracted to the shrine turned on it.
At least, that's what Tiga thinks.
So, question for Admir's eyes. Is it clear what the shrine's purpose was?
I'll going to say that is Very Unlikely... No. Nearly Impossible, because this isn't Admir's magic.....
Actually then, no. He doesn't get to know this. Well, not from his own eyes. Does Tiga have any idea what the shrine's purpose is?
This is more Likely, +1. She grew up here, from what I've established, so there's a good chance. CF6, +1 => +2
6+6+2 = 14, yes. And...another random event???
23: NPC Action.
Let's see what NPC...d8+d10 = 6,8: Settlements. That's from Kozen Crest.
From the Kozen Crest adventure: "Settlements: Encountering a settlement before you get to Kozen Crest Village is a way to have a small community encounter before reaching the primary community where the dungeon is housed. This can be an opportunity for the PC to get supplies, meet new NPCs, or have a Random Encounter."
In relation to that question, I think a nearby settlement does something because of the shrine being destroyed.
Does a nearby settlement come to give aide in some way?
Likely, +1. CF6, +1 => +2
10+2+2 = 14, yes.
Okay, going back to the original question. What was the shrine's original purpose?
Action+Theme
90, 89: Summon Survival.
I, as a player who has read through the Shrine magic section, want to know what "abundant" thing went into helping this shrine, but I think that's too nitty gritty right now. Ultimately, I just know that it was, at its core, a shrine of protection.
Admir tried his best to focus on Tiga's explanation, but he could not get the story out of his head. Tiga was saying something about the shrine being used to protect Kozen Crest from outside threats, though it had fallen into disrepair lately. The destruction of it came as a result of not being tended to. Admir didn't know much about shrines, but he found it hard to believe that simply not taking care of it led to that much ruin.
Tiga looked at some of the coughing villagers passing by. "I'm not sure if everyone is actually sick, or they just think they are because the shrine's destroyed. But none of us really feel...safe anymore."
As if on cue, a handful of people walked past led by a man in the typical red leather of the Red Marshals. Tiga quickly sat down her empty cup, stood, and saluted, then returned to her seat after they'd passed. "I think that's the backup from one of the neighboring settlements. Everyone's on edge, and hopefully, seeing a few extra hands around here might help restore some of the peace and order we're used to."
"I need to ask you something. And I need you to not think I'm crazy for asking it." As I said, Admir hadn't been really paying attention. The arrival of this backup meant nothing to him.
Naturally, Tiga looked at him with suspicion written all over her face. Wouldn't you? Because only something truly crazy could follow a statement like that.
"Can you tell me how to get to the palace ruins?"
See? Crazy. Absolutely crazy.
[Roll]
How does she react. Does she react by saying he shouldn't go?
Very Likely, +2. CF6, +1 => +3
5+2+3 = 10, no. Iiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting.
Next, does she actually know exactly how to get there? Yes will give us direction, additional degrees will give us a status to help. No, we have to find someone else, additional degrees mean difficulty in finding that person.
I'm assuming it's like a "yeah, it's over in that direction" kind of vague directions.
Likely, +1. CF6, +1 => +2
7+4+2 = 13, yes. Just a simple yes, so no help in navigating there.
She laughed, as one does when they are asked a crazy question. Admir ran a hand over his head, hoping to hide the embarrassment he felt.
"You're definitely out of your mind," she said, "especially after the story I just told you. But if you want to 'reject' your own 'survival,' then it's not up to me to stop you. Hell, you'll just ask someone else." She stood up again and pointed. "It's over there. It was nice knowing ya, kid."
"Come on," Admir said, joining her on her feet. "Aren't you the least bit curious as to just how the shrine got destroyed? Don't you won't to be the one responsible for figuring it out?"
She raised a brow. "I just told you how it happened. The fire elementals."
"You know what I meant. Like, really. The truth behind it, not just some story. I'm not even from here and I'm so curious to know what the truth is."
[Roll]
See...I think now he pushed too hard.
Yeah, fuck it. For funsies, we're invoking the talk too much weakness, which gives me an upgrade! Going to grab c: tell them what they want to hear.
We're going to give her suspicious.
What tier...Tier 2?
50/50 CF6, +1
1+1+1 = 3, no. So tier-1 AND a random event. Looking at NPC Statistics in the Variations section, it says the random event should get an automatic Event Focus of "Current Context" in regards to that statistic.
(Future Tavon: I forgot that this was an Exceptional, or at lest multiple degrees. It should have probably entirely eliminated the status, but oh well. I'm happy with the status.)
So, let's roll on...Mythic Actions, why not.
97, 29: Trust Exterior.
NOW, back to the situation at hand.
