Right now, four people are playtesting polaris and I am live blogging. Players are Dav, Ted, Henri and Heather.

Dev: And so it was that the knight Corvus (Henri) was escorting a soul back to the underworld, and the soul did not cooperate, and this was embarrassing, because his student Columba (Ted) followed him.

Henri: Let's say we're in a cavern of ice that goes deep, deep into the polar ice sheets, and at a river of salt water river with chunks of ice of it.

Dev: The soul stops and complains, and this summons a demonic advocate (?)

They talk. Apparently the soul is "somewhat said." Nietschze is the demonic representative (Heather) He is rather lawyer-like.

I mention challenge mechanics.

They argue for a while. The demon claims that his client has been clearly misserved. If he returns to the land of the living, he will become a wraith.

The soul tries to leave. Conflict time! Henri spends his Office (Psychopomp) to say make Dev offer something else. Dev offers that he destroys the soul. Henri agrees.

Corvus tries reason one last time. Then draws the sword and throws it into the souls back. It evaporates. Is this Experience? Henri says it's like shooting a bomber when you should be negotiating. Yes it experience!

He rolls an advance.

He explains to Columba that this is a failure, and not good, despite the fact that the boy was impressed. Better to kill, he says, than to allow a wraith to escape.

and so it was...

Heather's character is Kin-yu, the goldfish, a socialite and fashionable girl.

And so it was that kin-yu was riding around on a seahorse in the south of the city (some argument about south vs. west. There is no west.) A dark large, knight in spiky armor, a nasty fellow (Ted). "Goldfish, we meet again. You're family is not around to protect you this time." She immediately stands up and grabs her magic sword thing.

"Goldfish, you want to join us, the world is ending, the knights are over, it is time for the rise of the dark knights. Don't you know?"

"Horrible fashion malfunction versus right way of light and justice, huh?"

"You will turn."

They draw. He has a black hole sword, that's totally black. The sword is called Event Horizon (Dev). They stare at each other for a while. There is some doubt about how to use the system. Kinyu charges. Arrakis (Henri) maneuvers around behind him.

X-1 steps aside and hamstrings her legs as she charges. Arrakis gets to cut his head off.

We describe it. There is trouble about who says what here. Ted wants to describe what Arrakis does. Henri wants to describe what X-1.

Arrakis places the wounded Goldfish on a seahorse, and they ride away home.

And so it was.

(I need to remind them about "and so it was.")

And so it was that Delphinus (shared fate) was schooling Suhail (Dev, Heart) and Vela (Henri, Mistaken) in the ways of naming children. "You must pass your final test to be worthy to name the souls of the innocent. But only one of you will pass the test. The test is..." What do you think the test should be, guys? They talk about the test.

Suhail doesn't like it that. Vela scoffs.

Delphinus says two namers can make two names that would split his soul. Vela taunts him. Suhail wants to share and cooperate or alternate days. Delphinus considers this.

Vela says that this is traditional. Delphinus scoffs. They should both be tested for worthiness. What is the test?

We all think of stuff. Heather decides that they must have a race, travelling around having a scavenger hunt, travelling from place to place, to test speed.

Okay, can this just be a scene, or can it be a focus on the scene? Dev wants to extend it throughout scenes.

Suhail convinces Vela to cooperate? Hah! It's a conflict! But only if you do what I say. But only if I'm clearly more competent than you. Suhail gains the the trait "more competent than Vela."

So they head out to the town of southreach to search for the first clue.

And so it was...

Virgo has a lover who is a commoner, and just had a big fight with his family, then had a big fight with his family, and then Delphinus arrives and... Tries to seduce Virgo? Virgo is a guy.

No! You aren't framing the scene right! Use and so it was. No.

Virgo goes to train to try to forget his problems. The training field has horses and things you can hit with sticks, and lots of sweaty men. Delphinus in there, but in his office. Virgo tries to get this out his mind. He comes to speak to Delphinus in his office.

He comes and tells Delphinus about his problems with his lover, Aquaris, and his family. Delphinus closes the door. Virgo has been engaged to one of high rank, and is not willing to do so.

