[Universalis -> Improv.] Who needs a system anyway?

[LordSmerf]

The night after we starte The Dead Can Dance.  We picked it back up.  About an hour and a half into the session we realized that we didn't really need to use the Universalis system.  It wasn't messing us up or distracting us from the narration, it was simply taking extra time (not much mind you, but enough) that we didn't want to spend.  The notes were kept concurrently with play.  I probably won't do that next time since it seemed to slow us down (way more than the system did).  I'll note when we drop system altogether and go free form.  The same two players participated in this session as the last.



2003 October 16 – Universalis Notes

Tenets:
•   Tonight is a continuation of last night; all previous tenets, components, and events exist as Fact.  Coins are set to their starting values.  Scene numbering will pick up where the previous session left off. (Thomas)

Existing Stuff:

Tenets:
•   This story must be unanimously approved for Trithofar canonization (Jared)
•   A Player Character can only be modified with the owner's permission (Thomas)
•   The DM [Jared] gets double starting coins and double refresh and frames every major scene (Thomas)


Ghoul (Master Component)
•   Undead
•   Souled
•   Regeneration (Undead)
•   Tough to kill (Undead)
•   Strong (Undead)
•   Slowly decaying body (Undead)
•   Dependent on Necromancy for survival (Undead)
•   Fearless (No Adrenaline)
•   No physically influenced emotions
•   No fatigue
•   Need no sleep

Somdeyer (Master Component)
•   Also known as "Soullie"
•   Magical Construct
•   Golem
•   Strong
•   Fast
•   Hard to damage
•   Repairable
•   Souled
•   Feared
•   Twisted
•   Loyal to Xenoreth
•   Terrifying
•   Combat effective
•   Master of some weapon
•   Commanding presence
•   Authoritative
•   Egomaniacal
•   Almost no tactile sense
•   Omni directional sight and hearing
•   Hyper awareness


Terpsichore*
•   Player Character (Thomas)
•   Petite
•   Beautiful
•   Cold
•   High maintenance
•   Dang good with a sword (x2)
•   Dual wielding (x2)
•   The Dance (x2)
•   Fast
•   Agile
•   Matching masterwork swords (x2)
•   Empathic
•   Bodyguard
•   Agent of Xenoreth
•   Black hair
•   Black eyes
•   Pale skin
•   Arrogant
•   Assassin
•   Distant
•   Graceful
•   Unforgiving
•   Ghoul (Sub Component)
•   Slave of Xenoreth
•   Respects Xenoreth
•   Acrobatic
•   Canteen of Cursed Blood
•   Small religious book
•   Stealthy
•   Combat sign language

Soullie #24
•   Somdeyer (Subcomponent)
•   Battle axe
•   Shield
•   Large skinning knife
•   Quiet

Scene 3 – Begin
JARED [Framing scene]: Hungeil 20, late afternoon, on the decrepit Imperial Highway.  Terpsichore senses fear from east, but the source is obscured by the thickening foliage.  She stops he horse to get a better sense of what it is.  The Somdeyer asks. "You're orders?"

THOMAS [Passed to]: Terpsichore turns to the soullie and says, "Come."  She then rolls off her horse incredibly quickly and sprints toward the source of the fear.  As she moves she smoothly draws both her blades.

JARED [Passed to]: The soullie follows Terpsichore through the brush.  They shortly reach an (old houses)* with (stone walls)*.  It has the appearance of an old manor house.  The single sense of fear is now mingled with the senses of nine other sources which add feelings of satisfaction and contentment. (The sound of laughter can be heard coming from inside the building)* as well as a occasional snatches of voices (speaking Dondeyan).

THOMAS [Passed to]: Terpsichore (stealthily)* approaches the house which has shows signs of (recent upkeep)*.  Terpsichore kneels below one of the open windows and holds one of her blades above her head.  She examines the reflection of the room behind her.  She sees five guys sitting around playing cards (Guy 1, Guy 2, Guy 3, Guy 4, Guy 5)*****.  (No one else is in the room)* and the guys seem engrossed in their card game.

JARED [Passed to]: Guy 1 is wearing (armor)* and is called (Gayax)* and seems to be (lucky)* as he is winning frequently.  Guy 2 is (young)* and (quiet)*, he has a (quiver)* on his back and a (bow)* at his chair, he is referred to as (Ramier)*.  Guy 3 is referred to as (Doan)*; a (wood axe)* sits in his lap, he seems to be rather (stupid)* and he is (losing frequently)*.  Guy 4 is (unarmed)* and called (Teos)*, he (keeps scratching his head)*.  Guy 5 is known as (Bartol)* and has a (sword) at his hip and wears (steel gauntlets)*.
   Gayax glances over his shoulder toward the door and wonders aloud when (Folis)* will be done.
   Bartol grumbles, "Shut up and play your dang cards."
   "But he's been in there too long," retorts Gayax.
   "How would you know, do you have a watch you didn't report?" asks Bartol, "You know we share everything."
   Gayax responds, "Well tell that to Folis then."
   Doan stands up from the table in disgust, "Screw this, I'm losing anyway, I'm going outside for a smoke."
   "Maybe that's something you can actually do well," quips Ramier.
   Doan responds with an appropriately obscene profanity.
   Gayax jumps to Doan's defense, "Leave the man alone."
   Ramier hastily backs off, "I'm just teasing man..."
   Doan leaves the room through a back door.

