Play-Test Episode: "Ariel's Fate"

[Ireth]

Ariel

I laugh at Lily's 'record' comment. "Heheh. No use anyway, I've got a guy back home. Haven't I told you about Jae yet? I must have. Plus, I worship the Maiden as well as the Voice."

Spoiler: what Ariel "must have" told Lily

"He's from one of the Eastern lands, can't recall the name. ((Analogous to Korea)) We met at school, in music class, and we've been a couple for about a year now. He's an amazing singer, and he worships the Voice, too. I think that's a lot of the reason Dad likes him so much. Plus Dad knows Jae'd never, ever hurt me. He's like a big kitten, basically. Come to think of it, he does kind of remind me of a cheetah. A king cheetah. Did I tell you he helped save my life once? That was the day Dad got his scars. Well, some of them. Those three long scratches. They aren't from Jae, though, of course."

I smile wistfully at the thought of Jaebi. I wish he'd been able to come and see me off when I was brought here... Maybe he'll be there when Mum and Dad come to pick me up.

As Lily tries to talk to the man, I tilt my head. I try signing to him as I would to Mum. Hello, my name is Ariel.

Then he speaks, and I blush. Not mute, then, apparently. Lily looks awkward as she tries to make conversation, and I'm about to step in when lightning strikes. I squeak and jump back--

--and gape at the newcomer. A pixie? So that's what they look like.

I crouch down to look closer. She has no wings. Not a fairy, then, nor a sugarplum... She must be a muse! Wow... imagine meeting a daughter of one of my goddesses!

"Hi," I say, smiling at the teeny woman. She's kind of adorable. "I'm Ariel. Who are you?"

 

[Noma Galway]

"You're Ariel?" Without waiting for an answer, she continues, "My name is Mariya. Sorry if I frightened you." She glances at the girl on eye level with her. "No, it doesn't. I was sent here. The lightning was my mother's way of getting me here."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Lily gives a bewildered look when the muse responds to her student's name. "Is Ariel famous?" She looks at Ariel, then Mariya, then shrugs to Furtano and looks at Mariya again.

 

[Aspasia]

Dila

((I'm assuming she's pretty close by the other characters, close enough that they might hear her walking around. Her Notice roll is pretty bad so she doesn't see the other characters herself))

Will this forest never end? Maybe I'm lost. All I wanted to do was avoid Felgar's Company for a bit -- they didn't seem to take it too well that I'd decided to leave them. I shrug, and pick my way through the forest undergrowth. They were getting on my nerves, it was high time to join a new company.

Are those voices I hear nearby? I frown. Perhaps I'm not alone ...



They're indistinct, but I'll stay on my guard. Who knows what else could be in this forest?

Boom! What was that? A huge, blinding flash of light -- I can't tell where it came from. My instincts take over, I jump behind a tree. I blink furiously, trying to clear my vision, fumbling for my crossbow. Lightning? But the skies are clear!



I conceal myself in the bushes beside the tree. Whatever that was, I don't want it to see me until I get a good look at it. I narrow my eyes, set a bolt to my crossbow, just in case.

As my vision slowly clears, I see some odd tracks nearby ... hoofprints? But they're arranged strangely. Weird. I don't like the look of this. Waiting and watching seems like a better idea every minute. Once I'm sure there isn't a threat, I'll investigate.

 

[Ireth]

Ariel

I look at Lily, just as confused as she is. "I don't think so...?" Turning back to Mariya, I ask, "How do you know my name? Is it because I worship your mother?" Figures a goddess would know the names of her devotees, after all.

I pause, looking around and listening. Did I hear someone else moving around?

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Lily turns to see what Ariel is looking at, but doesn't see anything in the rustling bushes.

Ariel, on the other hand, sees the shiny black leather from Dila's vest.

Spoiler: what to do now that we've got 4 players

I'm going to attempt to get all of the art ready, so go ahead and RP as if you're all together.

Ariel and Dila have both seen the hoof-prints, though Ariel has a better idea as to where they're headed. (South.) Also, anyone can roll investigate to get a better understanding of the tracks, but even if you roll 0 or less you can still choose to follow the hoof prints.