Delphinus tells him that he must conform.

"But surely I can do something."

They talk about obedience, and what one must do. They are very uncomfortable with the seduction. I talk about governance and how you don't have to play the character the way someone else tells you.

Delphinus says he has great potential, but needs to exploited. He doesn't want them minglingwith non-knights at all. He explains about how he wants Vela and Suhail are alone together and how he wants them to hook up, and then looks lovingly at him.

"I hope that I could form such a bond in the future, sir." Virgo is clueless. Delphinus gets flustered, and tells him to look at his own companions.

"Maybe it is time to put selfish things aside." He leaves.

And so it was...

Oh, he totally had Experience for thinking about abandoning his lover, Virgo did. Advance!

We discuss the vast amount of gay going on in this game.

Maybe it's sort of like the ancient greeks?

Wow, this game is gay.

And so it was that the psychopomp was returning to the town of southreach with his young ward. As you both ride into town, Columba sees her close friend Pavo and runs off and hugs her.

Okay, that was a false start.

Corvus sees a gratuituous, vicious death of Pavo. She is broken and stuck with needles. Pavo has a horrible cough. Columba describes the last scene she was sad. They go to get ice cream. Pavo keep coughing. Corvus suggests Pavo should get in when it is warm and eat warm soup. They settle on hot chocolate.

They go out and have hot chocolate. It is delicious hot chocolate. Dev describes it in purple prose. Apparently it is from the moon. Pavo starts talking about the nasty work conditions in the mill outside, how they breathe dust, and cannot take breaks. There is no labor unions after the Labor Protection Enforcement act was passed last year.

Corvus sets out to do something about it.

And so it was.

Scene with the same character.

And so it was that that they came to the ice cutting factory outside of the town. He sees outlines of needles in most of the people around her. He finds the foreman and the foreman butters him up and pours him wine. Don't take the wine! says columba. He sips at the wine and says the conditions are abominable. It is because of the demands of the house of the Knight Kinyu. They are planning a wedding. Corvus points to the air and how terrible it is. The foreman talks him down. He has no authority. He escorts Corvus and leaves. Challenge! Corvus leaves, but only if he gets a name of who is exerting pressure on the factory. But only if you ruin the wedding.

And so it was...

Last time -- she was wounded in the legs. Was that Experience? I say no.

They skip "and so it was."

a few weeks after the black knight died, Kinyu is still resting in bed. Arrakis is totally cuddling with her. They are off away from civilization, together, to heal. They are out in a cabin alone. Does Dev play a doctor? A family member.

Now he gets to "and so it was." Pretty much the same thing. Their mother is with them to be with her daughter, and make sure nothing untoward happens.

The guard dogs start to dark, high pitched and fearful.

"Demon! Demons I tell you. Give me my sword!"

"Now, dear, you're just imagining things. It's just the dog."

Dev is holding his knitting needles backwards.

"Arrakis, bring me my sword."

"Arrakis, you will do no such thing."

Arrakis knits.

Kinyu takes the knitting away and sends Arrakis to get her sword. There is the sound of bones crunching and an arc of blood sprays through the window. "Ice Queen save me." There are very loud footsteps. Wine shakes out of the demands. Servants die messily. A head flies in. The mother is cowering. Arrakis barely can hold her sword.

"Throw her my mother!" Is the Experience? We go over it again. Check! A refresh. Nothing happens.

A deep voice "Arrakis... you're going to die... You will suffer as none as ever suffered." Kinyu cannot stand.

"Oh, but wedding" says the mother.

Two giant arms and a foot smash through the wall. In strides a headless figure, with a black hole sword, and great patch of darkness in the head.

Kinyu can barely move, but flings herself at the black sword, and they explode as matter and anti matter. They are flung against the wall and dazed. Kinyu drags herself off on her knuckles "Arrakis! Run!" Arrakis escapes. Is it a conflict? Yes, if... we discuss various options. Huh. Conflict mechanic is awkward. Okay, if Arrakis has emotional issues.