THOMAS [Passed to]: "Wait here," Terpsichore signals to the Soullie with (combat sign language)*, "I need a good workout."  Terpsichore steps back and flips in through the open window with swords in hand.  The remaining men stand up and Gayax smiles and says, "It appears that the fox comes to the bloodhounds kennel."

COMPLICATION: Terpsichore [THOMAS] vs. the Guys [JARED]
Bartol is now (experienced)* (cunning)* (ruthless)*
Gayax carries a (knife)*
The Guys are on their (home turf)*

Terpsichore [18 Coins] – 11 Successes for 38 Coins
The Guys [13 Coins] – 9 Successes for 13 Coins

THOMAS [Complication narration] (I'm too lazy to assign coins to 23 actions, suffice it to say that I spend the coins appropriately): Terpsichore glides smoothly across the floor and steps up the back of a chair launching herself at Ramier burying her blade in his throat.  She leaves the sword in him as she swings around and grabs Gayax's thrusting arm.  Terpsichore then slams her second sword up into the artery in his armpit.  She rips the knife out of Gayax's now weakened grip and whips it across the room into Teos's eye.  Terpsichore rips her blade out of Gayax, throwing her body against the still falling corpse that was Ramier.  She kicks off of Ramier toward Bartol, recovering her first sword in the process.  Despite his experience, Bartol is still drawing breath to cry out as she lops his head from his shoulders.  All four men are dead before the first body hits the floor.

JARED [Complication narration passed to]: Terpsi stops and reassesses the situation.  She notices Soulie 24 has (watched the entire battle)* standing at the window.  Soulie looks at her and says: "Masterfully done," and then (he climbs into the room)*.  
Doan (walks in)*, having forgotten his matches for his matches for his (pipe)*, sees what has happened, looks with awe and terror at the assailant, then (turns around)* and (runs like hell)*, screaming and half-muttering intermittently: "Oh (expletive deleted), oh (expletive deleted)*... (he continues screaming this as he runs).  Both Terpsi and Soulie hear him knock over things and slam through the doorway in unknown rooms as he runs to the back of the house.  

Terpsichore is aware of Doan's (terror)*, another's (fear), and the sensations of three others who are nervous and excited upstairs.  The fear and one of the excitements (comes from sources that are near one another)*.  The other two are drawing closer, but the sources are yet unseen.  



-----------------Free Form play bgins here-------------------------------



Soulie says: "Shall we pursue?" referring to Doan.  

THOMAS: Terpsi says: "There will be time for that later.  There are still others in this place, and I want a chance to observe your technique."  She then gestures in the direction the two individuals are approaching from.  "After you."



JARED: The Soulie heads for the nearest doorway in that direction, not stalking, and not really caring that his feet are making noises on the hardwood floor.  He walks through the door with shield and ax at the ready.  Almost immediately, from behind a nearby armchair, comes a man, yelling as he comes and bearing a large machete.  

There's a slight hesitance as the man realizes what he is up against, but continues with the attack.  The soulie allows the machete to hit, and the machete sticks into his wooden chest.  Both look at the machete, and then the soulie brings the ax upside the hapless man's head, causing a certain cracking, crunching, and mushy sound to occur.  The man, in convulsions, falls to the floor.  The other man, the other potential attacker, decides to flee in another direction, yelling: "There's a soulie, there's a soulie!"  The soulie throws his ax and plants it in the fleeing man's spine.  The man, like copper (as is depicted by the Triangle of Truth), goes down.  

The Soulie takes a moment to remove from himself the machete and he tosses it carelessly onto the floor.  He goes and retrieves his ax.  About this time, Terpsi is aware of motion and changes of emotion upstairs.  The fear has become anticipation and the excitement, dread.  

Terpsichore is not impressed by the Soulie's "style."  
What if?: Terpsichore is obsessive about being artistic with everything, including death, and cannot stand seeing the Soulie be sloppy, so she starts trying to encourage/train him to be more elegant about his killing.  

Terpsichore steps over bodies and goes upstairs towards the sources of emotion.  She stops in front of an old, but sturdy, door and listens.  There is conversation going on within:

Voice #1: "Look, I dunno what's going on downstairs, but I heard 'soulie.'  Be very quiet now.  I'm going to get you out of here.  We may deserve this, but you don't.
   Voice #1 = Male

Voice #2: "Why are you saying this?  Didn't you come up here to rape me?"  
   Voice #2 = Female

Voice #1: "That was my intention.  That was why we brought you here, but I look at you now, and I can't.  I realize that we've done enough already."  
   
