Paka
05-15-2005, 09:22 PM
The following was the first session in a series of session designed to ease my group into the Burning Wheel's systems. Particularly one player who was stressed out by the system.
For the record, the stressed out player played the Queen.
E-mail sent to players:
I have left my kingdom tonight for the western havens, crown and wedding ring cleaved, wyvern steed let free, royal raiment lit on fire, no heir announced.
I am the thirty-third Etharch of the Southern Citadel, Lord on the Winged Throne, the Wyvern King. The Southern Citadel is a wonder, not built but grown atop a tree that has no peer nor equal. My honor guard ride wyvern as tame as their dragon's blood allows, they fly among the high branches of my kingdom. The children here play amidst leaves the color of sunlight and drink dew that tastes like magic and mystery.
My wife is a tender genius but her womb has given my no heir.
My Lord Protector is a battle-hardened sword singer but his duty gives me no solace.
My Squire is an honorable lad with no evil in his heart but his innocence gives me no joy.
My mother is a beautiful crone, older than some hills, but her counsel gives me no wisdom.
My bastard brother is a driven hero but his ranging gives me no clues concerning my kingdom's woe.
My sister is a famous sea captain but her exploration gives me no knowledge about the bright seas.
May they each live the immortal lives they have earned.
May the stars damn them all to hell.
Duels of Wits
Both of the Duels of Wits were private, one on one verbal duels. There was a vicious exchange between the Mother and the Bastard, building tension that I'd like to build on if the Mother's player wasn't from outta town. Ah well. But everyone kept calling for a DoW but there didn't seem to be anything at stake, just two bitter people sniping at each other with hurtful words.
On to the actual duels:
Queen Vs. King's Champion
She meets him late at night after the king goes west and the family has gathered. She has stalled court for a week in order to mourn. She goes into his arms. He says, it isn't our fault. She slaps him. He says the king was weak. She slaps him. The duel begins.
Queen: We are responsible for the king's grief and his
going west.
If she wins: He will leave me alone for the entire
week.
King's Champion: We are not responsible, the king was
too weak for his position.
If he wins: She will consider me the better man and
let me into her heart.
The Queen won a resounding victory, leaving from a secret door as a guard let's the King's Champion know that a body has been found in the hallway.
Jevon decides he must mark down a Difficult Grief check on his PC's sheet.
Queen Vs. King's Mother
When the queen get's back to her rooms, she just barely beats the King's Mother, who has been having her and all of the guests followed. The King's Mother has heard the rumor of the queen's infidelity but for now, its only a rumor.
King's Mother: Tell me the truth about the rumors
concerning your infidelity.
If she wins: You will tell me the entire truth.
Queen: Drop this subject.
If she wins: You will no longer bother me with this issue.
King's mother won a resounding victory and the Queen wanted a follow-up Duel to make the Mother keep it a secret but we decided to hold off for later.
The Killing of the Servant
Jim has the ranger tailing a servant of the Mother who was tailing his sister, the captain. The Mother has servants tailing every PC. He is sneaking after the defenseless hand maiden.
Jim: I'm going to...well, I dunno.
Me: (knowing what he's thinking) Do it.
Jim: I dunno.
Me: I'll give you an artha point.
Jim: I kill the servant. *dice are rolled, handmaid killed* I leave the body in the hallway for anyone to find.
We didn't finish in one session and a friend in from outta town was playing the Queen Mother, so I'll make up a PC for the missing player and we'll finish up next week.
Everyone really dug the DoW and we used some Circles too but for this session, the DoW's ruled the table time. Everyone played their character to the hilt. It was good, good stuff.
I will post the PC's stats in the coming week.
For the record, the stressed out player played the Queen.
E-mail sent to players:
I have left my kingdom tonight for the western havens, crown and wedding ring cleaved, wyvern steed let free, royal raiment lit on fire, no heir announced.
I am the thirty-third Etharch of the Southern Citadel, Lord on the Winged Throne, the Wyvern King. The Southern Citadel is a wonder, not built but grown atop a tree that has no peer nor equal. My honor guard ride wyvern as tame as their dragon's blood allows, they fly among the high branches of my kingdom. The children here play amidst leaves the color of sunlight and drink dew that tastes like magic and mystery.
My wife is a tender genius but her womb has given my no heir.
My Lord Protector is a battle-hardened sword singer but his duty gives me no solace.
My Squire is an honorable lad with no evil in his heart but his innocence gives me no joy.
My mother is a beautiful crone, older than some hills, but her counsel gives me no wisdom.
My bastard brother is a driven hero but his ranging gives me no clues concerning my kingdom's woe.
My sister is a famous sea captain but her exploration gives me no knowledge about the bright seas.
May they each live the immortal lives they have earned.
May the stars damn them all to hell.
Duels of Wits
Both of the Duels of Wits were private, one on one verbal duels. There was a vicious exchange between the Mother and the Bastard, building tension that I'd like to build on if the Mother's player wasn't from outta town. Ah well. But everyone kept calling for a DoW but there didn't seem to be anything at stake, just two bitter people sniping at each other with hurtful words.
On to the actual duels:
Queen Vs. King's Champion
She meets him late at night after the king goes west and the family has gathered. She has stalled court for a week in order to mourn. She goes into his arms. He says, it isn't our fault. She slaps him. He says the king was weak. She slaps him. The duel begins.
Queen: We are responsible for the king's grief and his
going west.
If she wins: He will leave me alone for the entire
week.
King's Champion: We are not responsible, the king was
too weak for his position.
If he wins: She will consider me the better man and
let me into her heart.
The Queen won a resounding victory, leaving from a secret door as a guard let's the King's Champion know that a body has been found in the hallway.
Jevon decides he must mark down a Difficult Grief check on his PC's sheet.
Queen Vs. King's Mother
When the queen get's back to her rooms, she just barely beats the King's Mother, who has been having her and all of the guests followed. The King's Mother has heard the rumor of the queen's infidelity but for now, its only a rumor.
King's Mother: Tell me the truth about the rumors
concerning your infidelity.
If she wins: You will tell me the entire truth.
Queen: Drop this subject.
If she wins: You will no longer bother me with this issue.
King's mother won a resounding victory and the Queen wanted a follow-up Duel to make the Mother keep it a secret but we decided to hold off for later.
The Killing of the Servant
Jim has the ranger tailing a servant of the Mother who was tailing his sister, the captain. The Mother has servants tailing every PC. He is sneaking after the defenseless hand maiden.
Jim: I'm going to...well, I dunno.
Me: (knowing what he's thinking) Do it.
Jim: I dunno.
Me: I'll give you an artha point.
Jim: I kill the servant. *dice are rolled, handmaid killed* I leave the body in the hallway for anyone to find.
We didn't finish in one session and a friend in from outta town was playing the Queen Mother, so I'll make up a PC for the missing player and we'll finish up next week.
Everyone really dug the DoW and we used some Circles too but for this session, the DoW's ruled the table time. Everyone played their character to the hilt. It was good, good stuff.
I will post the PC's stats in the coming week.