Our second session of play saw us down a player (Andy) and Hattie was delayed by work. Our session ran just over two hours, and was the second session where we've drawn on the introductory scenario "The Sky Machine". I started with a flashback to the meal that the explorers attended the night before and then we headed off into the delve. This meant that we got into mechanics of Delve resolution, which is a procedural approach in a similar way to how The One Ring handles Journeys.
Put simply, the Delve starts with a scan, and then the Bird is used to find Blight. The next stage is for the Delver to make a roll to make progress down into the ruin, followed by seeing what hazards are faced (these escalate the deeper you go). Finally, if the crew are in a Blight area, they have to resist taking damage from that. Paul had a nightmare set of rolls as the crew headed deeper into the ruin, and it really was a grind with a high burn rate through supplies. Mechanically, this is what this segment of the game is about; one of the players observed that it is almost like a board game, but it also reminded me of OSR style procedural grind through a dungeon. The crew's resources are diminished, which makes it feel stressful, and acts against procrastination and complacency. Delves are meant to be dangerous. I do think that we will probably be more narrative on how we address this once we get more used to the system.
Through the session, Role and Owlbear Rodeo worked well, and the integration with OBR was seamless. I'm liking it more and more.
I managed to resolve the issues that I had with audio recording to allow me to capture the session and generate a transcript and summaries using tabletoprecorder.com's LLM tools. My session summary below draws in these, but they needed some tweaking, especially on names.
Our Crew
- Arda Qamar, a Guild Surveyor and Traveller who came from the Far Colonies from a Mining Combine operation. She’s the bird handler and Scout for the team. (Played by Hattie).
- Meristo Koulas, an Esoteric Coriolite Seer who grew up in the Fog of the Haze, and has ties to the Black Toad. (Played by Paul).
- Lieto Miesma, a Scholar specialised in Builder Archeology who came from deep inside the Factory City of the Turbine Halls, with a background in the Machinist's Guild. (Played by Graham)
- Fassour Faradi, a roughneck deep miner who also came from somewhere the eternal fog of the Haze, and - like Merits - has ties to the Black Toad. (Played by Simon)
- Rashid al-Masri, a scoundrel Hull Cutter who came from among the hulks and wrecks of Hull Town, and has connections to the Gardener's Guild. (Played by Andy).
- Corvus the Bird, a specter; cobalt blue, with a long beak, always observing. Usually handled by Arda.
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| The New Seekers (Corvus, Arda, Meristo, Fassour, Rashid and Lieto) |
The Session
Source - Tabletoprecorder.com, lightly edited for names and brevity with some parts injected to explain or catch elements missed in the summarising.
Our intrepid explorers found themselves delving into the peculiarities of the moon Moubarra-4, a celestial body with a size and gravity anomaly that perplexed many. The peculiarities of this moon were discussed including its surprisingly high gravity for its minuscule size of about 48 kilometres across.
Upon their arrival at the Gillen's Point complex on Moubarra 4, the group engaged in local hospitality as the moon moved into eclipse from its gas giant parent. They enjoyed exquisite Cira Cira dumplings and grass wine while Chief Kalvanetes toasted to their success. Meristo subtly interacted with a Coriolite known as Ytreppo, who was caught whispering about the beautiful, inexplicable things, hinting at ancient Builder technologies hidden on the moon.
Conversations at dinner revealed layers of tension and mystery surrounding the purpose of the group's mission and the intentions of their hosts. Fassour navigated a nuanced conversation with Zera Vandao, a leader who might be operating under the Black Toad's banner, delicately probing for her reasons for being there. Meanwhile, Lieto listened sympathetically to Chief Kalvanetes as she lamented the difficulties of her position and hinted at the Navigators' Guild Tech Team's suspect reasons for their sudden appearance on the moon. It was implied that something much more valuable than a routine inspection was at stake, involving the mysterious fissure and potential riches hidden within.
Meristo took an opportunity to lighten the mood with a little indulgence, offering the Chief a spice that mixed well with the feast, while Lieto and Fassour continued to gauge the underlying currents of their company. As alliances formed and motives were discreetly questioned, the adventurers had to weigh their loyalties and the potential risks of betraying professional contracts for the promise of lucrative secrets hidden beneath the surface of Moubarra-4.
