[Session 3] A Stinky Situation

Our third session and we were down one Player due to a prior engagement.  So the character of Walter would be a GMPC for the duration of the session.  I'd allow a helping die every now and again when it was appropriate, but for the most part, Walter would remain in the background.

The Patrol has finished up in Wolfepointe and is readying to head off to Port Sumac, their first primary destination in their mail route and Millicent's hometown.  It is possible small settlements may have sprung up between Wolfepointe and Port Sumac – so the Patrol will need to be on the lookout.  They will also want to make sure the paths are cleared and hidden.

GM Turn

Weather Watcher

Millicent checks the weather and fails.  She lets the group know that by her estimation the Spring drizzle that is currently happening will clear and by mid-day it should be warm.  Happy with that news, the Patrol heads out in the rain.

Goals

The Patrol sets their goals.

1.  Obstacle (Wilderness/Weather)

The journey to Port Sumac is a three day journey at best.  Probably longer, as the drizzle still has not let up in spite of having travelled almost a whole day already, and the trailways need some tending to.  The landscape is lightly wooded with lots of underbrush.  The trees are sparse, being mostly red alder, paper birch, and dogwood, with a copses of red cedar towards the Eastern side, further out closer to the Scent Border.

I ask for an Ob2 Pathfinder test to determine just how difficult it is to follow the trails. The test is passed, and the Patrol is able to stay on the trail and does some cleaning up as well, in spite of the incessant rain.

Then late afternoon the rain stops and Millicent breathes a sigh of relief.  She thought it would have cleared up sooner, but at least it has stopped raining.  It is just then that the first big fluffy snowflake drifts from the grey sky!  A Spring Snow (p.138) begins (as a result of Millicent's failed Weather Watcher test).

The Patrol realizes this is a danger as it will get cold, and obscure the trails more.  Finn calls for a halt and has Brand use his training to seek out a suitable place to hunker down until the snow stops.  I call for an Ob3 Survival test to see how their plan to deal with the snow goes.  Failure would result in the snow turning to Icy rain (p.138), which would require an Ob3 Health test or result in the Hungry Condition. However, Brand succeeds with his test and the Patrol finds an abandoned hollow log to spend the evening.

The snow does not let up all evening and well into the night.  Finn decides they will remain where they are and see how things look in the morning, as travelling at night is a frightening prospect.

Morning comes and the sky is blue and the snow and rain is long gone.  The ground is wet, with most of the snow not sticking, as it melts over the course of the morning.  Two things standout this morning however; the first being a lot of ravens cawing in the distance.  Finn passes an Ob1 Hunter test, and knows that an unkindness of ravens has found carrion, and it seems likely that the carrion is on or near to the trail.  The second is that as the wind shifts, they are assaulted by the stink of skunk spray – their eyes immediately tearing up.  The stink is also coming from the direction the trail leads…

Millicent suggests that the Patrol divert their course and blaze a new trail around what is most probably a dead skunk and the raven that are scavenging its carcass.  Finn disagrees and wants to at least have a look at what is happening, so that they can decide if it will be something that could cause issues for the trail or if it is simply an event happening now and will pass. 

As they move along the trail with the skunk stink getting stronger and stronger, they start to see evidence of mice – broken bits of lumber, a shattered wagon wheel, a couple of arrows – and ahead 3 ravens, hopping around and cawing at one another, scavenging at what looks to the corpses of two half-eaten mice!

The scene is a travesty – at the base of a Paper Birch tree, it appears that a new Mouse Settlement was starting.  However, the ground is torn open, and the Settlement ripped apart and laid bare, strewn all around the base of the tree.  The grain stores are destroyed, with naught but a pawfull of grain scattered around.  A bakery oven is smashed asunder.  A small cricket farm is in ruins, with not a single cricket to be seen.  And worst still, in the meat of the tree and roots are the shattered homes of the mice that lived here, gutted and empty.

This is the location of the skunk smell, though the skunk appears to have gone for now.  It seems there was a small resistance, as evidenced by a few arrows and a broken spear.  But as everyone knows, fighting a skunk is not easy.  And this skunk seems to have thoroughly decimated the settlement.