Terpsichore indicates to soulie that both need to be taken alive for questioning.  She turns the handle and opens the door.  She walks in with sword sheathed.  Soulie is to wait outside out of view.  

In the room: Laying on the floor is a slightly wounded, nearly naked, tied up young woman (about the age of 17) whose face and intermittent sniffling shows that she has been crying, but she is not unattractive either.  She has coffee-brown hair and her eyes are brown as well (she is of the same racial type as Terpsichore herself).  Beside her, dressed in dilapidated Xenorian armor is a man who holds in his hands a piece of tattered cloth, with which he dries the young woman's tears and wipes her nose.  

At his feet is a belt, complete with satchel, sheath, and sword still in sheath.  The man is still fully dressed and shows no indication that he has assaulted the woman in any way, except that he is large and tough and grizzled looking, having seen much in a weary world.  Still, the woman seems slightly more comfortable around him.  

They both look to Terpsichore in horror and surprise, and their fear levels are slowly rising.  A sense of protectiveness is welling up in the man for this woman.  The woman's emotions are a mix of hope for the possibilities of this new person as well as fear of these same possibilities.  

All this is illuminated with a lantern set off to the side of the old and rotten bed atop of which the woman lies.  

THOMAS:
Terpsichore: "I'm going to need you to answer some questions."  

"What kind of questions?  Who are you?"  The man says.  

Terpsichore: "You must have misheard me.  You are to answer the questions."

The man looks dumbfounded at the woman, then back at Terpsichore, but says nothing.  

Terpsichore points at the man and says: "What are you doing here...besides the obvious."  

"I...uh...that is...we live here."  He says

"Just the two of you?"  Terpsichore says, nodding at the two people.  

"No, uh, me and my gang.  Uh...we took up here awhile back...maybe six years ago."  There is a great deal of fear in his voice.  
 
"Hunting and trapping," he says, and Terpsichore notes that he is holding back.  

"What is the favored game in this area?"  Says T.  He looks to the woman, then to the floor with some oncoming shame, and mutters "the unwary."  He continues staring at the floor.  

Terpsichore asks the woman what she is doing here, to which she replies: "They brought me here.  I was running away...that is...leaving town with some of my family and we were...attacked and I was brought here."  

"We ain't resistance, if that's what you're after."  Volunteers the man.  

"Have you ever killed imperial soldiers?"  Terpsi asks.  

"I haven't." says the man, but Terpsichore again notes that he is holding back, "but my gang did sometimes, when there wasn't anything better for us."  

"You do realize that by killing soldiers, you are part of the resistance, don't you?  The term is rather broadly applied."

"I told you, I haven't killed any of them.  Sure, we attacked them, but mainly to preserve ourselves and our survival.  Nothing more than that."  He issues out.  

"But, you were involved in killing them, were you not?"  says Terpsichore.  

"Well, I was involved with the company that did so, yes,"  he says.  

"I am afraid the penalty for such is death, but leniency may be purchased with information."  

"What type of information?"  he says.  

"Something useful to me?"  

"If I give you this information, will you let us both live and go away?"  says the woman.

"If the information is good enough."  

"Then I will tell you what I can, if it will purchase our lives."  

"Begin."  

"Me and my family were leaving Dubre to escape the purging.  My brothers were both Xenorian guards, but they decided to defect to the resistance.  They s..said that they had found something important, or rather something important was brought to them, that they could not afford to ignore.  Barein had some book that he kept secret from everybody, but I knew he had it.  I found it in his pack, because I noticed him secreting away to read it and I was curious, but I couldn't read it, and I suspect that he couldn't either.  He still looked at it though, as though it were sacred.  When we found out about the magistrate and the trenches and the soulie and everything else, we knew that it was time to leave.  So, my brothers claiming that they were taking some slaves off to gather some materials, left town and headed northward, presumably to connect with some of the resistance."  

She looks at Terpsichore as though waiting to be prompted.

"Where is the information that will purchase your lives?"  

"You mean this isn't enough?  Well, I do have some more to tell I suppose.  When we left town, we took the old, abandoned trail to Dargeil, which is where my brothers thought that they would find the resistance.  Apparently, my brothers knew of some contacts about town, whose business it was to support runaways and refugees.  I think I may have heard the name of one of them spoken between my brothers.  Will this buy our freedom, if I tell you his name?"  

"Everyone in Dubre is already dead."  

The girl begins to weep.  The man looks at the floor.  


----------------------END-------------------


We stopped rather apruptly as i was about to pass out from exhaustion.  It was rather an interesting session.  The spot where the free form shift is noted there was actually a ten minute discussion on whether we should keep using the system or not...

Thomas