He knew he'd said too much the second before her eyes squinted. He'd pushed her too hard, letting the excitement get the better of him. He was guilty of talking too much—another gift, another curse. The nagging fear of a green-eyed baby story floating around flared his anxiety and he instinctively starting talking even more.
[Roll]
Going to do some roll to distract her.
I think everything in Charming (charming + one-on-one conversation + tell them what they want to hear + well spoken)... minus the truth about my heritage weakness, and her suspicious-1. So that was +4 - 2 = +2
4+1+2 = 7. [S/C]. Whew.
Okay, I need a Consequence. 4,6:
- 46: Imperfect Execution
- 64: Wasted Time
I like "imperfect execution". One of the options presented is seems-fine, which I looove the implication of. So, for now, our worries are over. It all seems-fine-1, which counteracts the suspicion...for now.
Admir didn't stop talking until she seemed to calm down—or she got annoyed with him, he wasn't sure what that expression on her face was at the moment. But, in the end, it all seemed-fine-1. He didn't remember half of what he talked to her about, but he hoped that whatever he had said had quelled her suspicions.
He'd originally thought of asking her for a place to stay tonight, the only person he knew in Kozen Crest. But, like Kaito, he would be roughing it tonight. He couldn't risk giving her another reason to distrust him through the night.
"Anyway, thank you so much for all your help today, especially with the story. I promise to do my best to not die."
They shook hands and parted ways.
[Roll]
Okay, I need some sort of Perception-based tag.
I think I'm going to alter my Magic theme, since I haven' t used a single tag from there yet.
Replaced one tag with i: keen eyes.
Also, it's sundown. I have to believe the shops are closed right now, right?
Very Likely, +2. CF6, +1. => +3
10+4+3 = 17, yes.
While the journey here ended up being anti-climatic, and Kozen Crest itself had been its share of obstacles, he knew the ruins would provide his biggest challenge yet. He needed supplies but the sight of the shops closing, and remembering his experience with the Scared Crow earlier, told him that he would have better luck in the morning. No amount of charm was going to get them to sell him things.
He exhaled and headed back to the entrance for a... fourth time?
Poor guy.
[Roll]
I'm going to have him find a nice spot to camp. Detailed, because I'll furnish it with some nice camping tags.
Burning keen eyes for +3 + camping supplies = +4
1+2+4 = 7.
So, 4 Power to spend, plus some Consequences. I thiink...
I think good defensive position and warm fire
Oh, Consequences. I think I'll give him low-on-resources-1, primarily affecting his messenger bag, but perhaps the other two supplies he has as well. He'll need to restock those in the morning before heading out.
Nothing of note during the rest, I think.
Rest, so recovering Keen Eyes.
And I think Prepare.
For my Magic theme, I want to prepare an ability for use later, just to make sure I can handle whatever is out there. So I'm using my title tag for that plus the two camp tags, which nets me +3 Power. Half rounded up is 2 Power to spend, so I'll add something to my backpack.
Look, I'm trying to leave some air of mystery. It'll be revealed soon, trust me.
Going to do a general shopping roll.
Oh, wait, are there any hinderances to this roll? Yes: will do a tag or tier 1 status. Each additional degree, one more tier. No: straight roll, each additional degree will be a beneficial thing.
Likely, +1. CF6, +1. => +2
9+9+2 = 20...yikes. 3 total degrees, and 3 tiers affecting his roll.
I think something like unwelcoming, high prices, and low stock or something.
Charming + well-spoken, and sure, tell them what they want to hear. Let's butter them up. And lets burn the some spare change backpack tag. For a total of +6 - 3 => +3
4+4+3 = 11. Full success.
3 Power. So with 1, let's remove low-on-resources-1 to 0. And with 2 remaining Power, lets grab... healing ointment.
Admir had managed to find a decent spot to camp, near where he rested earlier waiting on Tiga, actually. He realized while setting up for the night that he was woefully unprepared for camping outside. Why had he thought he would be sleeping in inns the entire time, with the occasional day nap?
Before bed, and a bit after waking, he prepared, testing out his magic in a way that would help him survive, but he hoped he would never need to use it. Yes, the story had told him it was dangerous but perhaps it was just, "Oh no, some rubble."
The following morning, he went around to the shops and cranked his charm up to its maximum. They were still unwelcoming, and the prices were higher than what he thought they should have been, but he managed to come out of it with restocked bags and some healing ointment. He had no armor and no weapon, but perhaps his magic would get him out of every jam he found himself in.
As he headed in the direction Tiga had indicated, he replayed the story in his head over and over, hoping that he'd be ready for any challenge that came his way.
(Spoilers, dear listener: he was not.)
"Kaito waited with bated breath. There would never be a better time than this, and he could not afford for his only opportunity to slip between his fingers.
"He took one last look around him, making sure the coast was clear, and hopped on the back of the carriage, hiding himself beneath a tarp and the heaps of supplies that would eventually make their way within the palace walls.
