Swords and Darkness

Summary

A pbp game using Jaws of the Six Serpents (Prose Descriptive Qualities) by Silver Branch Games for both system and setting, and Mythic GM Emulator by Word Mill Games serving as the GM.

IC Thread

OOC Thread

Characters

Mahon

aka Mahon the Bear, Mahon Kinslayer

Mahon is tall and muscular, with long black hair. He was handsome once, until he was branded on his face as exile and murderer, and now has a spiderweb of scar tissue on his cheek, pulling his face into it like a black hole. He dresses in leather breaches and a vest,and does not seem to feel the cold. He loves to have the sky above his head and so hates Narrowhome, and takes his hatred out on those that cross him and his employers. He has little need for money, and has taken up the mantle of thug and leg breaker as an outlet for his misery and self-loathing.

Backstory

Mahon had no exuse, no answer. Of course he regretted what he'd done in a red rage, but the fact remained that his brother Tain the Bull was dead, and Mahon the Bear had murdered him.

At the age of 20, the fraternal twins had become skilled hunters, and came to the autumn meet at Bryhope laden with furs and salted meat. They sold their stock quickly and commenced drinking. They spied a girl at the same time and quarreled over her until Mahon, blind drunk and furious, bashed Tain's head against a tavern table until his brother stopped moving. Later, at the Branding, Mahon saw the girl again; they must have been drunk, because she weighed nearly as much as he did and had a lazy eye to boot.

Mahon was brought before the meet. He had killed before, in raids against rival clans and in arguments turned ugly, sometimes for trivial reasons, but this was different. He knew it, and everyone else did too. The Earth Tribe elders pronounced sentence, banishment from the Kalet lands. Then Mahon was held down and a glowing brand placed against the side of his face, so that all who saw him would know him as Kinslayer. Then he was driven with sticks and thrown rocks to the edges of the Kalet lands, where he could never return to on pain of death.

He wandered in the forest for a long time, until alone, miserable, and mourning the loss of his brother and his home, decided to stop eating. He became delirious with hunger, and had a vision of Hursa, the Earth Goddess. Hursa forbade him from a coward's end, and commanded him to go forth and seek renown for her, his people and himself. He was to show that Hursa's chosen people were worth any three southerners.

Armed with hope and purpose, Mahon wandered west to Narrowhome. He despises the place and the people, but has become known and feared as assort of freelance enforcer in Narrowhome's criminal underground.

Character Stats (PDQ)

Strengths:

• Expert [+4] Warrior
• Good [+2] Fearsome Presence
• Good [+2] Redeem Himself in His Goddess's Eyes
• Good [+2] Hunter
• Good [+2] Stealth
• Good [+2] Improvising
• Good [+2] A Barbarian's Hardiness

D = Damage; F = Failure; S = Shift

Weaknesses:

• Poor [-2] Fearsome Presence

Fortune Points: 3

Learning Points: 1

Story Hooks: Redeem Himself

Props:

• Average [0] Gold Ring

Karesh

Karesh is a thin dark-skinned Nilsomarian swordsman. He has shed his traditional veil, revealing a smooth clean-shaven face and smooth bald scalp to represent his self-reliance and straightforwardness. His chosen mask is instead a perpetual smile of amusement. He wears a white flowing ankle-length coat under his flared shoulder mantle, and carries the thin scimitar given to him by his mentor.

Backstory

Karesh grew up one of the lucky ones—an orphan of the vast and decadent city of Nilsomar who received the attentions of a kind old merchant named Yoosehd. Karesh followed the old man around and performed odd chores, living in the old dusty shop that sold brass trinkets, crystal objets, and books. During that time, young Karesh learned many things—the art of dealmaking, managing a business, and obscure booklore including some modest secrets of arcane nature he found in those old forgotten tomes.

As he grew older, it seemed that Karesh would one day inherit the old bachelor’s business. However, Yoosehd became deranged in his old age, oft possessed of paranoid ravings. One day, he blamed Karesh for stealing from him and cast him out, cursing him a hundredfold for evil deeds and conspiracy against his many kindnesses.

Saddened, Karesh returned to the ruthless world of the street, coming full circle to his life in days half-remembered when he eked out an existence as a cutpurse. However, the old gang would not have him back, being strange in their eyes and possessed of odd knowledge and displaying a fierce independence. In the end, his so-called friends framed him, selling him out to the authorities for evils he did not commit. He found himself suddenly in this familiar and unpleasant position for the second time in his young life.

He was cast into the arena where he learned to survive through quickness of foot and a good deal of luck. A famed fighter, Mufahd Halfhand, took an interest in him, and rather than slaying him, spared him and taught him the art of swordplay, especially of the flashy and stylish Benghareen school of fencing, used by the feared soldiers of Selmé’s temple, with their long flashing curved scimitars. Mufahd had long since won his freedom, but remained in the games for sport and to seek new recruits; he was a contractor of sorts, getting paid by anonymous masked lords or wealthy merchants to send young talent on suicide quests to assassinate their rivals for reasons petty and personal. The intrigues that they played in secret were time-honored games among the elite of Nilsomar.