 For a moment the Patrol is horrified.  (And the look on the Player's faces as they saw the devastated mouse settlement and the raven fighting over little mouse bodies was priceless)

 It takes a moment, but the Patrol gather their wits and decide that they need to search for any survivors.  I call for an Ob3 Scout test to locate the survivors, and again it is the tenderpaw Brand that steps up to the challenge.  (Failure results in Raven Attack! below)  He passes the test and searches the area thoroughly, noticing a pink flowered Azalea bush, not too far away that would make an excellent hiding spot.  And sure enough, Brand discovers the survivors.  There are less than a dozen hiding under the bush, from a settlement of at least two dozen.

Brand calls the Patrol over and they all congregate beneath the Azalea bush.  Finn steps up and introduces himself and the Patrol.  The survivors introduce themselves as well:

Avery is the Headmouse, and wants to lead the survivors away from the carrion Ravens, and somewhere safer – preferably Grasslake where he has family.  Avery wants to lead the survivors away.

Lucan is a capable Mouse and no stranger to hardship.  He has 2 capable sons, Wil and Bil, and wants to go back and drive off the Ravens.  He lost his wife, his daughter, a sister and her family to the Skunk and he wants some kind of revenge.  They can fight the Ravens, and set traps in the remains of the settlement for any other predators that come along.  The Skunk is probably long gone by now.  Lucan wants to fight the Ravens.

Dougal is a young healer Mouse from Elmoss that was just married and lost his bride to the Skunk.  He is injured, and needs some help.  He is desperate to get back to the settlement as he has left all of his medicines there, along with his wealth, and a painting of his bride that he had commissioned back in Elmoss.   Dougal wants to sneak back into the settlement.

Tara is a widowed mouse who has with her two children.  She only wants to get somewhere safe.

2. Obstacle (Mice)

The Patrol needs to decide which mouse they will side with.  They can agree with all three if they choose, but they will still need to convince the other two of their plan and the order in which they will do them. 

Avery
Will	4	Resources	5
Health	3	Circles	5
Nature (  mouse  )	3	Escaping, Hiding, Climbing, Foraging
Skills:  Administrator 4, Archivist 3, Hometown-wise 4, Law-wise 4
Traits:  Skeptical 2
Gear:

Lucan
Will	5	Resources	3
Health	4	Circles	4
Nature (  mouse  )	3	Escaping, Hiding, Climbing, Foraging
Skills:  Fighter 4, Survivalist 3, Loremouse 2, Weather-wise 3
Traits:  Stubborn 2
Gear:  Bow Son #1 Wil = Axe Son #2 Bil = Spear

Dougal
Will	5	Resources	9
Health	4	Circles	6
Nature (  mouse  )	4	Escaping, Hiding, Climbing, Foraging
Skills:  Healer 4, Scientist 2, Sickness-wise 4
Traits:  Calm 1, Impulsive 1
Gear:  Medical supplies, painting

They will need to use a social skill vs the mouse’s Will in order to convince them to either not do what they want to do, or to convince them that their wants come second or third.

2a. Avery’s Plan to Sneak out

If the Patrol decides to go with Avery’s plan, they will need to pass an Ob3 Hunter and an Ob4 Pathfinder to sneak all of the survivors past the Ravens.  Failure is Raven Attack!  Success leads them far enough away that they can make their way to Grasslake with assistance.  Dougal still needs to be healed, and there are children that will need help on the day long journey.

2b. Dougal’s Plan to Retrieve his Things

If the Patrol decides to go with Dougal’s plan, they will need to pass an Ob4 Scout or Nature test and then an Ob3 Hunter test.  Failure on either is Raven Attack!  Once inside, they will be able to locate the medicine and painting, but will need to make an Ob4 Scout or Nature test and then an Ob3 Hunter test again to sneak back out.

2c. Lucan’s Plan to Attack the Ravens

If the Patrol decides to go with Lucan’s plan, they will need to assess their assets.  They have Lucan and his two sons as fighters, and themselves.  This will be a Conflict against the 3 Ravens.  This will be a seriously tough fight as the Ravens are eating meat and are in the mood for more.

