This is from last night’s session, and Tiamat’s fuzzy whiskers, it took fecking ages. Like three hours. For a scene that I’d otherwise be done with in fifteen minutes or less. Now, I get that there’s a lot of catchup text, so I’m gonna try again at some point to see if it gets better. Because if it doesn’t, that actual play of Dragon Heist is gonna take longer than a multiplayer campaign.

I’ve also put the crunch to little texty thingies to keep it readable, and I’ve cut some of the smaller details (like all the oracle questions in combat).

Novessa Lokou was torn.

They were standing on the deck of an airship, flying across the green grassy slopes of the island’s centre, bound for the city of Rahm Oru. Novessa, an angelfolk holy warrior who was sworn to defend the hope of the innocent, was losing her own. She held an angular obsidian mask, one of the three artefacts her team had been searching the planes for. An artefact that the most powerful beings in the world sought to possess.

The prophecy she and three others had been witness to rang in her ears. “The artefacts three of the Elder Eye shall fall to the Tsethem of ancient times. And with the power of veiled sword, wicked tome, and dark visor, they shall overthrow the princes of the elements and usher in a reign of darkness upon the world.”

On one hand, they had been successful; they had retrieved the mask from its resting place in the temple of Tiamat, beating the ancient Tsethem to it thanks to their knowledge of the Eye’s past. This should have raised the team’s moral somewhat, as their original attempt to secure the voidblade hadn’t gone over so well. When negotiations had gone south with the owner (a noble from the light-bound city of Taiitol) they had accidentally killed her and barely escaped the clutches of the law. Even now, word was spreading to Rahm Oru that Novessa and her team were wanted murderers.

And they were walking right back into the griffon’s beak.

Crunch Is anything about this scene altered? Oracle: Yes. TWENE: Add major element (Portent: “thyroid quadrupled”). I’m interpreting this to mean that they’re all damaged from their previous battle, that just so happened to reduce them all to 0 HP. We were so close to a TPK it’s almost unbelievable. I make the appropriate rolls using Morrier’s Lingering Injuries By Damage Type, determining that Novessa and Harrietta are slowly dying, and Yuuk is depressed. Only Toskan saves. She turned to the blue dragonborn beside her. Toskan was draped in his new cloak of protection, fingering his greataxe and casting a suspicious eye at the mask in her hands. He had almost become like a second in command to her over the month-and-a-bit that they’d been on this insane quest. She trusted his judgement, and needed it more than ever now.

“So. What do we do with this?” His answer was swift. “Destroy it. If we get rid of even one of ‘em, we’ve stopped that damn blasted prophecy.” Novessa nodded. “That’s true. But then what happens to us?” “How do you mean?” She suppressed a small sigh. “We’re wanted outlaws. Killers. We’ll be thrown in the brig and left to rot.”

“Yeah, because we’re really not doing that anyway.” Harrietta the gnomish arcane mechanic slumped against the airship’s railing, looking almost as sickly as Novessa. The expedition into Tiamat’s temple hadn’t been an easy one, as goblins and mirlings had run rampant through the place, drawn by the mask’s evil presence. A particularly horrifying creature that Novessa suspected was named a Bodak had brought the whole team to their knees. They had been saved by a monumental effort from Toskan, but the encounter had left its scars.

Toskan clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “That be no way to talk. Soon as we’re rested and fresh again, the memory of that… thing, will fade.” He shot a look at Novessa. Even she was looking pretty rough. The dragonborn was the only one who seemed to have pulled through without a lingering injury. “Killers or not, we be duty-bound to rid the world of this thing. Besides, what good would it do us?”

Novessa paused before answering, weighing her words. “I propose we turn ourselves in to Appinamopu Tharth. Hear me out! The temple authorities are my friends, my family. They would listen to my side of the story. And if we delivered the mask unto them, we’d have proof.”

The fourth and final member of the party croaked up. “Bad idea.” A black birdfolk shook his oily feathered head, and the whole of his wide-brimmed hat shook with it. Yuuk was the least trusted of the group, as on top of being a con artist selling phoney religion he also drew his magical powers directly from the voidblade. But the angelic creatures responsible for the prophecy had seen fit to summon him as a witness along with the rest, so Novessa tolerated his presence. On occasion, that tolerance was stretched a little thin.

“Here’s a better one; we use the dark visor to collect the tome and sword, instead of wasting it or giving it away.” Toskan shot him a look. “And I suppose ye be the obvious choice to attune to it, seeing how ye already have shadow running through your veins?” “Who better?” Yuuk spread his reptilian arms and cackled hollowly. “The servant of Daakinok, wielding the power of both blade and mask! Nothing could stop me. I meant us.” He hurriedly added, but the damage was done.

Toskan snorted derisively, and turned back to Novessa. “Lokou, I understand that ye want things to go back to normal once this is all blown over. But the idiot be right, for once: it be a terrible idea to hand ourselves over now that we have the mask. There’s no doubt they’d send it to the princes for safekeeping, just like the tome before. And ye know how dangerous it be to let one know of a prophecy that speaks of themself.”

“Fine, no trusting the Tharth.” Novessa’s impatience was beginning to rise. “Then the question still stands; what do we do now?” It was Harrietta who answered as she struggled to her feet. “Give it here. I’ll give it a look over, see if I can figure out how to break it. If we can, which I doubt, then the pieces will have to serve as proof. If there’s any pieces left.”