Karesh served on one such mission in exchange for his freedom. He was sent to his target, but was set up to be ambushed by the palace guards. By luck, he learned of this and altered his plan of escape, never reaching the mark. He instead escaped the city, but not without a price on his head, and the enmity of both Mufahd and the sword master’s employer.

Character Stats (PDQ)

Strengths:

• Good [+2] Peoples: Trade
• Good [+2] Faculty: Quick Wits
• Good [+2] Driver: Keep His Past Behind Him DD
• Good [+2] Thief DD
• Average [0] Charm: Pyrotechnical Display*
• Good [+2] Bengarheen Fencing
• Good [+2] Knowledgeable
• Good [+2] Acrobatic

D = Damage; F = Failure; S = Shift

Weaknesses:

• Poor [-2] Impulsive

Invisible Urge Qualities:

• Average [0] Fire Urge

Fortune Points: 3

Learning Points: 2

Story Hooks: Thief

Props:

• Average [0] Gold Ring

Notes

Karesh’s Charm can produce minor and flashy effects, including the alteration of existing open flames. These can take the form of colorful flames that dance for the duration, a single bright flash that snuffs out the flame, creating smoke (and causing all within the area to resist the TN or suffer Failure Ranks in temporary blindness), or burning sparks that may shower targets within the area (resisting TN for damage).

Mythic Scene Tracking

NPC List

1. Jidi Craggly—Mahon & Karesh’s current criminal employer
2. Styno the Buzzard—Jidi’s chief rival
3. Constable Jonah Tanner—the law in Narrowhome
4. Silas Feather—the guy the PC’s are after at the start of the story
5. Jory Feather—Silas’s cousin and trusted lieutenant
   1. Expert [+4] Streetwise
6. Brennan—Kalet priest of Hursa and father of a man Mahon killed
7. Bogdan Slickfellow—Snitch formerly in the employ of Jidi, now in the service of Silas Feather
   1. Expert [+4] Nimble D
   2. Good [+2] Making Deals
   3. Good [+2] Has Valuable Info
8. Jirel Rockdweller—Gossip in Narrowhome that may have sold Karesh off to killers from Nilsomar
9. Sarheed—Mufahd's latest trained assassin; on the trail of Karesh
   1. Expert [+4] Knife Fighting

Thread List

1. Extract a sum of money from Silas Feather on behalf of Jidi Craggly (open)
2. Avoid Brennan the priest (open)
3. Find a way out of their new subterranean confine (open)
4. Discover what Styno, Feathers, and Jiriel have planned for the characters (open)

Chaos Factor

Chaos: 6

Scenes

Scene 1 Setup

The PCs have learned about the whereabouts of Silas Feather, who has been in hiding for weeks, avoiding their calls. He’s been holed up in No. 33 High Crag street with a cousin. Karesh and Mahon are paying him a visit at night when it’s expected he’s there.

Altered? No

Notes: At the end of an ambush conflict, Jory Feather says that the Feathers will be a new institution in Narrowhome and offers the two protagonists a job at double the salary Jidi Craggly offers. Mahon and Karesh send him away to fetch Silas before the sun comes up.

End scene—chaos higher or lower? Higher

Scene 2 Setup

The PCs try to track Silas's cousin Jory to Silas's hiding place. They think Silas might be making a play for power in Narrowhome's underworld, and want to know what's going on.

Altered? Yes-alteration. Jory doesn't go to Silas, he goes to Styno the Buzzard instead.

Notes: They loose Jory only to happen into Bogdan Slickfellow who flees. Catching up with him, they corner Bogdan into leading them to Silas' hideout.

End scene-chaos higher or lower? Lower

Scene 3 Setup

Bogdan takes the PCs to where Silas is holed up.

Altered? No

Notes: Bogdan takes the PCs near the Pit, where they see a meeting of interesting figures. Jiriel Rockdweller, a local snitch whom Karesh slighted in the past, meets with Styno the Buzzard and a dangerous assassin from Nilsomar. As they three spy on the meeting, Bogdan triggers a sinkhole and the three fall into a mysterious inhabited underground area.

End scene-chaos higher or lower? Higher

Scene 4 Setup

Under Narrowhome. The characters find themselves trapped and injured underground in a maze of unknown (possibly made by some intelligence). There are signs of inhabitants down inside and perhaps a guardian.

Altered? No

Notes:

End scene-chaos higher or lower?

Concerns & Considerations for Running Mythic with PDQ

Interpretation

Interpretation is a fine art, and spending too much time fretting over a meaning can lead to system shut-down. Mythic only gives very vague results, which at first might not have any real logical connection with the action; this can be frustrating.

It's good to go with whatever pops in the head first, even if it's only a tenuous connection to the listed meaning. Going with bold, interesting interpretations leading to immediate action and/or consequences usually works out best. Don't worry about whether or not you knew that you wanted—or didn't want—a particular outcome or scene setting. It has to come from the players' minds anyway, so it's best not to agonize over any choices. That's pretty much straight out of the Mythic book, but it's great advice, nonetheless.

