Solo Donnut DIY RPG Playtest #3
Previous Sessions:
First https://vdonnutvalley.bearblog.dev/solo-donnut-diy-rpg-playtest-1/
Second https://vdonnutvalley.bearblog.dev/solo-donnut-diy-rpg-playtest-2/
In previous episode our heroes - Takrog the Gladiator, Phythis the Pirate and Ionos the High Adept - walked up on the hill. They rested below the tree and walked south to possible river. They stumble upon local hunters and are escorted by one of them away. Ionos charms him, they separate, group gets to a farm. Farmers reject them, they climb up a hill and plan to get water somehow.
Phythis says that people from the farm violated custom of hospitality. They should at least give them some fresh water, regardless of what is happening. Takrog mentions that the group came there with weapons. Ionos agrees that hospitality is a holy law and by not giving them water the farmers basically left them for horrbile death. Everybody rubs their dry lips. Amphora is empty and only food available are salted fish. They agree to sneak into farm and get some fresh water.
Phythis takes a nap. Takrog digs and covers it with twigs and grass to hide salted fish and case of coins. Ionos casts Ward to secure the camp and Light to be able to see a little. Wind blows the clouds away. Takrog falls asleep. Ionos meditates to perform a High Magic ritual of remembering spells. Sleep. Missile [7+2]. Speak [5+2] - failure. Ionos strains their abilities and next time remembering spells will be harder. After that Ionos wakes Phythis up and goes to sleep for a moment - they're the most tired of the group.
Around two hours later when the moon shines high and night is deep Phythis wakes the other up. Ionos takes a few silver coins from hidden case and ties them into rags. Before departing everyone takes some sour eaves to chew, hoping a little painkilling will help their mission.
Rolling up the challenge
I need to finally come up with what is going on with the farm. I decided to do it in a form of coin tosses YES-NO. First thing - I decided the thing in the farmhouse is a horror, something unnatural, demonic in non-Christian terms, alien to natural world. Does the people of the farm protect outsiders FROM it? [YES] that is worse then. Is it spiritual being? [YES] All right, recently I saw this Argentinian film called "Cuando acecha la maldad" and so the topic of this situation finds itself. Are the farm owners connected to the appearance of this horror? [NO] Okay, so these are definitely innocent victims of it. Is the evil in the land? [NO] Does it possess a human? [NO] So there is an animal possessed by an evil entity. Goat which is slowly growing into a Chimera? Checks out. So the farmers are protecting people outside from it and try to care of it by themselves. Maybe only the owner family stays as all the servants and workers left the place?
The team walk off the hill slowly in the darkness. In the farm buildings they can see one light. Fields and groves seem empty. Next to the fence Takrog whispers question to Ionos if they have some spells prepared. Ionos answers there are not many of them. Phythis jumps over the fence. She says she'll get closer to farm buildings and will let the rest in once they're near it, no need for all of them to sneak through. Ionos and Takrog get up to walk on the hillside, outside of fields and groves. Watching the amount of land and crops they conclude owners must be quite wealthy in this barren lands. Phythis sneaks through the farm [6-1+1]. 1 Somewhere close the dog starts to bark. More lights show up in farm buildings, one door opens. Ionos and Takrog split, Ionos runs to help Phythis and Takrog is tasked with finding the well or other water source.
Phythis tried to hide from farmer running to her. [4+1] She cannot find suitable cover in between olive trees. [1d4+2] 3 farmers with sticks, sickles and lit clay cressets. Once they are close Phythis starts waving her sword to scare and intimidate them. In the light of cressets shine the bronze of the blade. Ionos runs in and casts Sleep [2d6 targets] on 7 creatures. Farmers toss their saves [N][T][N], Phythis too [T] (spells cannot recognize people, be careful of friendly fire). Two farmers suddenly pass out on the ground, the third one and Phythis are sleepy and confused. 2 Pirate seizes the opportunity and clumsily disarms the farmer of his stick. It looks like he is one of the boys from earlier encounter. Ionos grunts, bringing the attention to themself, already in wizarding pose, with wand-resembling stick in their hand. They direct the end of the stick to the boy and then to the house. Phythis sands behind him with cold sword behind his back. They start slowly walking towards farm buildings as Ionos takes the lit oil. The dog is nowhere to be seen.
Takrog marches on the hillside and sneaks towards the buildings. Thanks to the barking dog it is easy. He looks through the open window. The room inside is lit by another clay cressen, filled with olive oil as can be smelled. There are three simple beds, large wardrobe and a few chests. On one of the beds lie an old lady, the same they encountered earlier. On a stool next to small table sits a woman, looking opposite of the window, at the door. Takrog sneaks further. Next room is dark and wooden shutters are closed. Gladiator sneaks around the building.
The hostage group meets Takrog next to the door to the house. House is next to the barn, in the middle of the space is a stone well and behind it small wooden shed. Fence separates this area from animal pastures on the other hillside. Ionos and Takrog leap to the well, drink a lot and fill in the amphora. Phythis stands next to them still keeping blade close to boys stomach. Takrog switches with her. When Pirate quenches her thirst doors to the house open. Woman's head lurks out of them. The boy starts yelling to her, she starts yelling too. Everybody can hear this weird noise from the barn - like clacking and rattling. Boy gets away from Takrog [3+2] 3 who doesn't even have time to react. Farmers close the door and shut them, as well as the windows. Door to the barn starts to creak.