Friday Night Game Report - Atlantis: The Second Age RPG Session 17
Last night, the players from the Friday night group continued their campaign and played another session of the Atlantis: The Second Age sword & sorcery game. Here are the notes from that session. You can read about the previous game session in this journal entry. This post is extremely long, so I've put it behind a cut so that folks who don't want to read any detailed rpg posts don't have to.
CHARACTERS:
Sahauviia the Green (Kathy) - Atlantean Sorceress
Koomara Hadansi (Angela) - Galacean Scavenger
Orgaskemisqak (DavidM) - Lemurian Craftsman
Melucene Palleremos (Ellison) - Hesperian Priestess-in-Training
Vaino the One-Eyed (Mark) - Cimmerian Adventurer
19th Abu, Year 506 Meta Kataklysmos (M.K.)
Having decided to go and find out where the monstrous creature came from, the player Heroes set out towards the north. In the mountains above, the trees are scarcer, but tend to be larger as well. The Heroes come upon a number of trails moving up the mountainside, occasionally branching off. Vaino the One-Eyed is able to follow the most recent evidence of passage, and the group hikes upwards until the logging camp is left behind. The Heroes pass through a bank of fog, and above it the scenery is markedly different. On the trail above the fog, only a few forested peaks seem to rise above an undulating sea of white, but as the Heroes continue on the trail drops back through the fog into a valley. A mix of onnin ash trees and eglen evergreens dot the area. Koomara Hadansi spots a stand of pine on the opposite side of the valley, dominated by a singularly large specimen in the centre. The roots of this great pine are thrust up like a man's boot upon a rock. Koomara tells the others that she can see a gaping hole, barely visible from their vantage point. The hole fills the Galacean scavenger with unease and a sense of dread. Melucene Palleremos asks if that's where they're heading, and when Sahauviia the Green tells her it is, the priestess-in-training says that it will at least get them out of the wind, adding that it's bone-chillingly cold.
Once the player Heroes reach the immediate area of the hole, they can see it is actually a tunnel. Koomara reaches into her pack and pulls out one of her torches. Orgaskemisqak the Metalworker says this is a good idea, and pulls out another torch. Once he and Koomara have lit their torches, the player Heroes head into the tunnel. Passing into the gaping hole, it soon becomes apparent to the Heroes this was once the tomb of some individual of note. However, it seems the earth tremor knocked open one of the walls. The Heroes enter a room almost choked with dirt and rocks, though stone walls and ancient frescoes beckon from the ancient dark before them. The area bears signs of recent exploration - scattered torches lay in the dirt. However, the smudges of recent smoke on the ceiling don't seem to extend too far into the room. Sahauviia suggests that the woodsmen found this place, but were too frightened to venture very far within. Koomara checks out the discarded torches, and finds three that aren't completely ruined. She adds them to her pack. Sahauviia checks out the nearest frescoes, but can't make head or tail of them for the moment.
As the characters advance by their torchs, the light bobbing a bit behind them, the tunnel opens up into a larger room. The Heroes see bits of masonry on the floor and some very prodigious roots that reach down through the ceiling, most of which seem to have clung to the walls and from there have pushed through the seals of several large ceramic tubs. Each of these ceramic tubs looks like it could easily hold a man, and Melucene comments that she can't figure out how they fit through the tunnel. And the set of double doors on the left side of the room only seem barely wide enough to allow their admittance. There are also a number of large marble tables in the room, mmany of which are covered in falling rock, dirt, debris, and cobwebs.
The player Heroes split up to check a few things out. Sahauviia and Koomara peer into one of the ruptured tubs. Inside, surrounding the roots of whatever great tree exists above this place, is a large quantity of thick, red powder. The light from Koomara's torch flares slightly and seems to burn brighter while it is over the cracked urn. It looks as though the urns have been contaminated with rainwater seeping down through the cracked roof, but enough of it remains that it is lightly carried up into the air by the Heroes' nearby movements. Sahauviia exclaims that it is Iosis Powder, extremely rare and volatile, and one of the base alchemical powders. Also bad for the lungs. She regrets not having any means of carrying the powder, given its value, and Koomara points out this is good - given the supposed volatility of the compound. Somewhat paranoid about magic, Vaino tears off a piece of cloth from his sleeve, and ties it around his face and mouth. "Sorcerous dust!" he says, and adds that he wants no part of it. The perceptive Atlantean sorceress comments that it explains the wood they saw at the longhouse - the stuff has been seeping into the trees, and that's why the colour of the wood is changed; it's infused with the Iosis.