Upshifts and Rules Arbitration

Mythic GM Emulator also works well helping to adjudicate rules. One of the fun features about PDQ is the use of upshifts based on good description. A player can rate his or her attempt being made to describe particular maneuvers in combat (either for attack or defense). Is it “Likely” that the attempt produces an upshift? What one really needs is an agreement that the attempt was good enough to earn an upshift to the roll.

Sounds like cheating? Not at all! First, players really wouldn't want to over-elaborate on dull things or pointless action. A player will ask these questions when the characters really need it—the drama will be high and the characters placed in some sort of desperate situation. That's when they need it, and the narrative will reflect this sort of elevated dramatic circumstance. Plus, one may likely find that one describes NPC action with as much descriptive detail because of the narrative demands (even without realizing it). That means NPCs get this benefit too. It's safe to be generous about rating one's own attempts.

For that matter, a player might consult with Mythic about whether or not a particular Quality is relevant. Always give a generous assessment of likelihood about whether a Quality is relevant and then, if the situation comes up again, the players can assume a consistent result. The same effect can be applied to NPC Qualities. If the PCs' Qualities are broadly applied to different situations, the same goes for the baddies. Then, game balance is a no-brainer. It doesn't matter if a GM (or GM Emulator) allows extraordinary benefit of broad Quality Penumbra, because both sides will benefit. It's also fun to stack qualities. A game for all those min/maxers, without perverting the system. Of course, one has to write a convincing description.

Also, Fortune Points falls into the above category. They're not exactly easy to earn. If unsure, ask Mythic. The players can always reserve the right to award one another's characters a point for interesting and exceptional roleplaying...but perhaps only one every few scenes or so.

Story Hooks

When characters accrue Story Hooks through assigning Damage to Qualities, apply them as soon as possible and ask Mythic when in doubt or to clarify. Event Focus and Meaning can help to understand the nature of the Hook.

Turns

It might be fun option to take turns to set each subsequent scene, and not worry about deferring to one another. Just do it. Each player will, no doubt, have his or her own style of interpretation; but if the players slow down to query opinions, it can take extra long (unless a player is really stumped). By doing this, the players will enjoy a far faster game than the average pbp.

Each player can run his own conflicts, running either a few turns at a time, or the whole conflict in one go, depending on the length and scope. If it's a long conflict, then a few turns at a time before deferring to one another is appropriate rather than the whole thing. Then it can be quite cinematic, panning from one character's spotlight to the next.

One other option is to adopt a convention from PDQ Sharp! “Duels”—all opponents split into one-on-one duels or groups against one character. Of course, if there's a powerful opponent, the PCs would naturally gang up on it and take it turn by turn as needed. But as a general rule, at the start of a conflict, the players would decide who pairs up with which opponents. For example, if there are ten minions, how do they divide? (Perhaps moot point in terms of minions, since they would get maximum 3d6 + MOD on a character, redistributing as needed.) This maybe won't be an issue at all.

OOC Text

After the first few scenes, the players shouldn't feel the need to record every question and answer in the post, or details with the rolls, as that can all slow down the post. Random events might be recorded, but all depends on one's taste. Sometimes a player might list the details something like, "Are there 2d6 mooks? Yes," or "Karesh attack: 14 vs. TN 9." Sometimes it's simply easier to leave it out unless the notation of it is useful for future reference.

Jaws of the Six Serpents: The Setting

Narrowhome

Narrowhome is one of the canon locales described in the Jaws of the Six Serpents rulebook. It is briefly described in the following terms:

“The town of Narrowhome was founded by exiles from other lands. They built a shanty inside fissures in the rock and tapped into lava flows and steam vents for energy. It has grown into a dynamic but ramshackle trading town that sprawls through a network of chasms, continually adapting to changes in the landscape.”

The following is a description of some of it’s interesting features and locales.

Dung Street, and the Pit

A road leading to the Pit, a bottomless chasm into which the citizens of Narrowhome dump their waste. The Pit is thought to be inhabited by crawling horrors that feed off of the waste, and upon unlucky commuters.

High Crag Way

High Crag Way is one of the high ways that wanders above a main chasm way. A number of ramshackle dwellings line this “street.” No. 33 is where Silas’ cousin, Jory Feather, lives.

Street of Rags

A colorful narrow crevice alley where a clan of Witch-folk have made their temporary home, until Jonah Tanner (see #NPC List above) has them dispersed, at which time they set up their tents in another back alley part of town.

Turoc’s Plaza

This dormant volcanic crater is accessed by means of Scorpion Way and Merchant’s Crag Way. This multi-purpose plaza serves as a bazaar on odd months, a livestock pen during others, and sometimes a vacant place of dark meetings.

The Warrens

Located off Turoc’s Plaza, the Warrens is an area of narrow mole-like tunnels through one of the volcanic canyons of Narrowhome. A haven for the homeless vagrants and seedy elements of the town, the city watch turns a blind eye to the sordid murders and illicit activities that happen here. Extremely confining, most passages require travelers to proceed on hands and knees.