"All he needed to do now was sit still and stay quiet for a few hours.
"Kaito breathed a sigh of relief as the carriage began to move some time later. He didn't have long to wait now. The sounds of Barleyville faded away as they got closer to and within the palace walls. It seemed he picked the right carriage to hide away in. The inspection of the goods had been a cursory one. The carriage rolled to a stop and—
"WHOOSH!
"The tarp covering the supplies was thrown off. Suddenly, Kaito was exposed. And staring down at him were a handful of unhappy, snarling faces."
- excerpt from "Kaito's Hunt for Justice"
[Roll]
As a reminder, I play using Mythic, which uses Scenes. (Might switch to the Sceneless rules eventually.) The first half of this chapter is one scene, and this second half is another. So, as a result, the Chaos factor is changing.
Because that was...a helluva scene. lol
Chaos: 7
Also, the adventure says this scene isn't tested, but the way I described it, the journey to the ruins is also pretty tough, so I want a scene of me making my way there.
So, expected scene is, Admir begins making his way to the ruins.
Chaos roll...9, as expected.
Is the weather fair?
50/50. CF7, +2 => +2
10+7+2 = 19, yes. So either Exceptional or 3 Degrees.
I think something like sunny and warm-1.
And I want to know how many Journeys to make.
Does this trip take 2 Journeys? Normal stat rules.
Likely, +1. CF7, +2. => +3
7+1+3 = 11, yes! lol Right on the money. Exactly 2 Journeys.
Descriptions of this path. Two from Terrain.
51, 86: mechanical, technology.
The fuck?
And one from Forest.
13: Block
If I took them all from forest...
51: lethal
86: sounds
I like the Forest ones more, so I'm not gonna bother with Terrain. lol
Block, lethal, sounds.
I think "block" tells me that their are frequents road blocks along the way: downed trees, massive boulders, unexpected dead ends. Shit like that. Sounds are various wildlife. Simple enough. Lethal is... well, perhaps that shows up in block and sounds. lol A warning, if you will.
"'Down, down the violent path'... Violent path..."
Admir was pleased to see another warm, sunny day, the air filled with the sounds of wildlife. His nerves had a chance to settle down, despite the warning from Tiga and the indecipherable ominous clues in the story. Perhaps the story was simply meant to scare off people, make them not want t o approach it at all. It seemed to work, if Tiga was any indication. The only reason he was so adamant about discovering the ruins' secrets was because it sounded like a clue about his heritage.
Like before, the path towards the ruins seemed calm. He was expecting dark and gray skies, wolves howling in the distance. Maybe it was the time of day, but he wasn't particular filled with—
Dread. There we go. It settled in nicely, just as he caught sight of the remains of a decayed person on the side of the road. Now, I know you're probably saying, "No, it's probably not a person. Just something that looks like one. Maybe a deer or something."
Yeah, no. It was a person. Trust me.
Admir caught himself staring at it far longer than he wanted to, the sight of it now permanently seared into his memory. His once-settled nerves were now agitated, putting him on edge. The downed trees, massive chunks of stone, and other blockages didn't help with the atmosphere, either. He wished he had not underestimated the journey to the ruins. And as if to hammer home just how unprepared he was, up ahead, a large downed tree, firmly planted, way too big for him, definitely hard to cross.
[Roll]
All I can do is use my keen eyes it seems, but because it's hard to cross it negates the bonus entirely. Yaaay.
1+4+0 = 5. [C] Booooo!
I thiiiiiink I like time-passes-1. Having to enter the dungeon at a later hour is probably not ideal. Right now we have daylight on our side. I would hate to have to deal with a torch for light.
It took him...far longer than he would like to admit. In fact, let's just skip to the next part of this story, shall we? We don't need to talk about how, instead of climbing over it like was probably the better option, he walked around it and...well, it took a long time. Okay? Don't judge him. He's new to adventuring.
[Roll]
And I think instead of a specific Journey, we're just gonna use the tags from Lawless Roadway and the Consequence of a bandit. That seems right.
So, knowing I'm picking a Bandit as a Consequence, the only one that comes into play is many hiding places. And once again, keen eyes are put to use, for a straight 2d6.
Wait, for this, does read the room work here? I keep asking because of how I wrote it, and I think there might be some times where it wont actually apply.
But here, it's Very Likely, +2. CF7, +2. => +4
3+2+4 = 9, no. -gasp- Well damn. Okay, straight 2d6.
4+1 = 5, fuck me.
Has the scenery changed since we started?
Very Unlikely, -2. CF7, +2 => +0
3+2 = 5, no.
So new that his keen eyes didn't see the danger lurking in one of the many hiding places the road had to offer.