Melucene moves closer to the double doors that lead out of this room. They seem to be heavy, and plated in brass. Each one depicts three scenes of what appear to be lions devouring the sun. In the top panel of each door, the lion is biting or consuming the sun. In the second, the lion slumbers beneath an open sky. In the third panels, near the floor, the lion is accompanied by a lioness. Calling Sahauviia over to her, she asks the Atlantean sorceress what she makes of these. Sahauviia says they are alchemical motifs, depicting differing stages of the art, decorative only. She suggests that if they could find a way to get the doors and panels off, they might fetch a price worth the effort. The doors look like they have been opened at some point. The dust upon the ground contains a number of tracks that lead from the doors, points out Vaino, back the way they came in. However, he adds it seems as if most of them were made by one set of booted feet walking back and forth.
Orga notes there is some of the red Iosis powder near the base of the doors, and wonders if opening the doors might spark it. Koomara bends down, and rubs her hands on the bottom where the door meets the floor. She determines that the doors will not cause a spark, and once she rises to her feet, Vaino jerks one of the doors open. Beyond is a large ramp leading down into the earth. Further down the ramp the glow of alchemical lamps can be seen. There is a faint scent in the air of death... fairly recent. Sahauviia sees sparks of vril arcing and spurting from the distant lamps, lending the air an ozone stench. Vaino comments there was some sort of struggle here, pointing out the marks where something fought something else. Koomara takes one of the torches she found earlier, and using the torch to hand, lights it as well. "Best not to trust to yon witchlight," she says. She starts to descend down the ramp, moving cautiously, and checking the ceiling, walls, and floor as she descends.
Snatching up another torch in his left hand, Vaino follows after Koomara, the others bringing up the rear, and then moves in front of her. He passes Koomara, and moves farther down the tunnel. Reaching the bottom of the ramp, he and the others find what appears to be a (central) atrium. The ceiling rises somewhat, though the roof is still hidden in darkness. About a half dozen dead rats lie scattered on the floor here. Melucene is somewhat aghast at this, but after looking at them comments that they appear to have been chewed upon. Once the Heroes are all in the atrium, their torchlight reveals a circle of columns lines the walls supporting a balustrade and balcony above. The balcony appears to be decorative. While it once held numerous plants and the like, they have long since died and the place is now occupied by things that grow in darkness - fungi, lichen, mold - though a few of the vines still trail down. The center of the floor holds a small bit of water; Orga comments that it seems to have dripped down from elsewhere. Between each of the columns is a mosaic scene made of small glass tiles. The Heroes hear a faint "clik-clik-clik" noise; some of the scenes seem to be shifting, set in motion perhaps by the Heroes' presence or perhaps the light of the torches. They aren't in good repair, however, as some of the tiles have been smashed and some scenes have been torn down. Fascinated, Melucene goes over to watch the scenes in the mosaics, while the rest of the Heroes check out the area. There would have been twelve scenes. The scenes that are still visible, seem to depict a variety of things, but all seem to feature an Atlantean nobleman wearing bright red robes - some show him walking in the mountains, working with alchemical equipment, praying before a great obsidian mirror, creating homunculi and golems, and sitting at a banquet table and smiling at something/someone) obscured by damaged tiles. Orga sticks relatively close to Koomara, the Lemurian's face telling her he's worried about something.
Koomara and Orga spot several other arched doorways leading from the atrium, four in total including the one the Heroes came in by. Sahauviia, concerned at Melucene's attention to the mosaics, goes and fetches the young girl, bringing her attention back to the present. Orga tells the others that they need to mark the archway somehow, so that they know which way leads back out. Looking somewhat confused, Vaino points at the door through which they entered and says, "That one goes up." At the amused looks on the others' faces, he scoops up some of the broken tiles and sets them in a stack by the door to mark it for his new friends clearly. Vaino then returns to the right hand most door, and opens the door.