Each of the three survivor mice pleaded their case to the Patrol.  After some discussion amongst themselves, the Patrol let Lucan know that they would not be fighting the Ravens if they can help it.  But they would appreciate it if Lucan or one of his capable sons acted as a guide for them as they sneak into the Settlement to retrieve the medicine.  (Finn tests his Persuade against Lucan's Will.  It is a tough test, but with Brand's assistance, Finn convinces the old woodsmouse) Lucan isn't happy, but agrees to send his son Wil.  The Patrol then lets Avery know that they will take the survivors to Wolfepointe, where they have just come from - there will be a place for them to rest and recover, and they will arrange escort down to Grasslake.  (Next, Finn tests his Persuade against Avery's Will.  A slightly easier test, which again Brand's assists with, along with Millicent as well; but Finn fails, becoming Tired as a result)  Avery reluctantly agrees, though he isn't too happy about going to Wolfepointe, but at least it isn't Port Sumac!  Finally they decide that Dougal's plan to retrieve the medicine is, perhaps not the best course of action, but the wisest.  Dougal appeals to each of them to retrieve his painting as well, and promises wealth in return.  Brand agrees he will do what he can, but not for any financial compensation.  Such a hero, that Brand is turning out to be!

So with the help of Wil guiding them, the Patrol sneaks into the ruined settlement.  There are a few tests that need to be passed in order to do so successfully.   The first is an Ob4 Scout or Nature test, which Brand attempts, with the help of Wil their guide and Finn.  Brand fails; however instead of a Raven Attack! twist, I allow the Patrol to succeed with a condition.  The second test is an Ob3 Hunter test, which Finn attempts and passes. 

Safely inside the ruins of the settlement, the Patrol first goes to the Bakery and gathers some Lembas bread (a high-nutrition grainy, nutty bread baked into small balls for travelling) into a sack.  Next, they make their way to Dougal's living area, passing the devastation that the settlement sustained when the Skunk attacked.  Inside Dougal's rooms, the Patrol finds the medicines, a Doctor's bag, and Dougal's painting of his bride.  Unfortunately the painting has been shredded from the Skunk's digging.  The Patrol gathers up as much medicine as they can and take the Doctor's bag and head back out.

To get back the group must pass another Ob3 Hunter test, which Finn attempts and fails.  As the Patrol is moving quietly past the three Raven, Will notices that the mouse remains two of the Raven are fighting over are those of his sister!  Overcome with grief and despair, Wil charges at the birds!

One Raven notices Wil and the other two are preoccupied, so the Conflict! becomes the Patrol against a Raven.  Millicent wants to be a team with her Yellowjacket, and so makes an Ob2 Apiarist test with success meaning she can team up with the Yellowjacket, and failure meaning the Yellowjacket is simply Gear.  Millicent succeeds and is a team with her Yellowjacket.  Finn and Brand are a second team.  The Raven's goal is to make a meal of Wil.  Finn and Brand's goal is to distract the Raven so that it does not attack Wil, and Millicent's goal is to drive the Raven off.

Through a combination of excellent Action selection, the Patrol manages to succeed in driving the Raven off; the Raven having been stung in the eye by the Yellowjacket, and becomes an Enemy of the Patrol.  Once the first Raven flies off, the remaining two follow, leaving the area for a time.

The Patrol rescued Wil, and takes their gains back to the survivors.  Walter patches up Dougal and they make haste for Wolfepointe.

3. Obstacle (Raven Attack!) (p.217)

Should the Ravens attack for whatever reason, this will be a fight to the death.  This is a Conflict! with at least one of the Ravens.

Raven 1
Nature (  Raven  )	8	Scavenger, Acrobat, Trickster, Flying
Weapons
Wheeling Wings: +1D to Maneuver or Defend Poking Beak: +1s to Feint

Raven 2
Nature (  Raven  )	8	Scavenger, Acrobat, Trickster, Flying
Weapons
Wheeling Wings: +1D to Maneuver or Defend Poking Beak: +1s to Feint

Raven 3
Nature (  Raven  )	8	Scavenger, Acrobat, Trickster, Flying
Weapons
Wheeling Wings: +1D to Maneuver or Defend Poking Beak: +1s to Feint

End GM Turn

Player Turn

The Patrol make their way back to Wolfepointe with the survivors.   Brand used a check to tell the story of the settlement, the skunk, the ravens, and the survivors, which in turn persuades the Serkr Helfdane and his huntermice to escort the survivors to Grasslake.  Finn recovered from being Tired. The Patrol restocks and re-provisions, and must decide what to do with the knowledge of a Skunk loose in the Territories - do they track the Skunk, do they send out a warning to other settlements, or do they leave it for someone else to deal with and continue their journey to Port Sumac?