[Burning Wheel] Seeking a Shrine

[Kaare Berg]

This post was originally intended to cover my two last games, and the difference between the two. This would however take up too much space and seeing as I am already quite verbose I decided to split them.

So why this post, why not skip to the problem game and leave it at that?

There are several reasons, one being continuity, but also to show how great games with a clear and functional SC and defined CA can turn out.

Our Social Contract is unspoken, and a few days after this game I discussed this with Christer and he pointed out that this SC has developed over time and is tied in with the clearly stated Creative Agenda.
To summarise the two:

Our CA, both explicitly stated and then reinforced by play, states that the player characters are going to be the heroes that will lead the free people against the shadow in the coming war. With emphasis on the heroic and "lead by example."

The relevant part of our SC ensures that the characters work together to achieve their goals, and the players work together to create a dramatic and dynamic story that is fun to all.

After years of hogging character-sheets and WOD secrecy this is quite refreshing and accounts for no small measure of the fun we have had.

So now in practice: The Shrine of Compassion.

For this game Christian couldn't make it, and both Ole Morten and Espen were still absent, meaning that the story would revolve around Liam, Joshua and Gorin. Again I will assume you've read my previous posts, conceited as I am.

Having wintered in the Calen Barad, real life intruded on the group again, when the half-elf Shea returned from Miranna with grave news. Civil war was brewing and the King had taken to the field. As the heroes packed, Allanorn told them the true origin of the human race, and that the Shadows first servants had always been humans and some things do not change.
Biding farewell they left the fortress and headed south. Once they left the forest Tengel and his squire headed west to try and stall the coming civil war, while the other three headed towards Miranna City to seek out the location of the shrine.
Entering the city the three took precautions to draw as little as possible attention to themselves, a task complicated by the presence of both Feltcher the gnome and Gorin the dwarf. After Joshua has a brief sojourn to acquire some "tools" of his trade the little group made their way to the Roadwarden orphanage where they hoped to find help.

This part of the session went smoothly, my players settling into their characters and we had some small scenes that added a great amount of colour to the setting.

Entering the dilapidated orphanage they were greeted kindly by the warden who was glad to help. Before he could however there was a great commotion in the courtyard. Iron Guards, warriors of the church, came to collect books by decree of the Cardinal of Miranna. The warden went to stall while the players snuck into the library. There they found the book they were searching for. Unfortunately they were too slow and the Guards entered the dusty room. Bad luck continued to hound them and they were discovered and trapped in a bedroom. With no possibility to escape Liam hid Feltcher with the precious Stone of Compassion on the roof, leaving the Book with him as well. They then opened the door and surrendered to Custodian Kuintos.

I love to watch my players when their stress level rises. I had feared that they would start a fight against these Iron Guards, but they bit down on their player pride and accepted surrender as an option. Not because the fight would have been brutal (and they most likely would've won it), but because as Christer put it: "it would be wrong to fight those men."

This brings about a significant and interesting point in regards to our playing style. Where we before have very been strictly enforcing Author Stance, and very much separating OOC knowledge and IC knowledge, we have now gradually drifted into a style where the players assume Author Stance, while letting the OOC knowledge drift in to enhance our dramatic experience.

The three were treated like thieves by the church-warriors and were to be taken to the magistrates for imprisonment and punishment. Luckily for them the group stopped by the Miranna Cathedral to deliver the books first and the Cardinal himself intervened. The heroes of Minoc could not be thieves, and he had a great scheme where he could need their help. So they became his guests.

Groans around the table since the rule of hospitality is as binding as cell-walls.

That first night Joshua snuck out to check on poor Feltcher and to move the book to safety. The warden agreed to study the book to aid the three. Meanwhile Gorin helped the monks in the cathedral to research the many tomes collected by the Iron Guard. That first day he found the location of Shrine. At dinner the elated cardinal told his grand plan.
Shocked they learned that the cardinal wanted to bring the Shrine of Compassion, stone by stone, to the heart of the city, to make it available to all, not just a few devoted pilgrims. All arguments fell on deaf ears and fearing spies (for Joshua had spotted an odd monk in the herb-garden outside their room) the three planned. Joshua snuck back to the orphanage to hear what the warden had learned.

It was remarkable how smooth the above went. There were none of the dreaded two-hour planning sessions just to tie up a pair off bootlaces.

Joshua was nearly caught upon his return, which would have been a grave breach of the Rules of Hospitality and earned them the hostility of the Cardinal. Instead they got to bid their leave wanting to explore the Shrine. The Cardinal was supportive and sent twenty of his men as a bodyguard, despite the three's assurances that it was unnecessary. Saddling up next to Custodian Kuintos of the Iron Guard and the Cardinal Guards they rode northwest towards the village of Cliffside.
The journey was speedy, and it was as the evening sun set that they spied the village and the cliff that had given it its name. After a brief stop at the local manor, they headed out into the night to investigate the old Roadwarden Keep.
Undaunted by tales of ghost and trees that have a will of their own, the heroes and their entourage rode forth in the night. Joshua was curious that odd monk from the herb garden was among their "guards" and rode back to confront him. The monk looked at Feltcher who rode double with the ranger-in-training and thanked Joshua for making his job easier.
Joshua had a few seconds to wonder about this cryptic statement before the monk pushed him out of his saddle.

Here chaos broke out. I'll keep it brief.

Joshua fell hard, while the assassin/monk grabbed his horse and tried to escape. Without hesitation Liam let loose an arrow, knocking the assassin from his horse. Gorin spurred his horse into the woods to rescue little Feltcher who clung to the startled horse (named Aelfric). Joshua then jumped the assassin and buried his dagger in the agent of the shadow.
Crying betrayal the leader of the Cardinal Guard tried to strike down Liam only to be blocked by Kuintos, who had seen what transpired. Learning that the Cardinal had ordered the deaths of the heroes should they oppose him, Liam was trapped..
Kuintos could not be party to this and the few Iron Guards drew their swords to let the heroes escape. Since Gorin was gone Liam rode away with the words "remember what you have learned Joshua", leaving the former thief to slink into the woods.

In the midst of all this drama there were some great moments, notably where the dwarf, madly clinging to his horse tried to catch up with a panicked Aelfric the horse (for those that have read my earlier posts, yes Peri has named it after the assassin that cut of Joshuas ear).
And not to mention Liam sneaking back, only to be found and cut down, while Joshua was the stealth master.

In the aftermath of the battle, Kuintos and his men were dead, and so was a good numer of the Cardinal Guard. The few still alive wisely chose to run rather than to hunt down the silent archer in the dark forest. Gorin found the wounded ranger and spent the better part of the night patching him back together.
On his wild ride Gorin had found the stone boat that would take them to the shrine, and leaving the horses the four crossed the still lake. They climbed the Broken Stair, convinced the Shrine Guardian to let them pass and restored the Shrine of Compassion. Tired and magically healed they watched the sunrise.

End game

End bragging.

Analyse and conclude.

Like stated in the intro this session worked because of the SC and CA creating a synergy that let my players just ride along and enjoy the fun. Even Christer's disastrous stealth rolls didn't diminish the enjoyment.
It was also funny to note that while in Actor Stance the players would use OOC knowledge, not to break the game but to increase the dramatic potential of the scenes by increasing the risks to their characters. (I am aware that I might be butchering GNS terminology here)

Next post will come after my vacation and will be aptly named Breaking the Fellowship, and will address the dangers of having an unspoken social contract.