The chamber beyond is dark and cold, a terrible rotting smell wafting out. From somewhere within, the sound of rattling chains echoes. Once the player Heroes reacquire their mental and physical equilibrium, Sahauviia whispers there is a feeling of dark power within the room. The torchlight they have barely intrudes into the room, and Koomara says it feels almost as if the dark were actively trying to keep it at bay. Vaino suggests lighting a spare torch and throwing it into the room so they can see. Or perhaps Sahauviia can make a light spell of some sort? However, as the characters are about to do something, a glow begins in the darkness ahead. Faint and difficult to make out, seemingly strengthening the darkness at first. In moments the light grows, burning ever brighter and brighter - and the Heroes see a crypt, a large crypt. A crystal and wood sarcophagus lies in the center of the room, the glowing light above this construction centered in a midst of crystals, mirrors, and coils of wire in arcane shapes. The walls of the chamber are hung with tapestries depicting scenes of what appear to be Atlantean history. Six large chairs, carved from stone, are arrayed around the walls, with four of these bearing chains of brass, silver, and iron holding a desiccated corpse in place; the other two are empty, the chains broken and shattered. Arrayed around the sarcophagus are golden cups, crystal glasses, and ornate alchemist's equipment (including an athanor) of a bygone era. Two large bronze and iron statues, cast to resemble Tauran warriors, stand at the head and foot of the sarcophagus, looking outward. Each holds an orichalcum gladius and has eyes made of large emeralds.
Scanning the room, Vaino asks what made the rattling chains sound here, and in answer to his question, something in the room moves, knocking over an ancient candlestick covered in cobwebs. A hideous form slithers into view from the behind the sarcophagus - a horror of undulating tentacles, disjointed limbs covered in scales and sores, three large mouths, and at least a half-dozen eyes spread in various places. It doesn't move far. Its mouths work, chewing the air; its eyes weep tears and pus and black bilious blood. It seems to see the five player Heroes at the edge of the door sill and it hisses. A strange echo is tossed up by its multiple mouths and it howls and gibbers as it speaks. "You come to plunder? To rob? All is yours... Only you must fight me first. Take up this spear of challenge and fight me. Winner take all!"
Friday night's game session of the Atlantis: The Second Age campaign was quite enjoyable, and I had a good time running this one. One of the most satisfying aspects of the game session was that the players told me afterwards that it was a very atmospheric, very edgy game session, even though there was no real "threat" per sé until the very end. All of the players enjoyed themselves tremendously, and felt that I'd done the "weirdness element" justice in this game session. From my own point of view, I tried to imbue this game session with a certain feel and style to it, and I obviously succeeded in that. The roleplaying on the players' parts gave the session an additional little edge, and there were a couple of lovely, humourous moments to this session as well.
Overall, a really good session of Atlantis: The Second Age, though not a lot happened. I'm looking forward to the next game session (which coincidentally will happen within the next couple of hours or so).
Can't wait!
CHARACTERS:
Sahauviia the Green (Kathy) - Atlantean Sorceress
Koomara Hadansi (Angela) - Galacean Scavenger
Orgaskemisqak (DavidM) - Lemurian Craftsman
Melucene Palleremos (Ellison) - Hesperian Priestess-in-Training
Vaino the One-Eyed (Mark) - Cimmerian Adventurer
19th Abu, Year 506 Meta Kataklysmos (M.K.)
Having decided to go and find out where the monstrous creature came from, the player Heroes set out towards the north. In the mountains above, the trees are scarcer, but tend to be larger as well. The Heroes come upon a number of trails moving up the mountainside, occasionally branching off. Vaino the One-Eyed is able to follow the most recent evidence of passage, and the group hikes upwards until the logging camp is left behind. The Heroes pass through a bank of fog, and above it the scenery is markedly different. On the trail above the fog, only a few forested peaks seem to rise above an undulating sea of white, but as the Heroes continue on the trail drops back through the fog into a valley. A mix of onnin ash trees and eglen evergreens dot the area. Koomara Hadansi spots a stand of pine on the opposite side of the valley, dominated by a singularly large specimen in the centre. The roots of this great pine are thrust up like a man's boot upon a rock. Koomara tells the others that she can see a gaping hole, barely visible from their vantage point. The hole fills the Galacean scavenger with unease and a sense of dread. Melucene Palleremos asks if that's where they're heading, and when Sahauviia the Green tells her it is, the priestess-in-training says that it will at least get them out of the wind, adding that it's bone-chillingly cold.