TIPS:

Investigate will be an "overcome" roll with 1 as your target. For those who haven't done the math, your modifier is your average roll and also your most likely. (Odds are 1/81 that you'll roll your best/worst.) If you have a character aspect that makes you a careful investigator, you can opt to spend a Fate to add +2 to your Investigate roll, or if you roll without spending the point and the roll sucks, you can spend a Fate point to re-roll.

Also, remember your options with an overcome roll:

• When you fail an overcome action, you have two options. You can simply fail, which means you don’t attain your goal or get what you were after, or you can succeed at a serious cost.
• When you tie an overcome action, you attain your goal or get what you were after, but at a minor cost.
• When you succeed at an over- come action, you attain your goal without any cost.
• When you succeed with style at an overcome action, you get a boost in addition to attaining your goal.

This means that even if all of you roll 0 or less, you can take the success at a "serious cost." It may be something related to how you describe your action, or if your description leaves nothing for me to work with, I have something in mind…

 

[Ireth]

Ariel

Definitely something in those bushes... looks like shiny leather. I step forward, wondering whether to reach for my bow. Whoever it is might be hostile. I don't want to get caught off-guard. I dunno if they heard us talking, but I button my lip for the moment.

 

[Aspasia]

Dila
I feel someone's eyes on me. I want to retreat, but what's the use if I've already been seen? I think quickly. If I stay hidden, I might lose any advantage I have. At worst, there's always my crossbow.

I hate breaking cover. But I hate not knowing more.



I overcome my desire to stay hidden and stand up. My crossbow is by my side -- not threatening, but still in easy reach. My back's to a tree, it's a good position.

Sometimes I wonder if my precautions are rather silly. After all, no one's actually attacked me ... yet.

Emboldened, I call out, "Who's there?"

 

[Ireth]

Ariel

I pause as someone stands up and calls out. Another stranger, armed with a crossbow. At least it's not loaded and pointed at me. I likewise keep my hands away from my bow, and smile as I answer. Maybe I can make a friend out of this stranger before we have the chance to become enemies.

"Ariel Hawk, novice Huntress. Who are you?"

((Gah! How's that for a crappy roll? Dunno what a failed Rapport is supposed to do, regarding how Ariel or Dila feels/reacts.))

 

[Aspasia]

Dila

((I guess I'll have Dila be suspicious of her friendliness))

I stare at the woman, perplexed. She carries a bow, and wears clothes of animal hide. How could I have missed seeing her before? I berate myself, I have to be more careful!

"Dila Natore, mercenary." I say guardedly. She smiles, but I don't trust her -- she's trying too hard to be friendly. Why? I've never seen her before.

"There was a lightning flash ..." My voice trails off. Did I see movement?



I see a small, winged woman, a man, and ... the Huntress Lily? I'd heard of her, seen her about a few times, when I'd visited the island before.

Three others, besides Ariel, close enough for me to stumble over them! That flash really must have thrown me off. I blink hard, and shake my head.

 

[Ireth]

Ariel

I blink at Dila's guarded expression, and sigh. Was it the crossbow making me nervous, or is she suspicious of my wild garb?

"Sorry, I guess we're all a bit jittery. The lightning didn't help. Can I try that again?" I laugh and hold out a hand. "Hi, I'm Ariel. Nice to meet you, Dila."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Lily sees the two women talking and gives a friendly but catty grin.

"Yeah, lightning! That lightning bolt made a pixie. Or… she travels by lightning. I don't really know what I'm talking about, but I do those these woods, Dila. I'm 'Tigress' Lily if you haven't heard of me, by the way. And you know what? I don't know these woods half as well as I thought. We got a guy with a hammock living here, a pixie with no wings zapped here by her goddess mom, and I don't know where you came from but all you make more sense than the tracks.

"Either they're from beast riders who can all best me at what I'm best at, or they're from beasts who don't know how beasts are supposed to act. Anybody actually see what made those tracks?"

 

[Aspasia]

Dila

I shake her hand. "Dila," I repeat, smiling back. Ariel seems alright now -- maybe I am being too jumpy. "I didn't see all of you earlier, the lightning startled me. I think I'm kind of ... lost." I shrug, I don't like to admit it. "So, you all know each other?"