Crunch Are we allowed to take a short rest? Oracle (Likely): No. Should I roll for a random encounter? Oracle: No, but… But an encounter does occur. What type? Portent: Invariable jangle. Invariable jangle > Unchanging metal clanging > Unchanging metal thing > An airship still in pursuit from Taiitol? Oracle (Likely): Yes, and…

Minutes of silence passed between the team. Harrietta sat cross-legged on the deck, tracing the runes etched into the mask and whispering to her assistant; a bulky, shiny golem of her own creation, the Nickel Automaton: Version 3. Or NAV3 for short. She was good at this stuff. Her knowledge of Magitek had been of great use to the party during their most recent dungeon crawl, but this time a shout from the ship’s pilot brought her work to a sudden stop.

“Airship hailing, starboard side!” The party were immediately alert. Only a few ships traveled that far off the trade routes to visit the island’s volcano, and to be called over by one was rarer still.

Crunch Does the captain notice their tense reaction? Oracle: Yes, and… Does he react to it in a way that’s positive for the party? Oracle: Yes.

The captain took notice of the sudden tension in his passengers, and nodded. He hadn’t asked any questions when they’d waltzed out of an evil dragon temple carrying a sackful of gold and more than a few scars, and he wasn’t going to start now. “You chaps best get below decks. I’ll sort out what these fellas want.”

The party quickly filed into the dingy interior of the airship. They could hear the other craft pull up alongside them, and just about make out what the men were saying.

Crunch Intervention: Advance plot (Plot: the crimes committed in Taiitol. Portent: Razed rhyming). Do we hear a combat spell being cast? Oracle: No, and…

They asked the captain if they had encountered a group of outlaws who spoke of a prophecy, which he denied in due course. They didn’t appear to believe him however, as they demanded he let them search the ship. They had authority to do so, leaving him no choice but to let them onboard. Novessa and her team scrambled to hide, but to no avail: Harrietta was immediately spotted by the lead aasimar. “Come out, little one. Don’t look for trouble, and none will find you.”

“Sir!” Novessa stood up from behind the packing case, her arms raised in a calming gesture. “We don’t wish to cause anyone harm. We are here by divine order, sent by the angels themselves.” The man’s eyes flicked to the holy amulet draped around her neck. “Prove it.” “It’s the truth, I swear it! We were sent to collect an artefact of great evil before it falls into the wrong hands.” “Which we’ve done, I might add.” Harrietta held up the shadow mask for him to see. “Don’t thank us for, y’know, saving the world. Just don’t take us in.”

The warrior opened his mouth but Toskan interrupted him. “It be no good taking it back to the Tharth. The prophecy involves a clergywoman of great status, and t’would be a foolish thing to make them aware of.”

The angelman wavered for a moment, then shook his head as though to rid his ears of water. “A tall tale, but a false one. You will accompany us to Appinamopu Tharth, and there you shall stand trial for your crimes.”

Outnumbered, almost two-to-one. Battered and beaten from the scramble with the Bodak. They were so, so close to victory… To fail now would be the most crushing blow in so many blows.

“No.”

Toskan’s eyes were alight with a blueish glow that sparked within his yellow irises, a hint of the lightning that flowed through his veins. He raised his head to squarely face the lightfolk warrior. “No. Ye do not understand. If we do not destroy this… This weapon of foul craft, then the world will burn. Cities will fall, comrades will die. Do ye want that upon your conscience? Do ye wish to be the one to end this time of peace?”

Without another word, the warrior lifted his mace and attacked.

Crunch Combat: Toskan lets out a thunderous roar that freezes two of the soldiers with fear. Three of the the soldiers engage Toskan, while a third climbs atop a barrel in order to get a good shot at Harrietta. Unfortunately for him, the lid crumples beneath his weight, plunging him into the contents: bilge. Yuuk creates a shadow blade in his claw and stabs it into the nearest soldier, killing him instantly. One of the acolytes blesses the soldiers next to him, while the other flings sacred flame at Yuuk. Harrietta engages her bracers and send NAV3 to attack the leader. Novessa leaps forward with a rousing battle cry, slicing at the leader but missing. The leader swings his mace at Toskan, but his cloak deflects the blow. Toskan retaliates with a blow to the side with his axe. One of the soldiers gets a hit on Toskan, leaving him at 0 HP.

Toskan was the first to fall, collapsing with a sword stuck in his side. Harrietta followed him immediately, downed by one of the soldiers.

Crunch The remaining soldier engages both Yuuk and Novessa. Yuuk channels the voidblade’s power to curse his opponent, but misses his attack with the shadow blade. One acolyte heals the leader a little, and the other shields him with with a Sanctuary spell. Novessa gets a pretty solid hit on the leader, but doesn’t manage to disable him.

Novessa retaliated with a vicious attack against the leader, leaving him with a severe wound in his side. Severe enough to knock some sense into him. “Wait! Hold… Hold off!” He staggered back with his hand outstretched. “You… You have to be reasonable, child!”

Crunch Intervention: New Entity (Portent: tabulate atoning).

“I have friends… In the judicial court. If what you say is true, and you agree to come with no further protest, then I can arrange for a private trial to be held. The attendants shall be sworn to secrecy, and your case will be heard. Please, I beg you to reconsider!”

A heartbeat. And a nod. Novessa hesitated only for a second: Her friends lay dying on the floor in front of her, and only a single opponent had been downed. It was unlikely the party could have cheated death a second time that day. As Yuuk staunched the fallen heroes’ wounds before they bled out, she allowed her hands to be cuffed and her weapons removed. This was the right choice, and she’d known it all along. If they had the help of a few discreet, high-ranking clerics, they could finally end this quest to change fate.

It had to be the right choice. Or else she’d just doomed the planes and beyond to a reign of destruction.