Once the player Heroes reach the immediate area of the hole, they can see it is actually a tunnel. Koomara reaches into her pack and pulls out one of her torches. Orgaskemisqak the Metalworker says this is a good idea, and pulls out another torch. Once he and Koomara have lit their torches, the player Heroes head into the tunnel. Passing into the gaping hole, it soon becomes apparent to the Heroes this was once the tomb of some individual of note. However, it seems the earth tremor knocked open one of the walls. The Heroes enter a room almost choked with dirt and rocks, though stone walls and ancient frescoes beckon from the ancient dark before them. The area bears signs of recent exploration - scattered torches lay in the dirt. However, the smudges of recent smoke on the ceiling don't seem to extend too far into the room. Sahauviia suggests that the woodsmen found this place, but were too frightened to venture very far within. Koomara checks out the discarded torches, and finds three that aren't completely ruined. She adds them to her pack. Sahauviia checks out the nearest frescoes, but can't make head or tail of them for the moment.
As the characters advance by their torchs, the light bobbing a bit behind them, the tunnel opens up into a larger room. The Heroes see bits of masonry on the floor and some very prodigious roots that reach down through the ceiling, most of which seem to have clung to the walls and from there have pushed through the seals of several large ceramic tubs. Each of these ceramic tubs looks like it could easily hold a man, and Melucene comments that she can't figure out how they fit through the tunnel. And the set of double doors on the left side of the room only seem barely wide enough to allow their admittance. There are also a number of large marble tables in the room, mmany of which are covered in falling rock, dirt, debris, and cobwebs.
The player Heroes split up to check a few things out. Sahauviia and Koomara peer into one of the ruptured tubs. Inside, surrounding the roots of whatever great tree exists above this place, is a large quantity of thick, red powder. The light from Koomara's torch flares slightly and seems to burn brighter while it is over the cracked urn. It looks as though the urns have been contaminated with rainwater seeping down through the cracked roof, but enough of it remains that it is lightly carried up into the air by the Heroes' nearby movements. Sahauviia exclaims that it is Iosis Powder, extremely rare and volatile, and one of the base alchemical powders. Also bad for the lungs. She regrets not having any means of carrying the powder, given its value, and Koomara points out this is good - given the supposed volatility of the compound. Somewhat paranoid about magic, Vaino tears off a piece of cloth from his sleeve, and ties it around his face and mouth. "Sorcerous dust!" he says, and adds that he wants no part of it. The perceptive Atlantean sorceress comments that it explains the wood they saw at the longhouse - the stuff has been seeping into the trees, and that's why the colour of the wood is changed; it's infused with the Iosis.
Melucene moves closer to the double doors that lead out of this room. They seem to be heavy, and plated in brass. Each one depicts three scenes of what appear to be lions devouring the sun. In the top panel of each door, the lion is biting or consuming the sun. In the second, the lion slumbers beneath an open sky. In the third panels, near the floor, the lion is accompanied by a lioness. Calling Sahauviia over to her, she asks the Atlantean sorceress what she makes of these. Sahauviia says they are alchemical motifs, depicting differing stages of the art, decorative only. She suggests that if they could find a way to get the doors and panels off, they might fetch a price worth the effort. The doors look like they have been opened at some point. The dust upon the ground contains a number of tracks that lead from the doors, points out Vaino, back the way they came in. However, he adds it seems as if most of them were made by one set of booted feet walking back and forth.
Orga notes there is some of the red Iosis powder near the base of the doors, and wonders if opening the doors might spark it. Koomara bends down, and rubs her hands on the bottom where the door meets the floor. She determines that the doors will not cause a spark, and once she rises to her feet, Vaino jerks one of the doors open. Beyond is a large ramp leading down into the earth. Further down the ramp the glow of alchemical lamps can be seen. There is a faint scent in the air of death... fairly recent. Sahauviia sees sparks of vril arcing and spurting from the distant lamps, lending the air an ozone stench. Vaino comments there was some sort of struggle here, pointing out the marks where something fought something else. Koomara takes one of the torches she found earlier, and using the torch to hand, lights it as well. "Best not to trust to yon witchlight," she says. She starts to descend down the ramp, moving cautiously, and checking the ceiling, walls, and floor as she descends.