 

[Ireth]

Ariel

"Uh, kinda. Half of us just met. Lily's been training me for the past month, and Furtano and Mariya just sort of showed up. If you're lost, maybe we can help you. Where are you looking to go?"

 

[Aspasia]

Dila

I take note of the other's names. "Yeah," I say to Ariel, "if you know these woods, I'd appreciate the help." I shrug. "As for where I need to go ... honestly, I don't know. I'm kind of at loose ends right now, looking for a new company."

I turn to Lily with a slight smile. "There seem to be a lot of people in these woods." I agree. I feel relieved, that strange lightning was just from the pixie's arrival, not some strange magical attack.

My thoughts turn to the strange tracks after the 'Tigress' mentions them. "I've never seen anything like this." I admit, crouching by the tracks. "Either someone has a very strange way of riding, or ..."



((EDIT: I'm not sure what information she gains from the tracks, so I'll wait on her reaction.))

 

[Noma Galway]

It takes Mariya a moment to compose her thoughts. As Dila studies the tracks, she says, "I've been traveling with your parents, Ariel." She smiles. "I'm actually not entirely sure what I'm doing here, but judging by the fact that Mom zapped me here, I think it must be important."

 

[Devor]

Furtano stands with his back half turned to the others, unstringing and putting away his hammock, listening to them talk. They're as surprised by the lightening as he was, and by the newcomer, who must have come because of the lightning.

But that lightning. That pixie. Just as Furtano met the huntresses? That's too much of a coincidence. He can only conclude that the pixie was sent for him. For Leppy. But why? He had done his best not to attract attention. But the wizard. The wizard who did this Leppy. Perhaps he's angry. Perhaps he wasn't as careful. Perhaps he sent the pixie, or got into a drunken stupor at the tavern and ran his mouth off to others, who have come looking for his wand.

Careful. Paranoid. Sometimes the two words work together. Sometimes they're at odds. Which was this?

He had come to ask for help. But now he decided to keep his mouth shut. And to keep his eyes on their intentions.

In the meantime, his excuse had worn thin. He finished rolling up his hammock, slung his haversack across his back, and slipped his sword to his belt. It was time to rejoin the conversation. And he would do his best to use that conversation to his advantage.

"Another for the party," he says of Dila. "If any of you had been hunting fine company, I'd say your prey is caught."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

The Party is Assembled...

((Fast-forwarding a bit…))


The strangers band together, each for their own reasons, and follow the tracks. Dila's investigative skills tell her little else but where the hoof-prints are going. Eventually, the odd semi-circular swerving comes to an end, but there is never a moment—so Lily insists—that the riders ever had the donkeys on all fours.

That seems odd, but what's even stranger is where the tracks stop.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding!" Lily pounds the cliff wall with her calloused knuckles in frustration. "What kind of a jerk crashes a donkey into a wall?"

But upon further inspection, it's apparent that the rear legs of the donkeys just stop a foot away from the cliff. The path is wide enough that it's obvious the donkeys did not go around, and since the tracks only go one way, they didn't turn back either.

 

[Devor]

The best way to get what you want is to make people trust you. And trust is earned by being useful. Let the huntresses look at the tracks and around the woods. If they've got that covered, Furtano needs to find another way to show them a bit of his worth.

"Let's see now. If it were me, how would I make the upright donkey brigade disappear?"

Furtano looks up at the cliff side. Perhaps there's signs of equipment being used to scale the rock?

"This island crawls with trackers. More frankly than I'm comfortable with." He glances at Lily, then back up the cliff. "It only serves that the arses have a way of breaking their trail here at the cliff."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Furtano notices bits of chipped stone near the cliff wall. He also sees some scraping along the wall.

Lily follows his lead, and looks with him.

"It doesn't make sense," she says. "But up is easier than through."

She scales the wall, and stops ten feet up. The scrape marks continue upward.

"There's plenty of handholds and footholds here. It's possible to climb without equipment, but… how do you get a donkey to go up? Never mind a lot of donkeys!"

Spoiler: Mariya's Refresh level

Characters who played the first episode or two will be back-paid, so I'm giving Mariya 4 Refresh now.