Again, forgive him. He's new to this. He'd never left Nairene, and never dealt with challenges of this nature. Speaking of new challenges, though, an arrow flew riiiiight by his head and embedded itself in a nearby tree.
[Roll]
I think that I have a chance to React to the wounded-1 and intimidated-3 status that the Brtual Outlaw (CB2, p. 131) tries to inflict, though I cant use keen eyes since it's the thing that triggered it.
I don't think I can do much about the wounded but I can potentially avoid some of the intimidation.
I think son of a tailor + stitched-up messenger bag, mostly for the happy memories and lessons from growing up. +2
6+5+2 = 13, full success! I get 1 extra power, for a total of 3, and I completely avoid the intimidated-3 status.
Gonna do Character First Look. One regular...one Cursed.
31: Fearsome. Makes sense.
24: Decaying.
Is this a guy?
5050. CF7, +2
4+2+2 = 8, no.
Another arrow flew by, this time grazing his arm before flying off into the distance. He swore and grabbed the wound, then looked around for the source of the attack. A woman snarled at him, sending shivers down his spine. She was missing teeth, and she looked...bad. Sick bad. Dead bad. The word that reached his lips first to describe her was "decayed." He should have been terrified of her. He should have ran immediately.
But he couldn't help but correlate her to the shrine.
Decaying.
No such thing as coincidences, he thought. Was she the cause, or another victim?
"Hand over...everything...you got." She sounded worse than he had yesterday after traveling, her words forced out between labored breaths. Her skin was covered in scars and blisters, blemished and colored a sickly green. She reminded him of the guard, too. Were they all related? No. That... that would be too much, right? But he would be a fool to—
Oh, right, he needed to fight. Or run. Something. Heroes in stories typically carried swords and shields to face the dangers of the world. Admir didn't have any of that.
But he did have magic.
"I-I don't have much," he said, raising his arms high, feigning feebleness. (Okay, maybe not so much as "feigning" but playing it up.) He went through his bag and began pulling out the few loose coins he had and some of the sewing supplies. Surely she would want some of that. Meanwhile, he was focusing on that bit of magic he prepared. Now was the time to use it, right? Put forth all that practice and reserve the rest of his energy for future challenges. Plus, she looked terrifying now that he actually focused on her physical appearance.
Ok! Time for the big reveal, listener. Remember how I said the irony of the name of the palace was lost on you previously, and how our dear Admir was like a moth to the flame when he learned of it? Well, that's because of his magic, the gift and the curse he inherited from whichever parent happened to be a Creature of Twilight. Coming across a palace where "illusion becomes reality" was all he needed to motivate him further, triggering that glorious character arc we love so much in hero stories.
[Roll]
When I rolled for the name of the ruins, I was shocked at just how appropriate it was for Admir. Like, duh, of course this will draw him towards it. No extra motivation needed.
Using the title tag of Admir's magic them, Illusory Tricks + burning illusory fog, the magic he prepared during camp last night, for a total of +4
5+4+4 = 13. Full Success.
4 Power, I'll give myself concealed-4
As he reached for something else in his bag, a fog burst forth from within, spreading out and concealing him almost completely. He smiled behind his illusion as she shouted.
"What? No tricks!"
[Roll]
I don't think this addresses the threat of harm, but it will definitely help us with the Reactions.
(Future Tavon here: In hindsight, I should have just went concealed-3 and use 1 Power to address the threat.)
So I have concealed-4 + keen eyes, a total of +5. She has stolen bow + brutal-2, which subtract 3. This leaves me with a +2 for this reaction roll against wounded-3 as she kind of just fires aimlessly into the fog.
2+5+2 = 9. Mixed. This is fine. I can lower that to wounded-1, and when stacked to my existing... Hm. Am I using the Death Spiral? Fuck it, no.
So now I'm at wounded-2
Another arrow sliced in through the illusory fog, though he kept his exclamations to himself. Without missing a beat, though, he made a mad dash to get away. He was not going to be able to fight her. He could only imagine what would happen if she hit all her shots.
[Roll]
Rolling to get away. Still concealed-4, so +4
5+5+4 = 14, Success. I think this is like a getting-away-4 status.
Does this status overcome this Challenge?
It's other limits are 3. You know what, let's just say Yes.
Sundered Isles ruins first look.
93: Surrounded by rugged or dense terrain.
And also a Cursed look.
54: overpowering stench of decay.
Just so on brand. The dice are determined to tell a specific story, it seems.
Admir ran and ran and ran and ran and ranandranandran until he couldn't run any further, legs pumping as hard as they could. It wasn't until he stopped to catch his breath that he smelled something...
Rotten.
He looked up and saw what could only be described as ruins. With the overwhelming stench of decay.
The guard, the shrine, the woman.
It was all connected, definitely.
Want to travel to Kozen Crest yourself? Check out Mythic Magazine Volume 44!