As morning approached, with every intention set and potential alliances pondered, the group prepared themselves, donned their suits, and set off to face whatever lay in the depths of the moon, each step further entangling them in the complex interplay of power, greed, and the insatiable hunger for the unknown.
In the starlit quiet of the asteroid, our brave explorers prepared themselves for the uncertainties ahead. Leto Miesma, Fassour Farada, Meristo Koulas, and Arda Qamar gathered their courage and gear to delve into unknown depths. As they readied their rover for departure, Lieto and Fassour meticulously checked every component of their transport, beginning with their suits and extending to the beleaguered rover itself. The teamwork shone as Lieto took up the role of checking the mechanical integrity of their vehicle, scrutinising it with his expert eyes. Even under the scrutiny of Fassours’s questioning, his checks confirmed the rover, though aged, was capable.
This precautionary pause was insightful, revealing that vital emergency transponders and a mechanics toolkit were conspicuously absent—an unsettling discovery suggesting their expedition might not be intended to return. Resolved to navigate this subtle sabotage, they procured substitute transponders, albeit outdated ones from the mining combine, ensuring a lifeline back to civilisation. Meristo, skilled in medical and esoteric arts, subtly leveraged contacts to nudge circumstances in their favour, ensuring they had working equipment for emergencies.
Before they left, a group of miners gifted them lucky charms and wished them all the best.
With preparations complete, Arda, the group’s enthusiastic yet inexperienced pilot, took the helm of the rover. The mood was contemplative as they embarked through the stark, stony expanses bathed in overhead starlight. However, tranquility was abruptly cut by the alarming tremor of cracking ground beneath them. Quick-witted and spurred by impending danger, Arda deftly maneuvered the rover around emerging chasms, her actions guided by the whisper of intuition and the weight of the medallion gifted by grateful locals—a symbol of faith and protection.
Their arrival at the fissure marked the last known whereabouts of the lost explorers. As they peered into the abyss, the deep, unfathomable darkness stared back, whispering secrets of the unknown. It was here that the real journey began, as they prepared to descend into the bowels of the moonlet, unbeknownst to them what awaited in the silent darkness. The communal spirit of the team, solidified by their shared ordeal and the tokens of hope carried closely, readied them for the challenges down below. Thus, surrounded by the vacuum of space and the solidarity of their fellowship, they readied themselves to delve deep, driven by the raw promise of discovery and the unyielding human spirit of exploration.
Arda carried out a successful deep scan then commanded the Bird, named Corvus, to scan ahead for blight, a hazardous contamination. As they advance, Meristo notes the significance of using their resources sparingly, as their supplies are limited to what they carry. Leto offered a suggestion for the Bird's usage, considering saving energy for possibly higher levels of blight deeper within.
Amid their strategic planning, the group faces the immediate threat of blight contamination; Meristo, maintaining a stern focus, decides to push forward. The rover, their crucial vehicle amidst the hostile terrain, becomes a topic of concern. The team deliberates securing it against potential sabotage by other mysterious teams likely scouring the same depths. Despite lacking sophisticated defense mechanisms, they decide on basic preventive measures.
Meanwhile, the descent grows more harrowing. The ground beneath them cracks, hazard begets caution, and mysterious purple dust disrupts visibility and equipment functionality, leading Meristo to abseil blindly with a climbing kit. The group encounters strong magnetic fields causing their tools to behave unpredictably, adding to the already stifling challenges. Managing resources becomes critical as they proceed, each action sapping their supplies and energy. The GM throws in unexpected twists—equipment malfunctions, supply losses, and the unsettling accumulation of blight.
As tensions rise, Meristo suggests utilising the Bird again to clear the path ahead of blight, debating the best use of their dwindling energy reserves. Each decision carries weight, their survival balancing precariously on the edge of each choice in the unforgiving underground of Moubarra-4.
In this session, every roll of the dice spells critical consequences, pushing the adventurers to their limits as they navigate through the mysterious and perilous moon's belly, driven by the faint hope of uncovering its ancient secrets. Through strategic thinking, resource management, and a bit of interstellar luck, the group presses on, each step echoing through the corridors of the unknown. As the adventurers delved deeper into the mysterious and hazardous corridors of the delve's depths, the GM guided their tactical discussion concerning their equipment and capabilities. Lieto pondered the weight of his fusillade pistol, ensuring it did not jeopardise his mobility, while the group prepared for the dangers ahead, including the pervasive blight.