Snatching up another torch in his left hand, Vaino follows after Koomara, the others bringing up the rear, and then moves in front of her. He passes Koomara, and moves farther down the tunnel. Reaching the bottom of the ramp, he and the others find what appears to be a (central) atrium. The ceiling rises somewhat, though the roof is still hidden in darkness. About a half dozen dead rats lie scattered on the floor here. Melucene is somewhat aghast at this, but after looking at them comments that they appear to have been chewed upon. Once the Heroes are all in the atrium, their torchlight reveals a circle of columns lines the walls supporting a balustrade and balcony above. The balcony appears to be decorative. While it once held numerous plants and the like, they have long since died and the place is now occupied by things that grow in darkness - fungi, lichen, mold - though a few of the vines still trail down. The center of the floor holds a small bit of water; Orga comments that it seems to have dripped down from elsewhere. Between each of the columns is a mosaic scene made of small glass tiles. The Heroes hear a faint "clik-clik-clik" noise; some of the scenes seem to be shifting, set in motion perhaps by the Heroes' presence or perhaps the light of the torches. They aren't in good repair, however, as some of the tiles have been smashed and some scenes have been torn down. Fascinated, Melucene goes over to watch the scenes in the mosaics, while the rest of the Heroes check out the area. There would have been twelve scenes. The scenes that are still visible, seem to depict a variety of things, but all seem to feature an Atlantean nobleman wearing bright red robes - some show him walking in the mountains, working with alchemical equipment, praying before a great obsidian mirror, creating homunculi and golems, and sitting at a banquet table and smiling at something/someone) obscured by damaged tiles. Orga sticks relatively close to Koomara, the Lemurian's face telling her he's worried about something.
Koomara and Orga spot several other arched doorways leading from the atrium, four in total including the one the Heroes came in by. Sahauviia, concerned at Melucene's attention to the mosaics, goes and fetches the young girl, bringing her attention back to the present. Orga tells the others that they need to mark the archway somehow, so that they know which way leads back out. Looking somewhat confused, Vaino points at the door through which they entered and says, "That one goes up." At the amused looks on the others' faces, he scoops up some of the broken tiles and sets them in a stack by the door to mark it for his new friends clearly. Vaino then returns to the right hand most door, and opens the door.
The chamber beyond is dark and cold, a terrible rotting smell wafting out. From somewhere within, the sound of rattling chains echoes. Once the player Heroes reacquire their mental and physical equilibrium, Sahauviia whispers there is a feeling of dark power within the room. The torchlight they have barely intrudes into the room, and Koomara says it feels almost as if the dark were actively trying to keep it at bay. Vaino suggests lighting a spare torch and throwing it into the room so they can see. Or perhaps Sahauviia can make a light spell of some sort? However, as the characters are about to do something, a glow begins in the darkness ahead. Faint and difficult to make out, seemingly strengthening the darkness at first. In moments the light grows, burning ever brighter and brighter - and the Heroes see a crypt, a large crypt. A crystal and wood sarcophagus lies in the center of the room, the glowing light above this construction centered in a midst of crystals, mirrors, and coils of wire in arcane shapes. The walls of the chamber are hung with tapestries depicting scenes of what appear to be Atlantean history. Six large chairs, carved from stone, are arrayed around the walls, with four of these bearing chains of brass, silver, and iron holding a desiccated corpse in place; the other two are empty, the chains broken and shattered. Arrayed around the sarcophagus are golden cups, crystal glasses, and ornate alchemist's equipment (including an athanor) of a bygone era. Two large bronze and iron statues, cast to resemble Tauran warriors, stand at the head and foot of the sarcophagus, looking outward. Each holds an orichalcum gladius and has eyes made of large emeralds.
Scanning the room, Vaino asks what made the rattling chains sound here, and in answer to his question, something in the room moves, knocking over an ancient candlestick covered in cobwebs. A hideous form slithers into view from the behind the sarcophagus - a horror of undulating tentacles, disjointed limbs covered in scales and sores, three large mouths, and at least a half-dozen eyes spread in various places. It doesn't move far. Its mouths work, chewing the air; its eyes weep tears and pus and black bilious blood. It seems to see the five player Heroes at the edge of the door sill and it hisses. A strange echo is tossed up by its multiple mouths and it howls and gibbers as it speaks. "You come to plunder? To rob? All is yours... Only you must fight me first. Take up this spear of challenge and fight me. Winner take all!"
Friday night's game session of the Atlantis: The Second Age campaign was quite enjoyable, and I had a good time running this one. One of the most satisfying aspects of the game session was that the players told me afterwards that it was a very atmospheric, very edgy game session, even though there was no real "threat" per sé until the very end. All of the players enjoyed themselves tremendously, and felt that I'd done the "weirdness element" justice in this game session. From my own point of view, I tried to imbue this game session with a certain feel and style to it, and I obviously succeeded in that. The roleplaying on the players' parts gave the session an additional little edge, and there were a couple of lovely, humourous moments to this session as well.
Overall, a really good session of Atlantis: The Second Age, though not a lot happened. I'm looking forward to the next game session (which coincidentally will happen within the next couple of hours or so).
Can't wait!