RuneQuest: Chaser and Company in Balazar [Play Report]
[This is a Living Document containing the notes on a RuneQuest campaign ran by Taliesin. Please enjoy!]
Characters:
- Chaser, Initiate of the Black Fang of the Fine City of Prax, a master-tracker (STR 8; DEX 13, WIL 12)
- Iorek, Cultist of Vinga the Womanly-Orlanth, the Red Woman (STR 10; DEX 13; WIL 12)
- Elu the Pelorian, Initiate of the Cult of the Seven Mothers, a Lunar Lapdog (STR 13; DEX 4; WIL 16)
- Goodsmith, Disciple of Chalana Arroy, a Devout yet rather Entitled Passivist (STR 5; DEX 10; WIL 12)
- Calamene, Orlanthi Steed-Warrior of Prax, and a Fine Archer (STR 6; DEX 17; WIL 12)
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Incidents and Events:
Sessions 1 & 2:
- We begin in the Frontier-City of Elkoi, a bridging-place between the Lunars and Balazar, between Peloria and Orlanth.
- We meet the rather foolish puppet-king in his palace, and more importantly his wife. We also run into Uriptus, Commander of Elkoi's Garrison.
- We meet Elekora Kindtongue, the Head Lunar Priestess of the Seven Mothers' Temple in the city, alongside her student. Her temple and her house swarm with cats. Chaser steals a nice black one.
- Chaser and Goodsmith attempt to drum up business in the Pig-Quarter of the City but are met with naught but swindling swine-herds
- We stay overnight in a traveller-inn, though Elu is invited into Elekora's hospitality. Damn Pelorians.
- Calamene hears a rumour over breakfast in the inn, about a monster out in the wilderness of central Balazar. We also hear that at some point in the future there will be a festival in the city that attracts many pilgrims.
- Chaser also chats to a humble worker over breakfast, discussing his employer: Sirial Endikar of the Lunar Empire, a Stone-Importer of White Marble and the Richest Man in Elkoi. Scum.
- We plan to go to Trilus, where there is a Caravan-Master and Trade-Priest of Isarys called Jof-Min.
- We meet a hunting-party by the city gates as we prepare to depart. They are West Balazarians, dressed in shoulder-pinned cloaks and aprons, armed with stone knives and spears, adorned by animal-bone trinkets. They are very intrigued by our metal weapons and armour. They love the stuff! Though they warn us: some Balazarians wish to return to the time they were the Votan-Ki and reject the New Ways and the Corrupting Influence of Metal and such.
- Chaser talks everyone into joining the Balazarians on their hunt for a day or so instead of heading directly north-east to Trilus. It's very exciting! Free food! And they've got a youth with them who's on his Coming-Of-Age-Hunt. What an experience to share!
- The hunters don't immediately turn up any tracks but Chaser does with the help of his papoose-carried cat: eight hooves. We follow them into the Dog Hills.
- In a small scrub-filled valley between two hills we spy our marks. Yet! Instead of two sets of horns to the eight hooves, there are four... Broo. Pissing on the trees and hunting for 'game': a dead dog slung over one's shoulder. According to the local hunters, Broo are normally rare in these parts: this gang of demons is almost certainly a group of deserters from a Lunar Army. Vile.
- The group scales one hill to get a better vantage while Calamene trots to the other hill. One of the Broo has a hide shield painted with the eight-point-cross of Chaos.
- The Youth - Gordril - is handed a long stone dagger by his father. It's time to perform his Youth-Birth-Killing. The hunters charge.