With the ever-threatening blight weighing heavily upon them, an uneasy conversation about conserving their precious resources surfaced; they deliberated when to deploy their scanning bird, Corvus, to mitigate the blight, balancing the need for safety against their dwindling energy supplies. As the terrain’s challenges intensified, agility and handling checks became critical. The group faced losses—Lieto, struggling with his supply count, dropped a shovel and several packs of supplies were also lost.
Amidst mechanical and enigmatic obstacles, the adventurers managed a brief win, successfully clearing the immediate blight using Corvus while discussing the best path forward through the treacherous environment. Tension escalated with an unexpected magnetic anomaly affecting their equipment, leading to more rolls for agility. As they secured their immediate area, a tactical discussion ensued about the best use of their resources to proceed with relatively reduced risk. Lieto and the team’s focus remained vigilant against the looming threat of blight, knowing well that one misstep could deepen their peril.
During a critical phase, they unearthed a disturbing discovery—a body encased in rubble in a side tunnel chamber. The entrance was initially blocked by rubble, but Fassour cleared this and then noticed that there were cracks in the floor ahead that could cause further rockfalls. The rest of the team took great care passing them. As Meristo expertly examined the corpse, noting signs of blight infection on the wounds, the team also noticed mysterious patterns on the walls, dark and possibly significant, raising more questions than answers about their surroundings. The body was one of the prospectors, Rob Anker, the mining crew's driller. They secured the body near the entrance to the tunnel to side chamber ready for retrieval.
Decisions about how to navigate the chambers became discussions on survival strategy, as they pondered whether to clear paths or explore side chambers potentially filled with riches or doom. Every choice was a gamble of resources and safety, underscoring the harsh reality of their expedition’s stakes.
As the session drew to a close, the explorers, continued their cautious journey into the further depths of Moubarra-4, each step a blend of risk, calculation, and hope against the creeping, ominous threat of the blight and the eerie mysteries embedded in the moon’s heart. The final stretch to the main chamber they saw was beset with higher levels of blight. As they approached the second blight marker, Meristo Koulas, managing to secure two sixes for the first time in the delve, easing their passage slightly. He pushed forward, causing Fassour Faradi to question the strategic manoeuvre through the grid on their map. Eventually, Fassour pinpointed a specific location, which the GM validated, triggering a new course of action for the group. They proceeded through another blight zone, with everyone bracing to roll for blight protection.
Lieto Miyazma, keenly aware of their dwindling supplies, suggested increased caution. Yet, Meristo remained determined to push through, despite the risk of losing more hope points. The uncertainty increased when Arda Qamar spotted what she believed to be red lamps—indications of another presence in the depths, perhaps following them. Her alarmed observations were met with skepticism by Fassour, perhaps because Arda thought she heard voices on the radio earlier. Fassour focused on advancing towards a more strategic position within the main chamber to set up a defensive posture. Maristo decided to delve deeper into whether to utilize their bird companion, Corvus, to scout ahead or suppress the blight surrounding them.
As they debated, the team cooperated to share the burden of risky decisions. Amidst these tactical exchanges, the group encountered a surreal, perhaps hallucinatory experience. Suddenly transported to an ethereal city among the clouds, they were bewildered by golden hazes and tower-like structures piercing through cloud banks—only to snap back to the grim reality of the asteroid’s depths. This vision spurred an insight roll directed by the GM, where failing members lost hope points, adding to the group's psychological strain, and those succeeding gained them, marvelling at the wonders they'd seen.
The adventurers continued, navigating through blight-infected areas with increasing trepidation. The consequences of their choices became palpable as they encountered physical manifestations of the blight—oozing blisters causing direct harm to Fassour. Meristo, determined to mitigate the damage, administered a decontamination dose to Faso, providing a temporary reprieve from the blight's effects.
As the session neared its conclusion, the GM hinted at a pause until their next gathering, leaving the adventurers at the brink of entering the main chamber—anticipating what mysteries or horrors might lurk within, marking a suspense-filled pause in their harrowing journey through the unforgiving depths of Moubarra-4.
The Sky Machine awaits...