X-1 has issues. "Arrakis, you will never escape!"

How about the mother has demonic powers? Uh..?

Okay, so the mother pulls out a locket which will return them home, and runs towards her daughter. Black Knight runs through the mother just as they disappear.

And so it was...

We discuss the various ways that the mother dies.

Where did he get another sword? He must have had a backup.

And so it was that the first quest that Suhail and Vela had to perform from their master Delphinus was the travel to the town of Southreach and name the newborn child of a woman named named Ain (Ted, Suhail's ex-girlfriend).

Is the child his? We don't know. Neither do they.

Ain is a commoner. "Typical. It is you who can to name my child."

They argue.

Vela is impoper and short. Suhail is fussy and nervous. The child is in its crib.

The child is named Puppus, the poop deck.

Uh, no.

Ain wants the child to have a new name. Suhail argues. Conflict! The name is final, but only if the Vela bumbles it up in some other way and breaks the child's name. But only if Ain blames it on Suhail. But only if Vela takes a life, in this room. But only if Corvus gets to escort the dead one to the underworld. And the person who was killed was going to the wedding.

They go back to talking. Can Vela do it? Has she finished the circle? She renames it Akila! No, Pictor! Crash! The child's soul is shattered in three parts. It's terrible! Ain is distraught. The lover comes in. "Honey, you need to kill both of these people." The husband and Vela have this giant fight. Suhail tries to split them up, but fails. Vela swings to finish the fight. Ain jumps in the way and meets the sword, killed.

The boyfriend tries kill Vela. Vela kills the boyfriend. Challenge! Suhail says no. Challenge! Dev wins the die roll! Boyfriend doesn't die, but is maimed.

Corvus enteres. "What is going on here?" Vela gets passed off to Ted.

"I didn't mean to kill her, I meant..." The boyfriend goes to kill him again. Suhail gets in the way. Boyfriend cuts off his hand! Challenge! You ask too much. Okay, how about you kill him? Okay, but only if Corvus helps.

Corvus cuts off his arms. The boyfriends starts to whine. "stop your whining!" Suhail cuts off his head.

Vela says "You have fallen!" Suhail smacks him. Suhail and Corvus make plans. Corvus says he will deal with the bodies. Vela: "Our master will hear of this! You are fallen!" Suhail: "the child has three souls, we need to carry it until it can be fixed."

And so it was...

Now they're getting the game. Bloody fucking mess.

"We don't need demons," Henri says. Yup.

So now we have a scene for Virgo again. Recap.

And so it was that you were walking morosely back through town when you saw your girlfriend going into a tavern with a big beefy guy. "Aquarius!" You notice with your demon lore that he was demony.

"Aquarius, I need to talk to you." Guy intervenes. Aquarius cuddles up to him, the demonic guy.

"I must speak to you alone!" Aquarius whispers in the other guys ear. Virgo accuses him of being a demon. The big man beats up Virgo and goes into the bar with Aquarius. No! He must ask a lower price. Beats Virgo into pulp, no girl. Ted is still uncomfortable with this. But only if no one else sees it.

Okay, so the demon grabs him, takes him to a distant mountaintop, beats him to a bloody pulp, and leaves him there. We talk about the mountain. It is the family cabin.

And so it was.

So Corvus has to take the souls back to the cavern.

And so it was that the knight Corvus and the good woman Ain and her betrothed were again at the shores of the river of the dead. Corvus said to them: "And now the time has come to cross the yonder shore. But, before you cross, if you wish, I can perform the ceremony of marriage for you."

Roles are divided up. "Do you Acrux, take this woman... yadda yadda in the lands of the dead until the death of the sun."

"What about it?"

"The death of the sun! It's in the ceremony."

"no!"

"Okay, forever." No, they still get it wrong.

Frustration!

"Do you, Ain..." The exchange rings. You may kiss the bride.

"Wait..." A disembodied voice. The man grabs his wife and kisses her... No! They're frozen. No conflict.

The figure who spoke is dressed in a white suit with black trims. He walks across the river.

"My name is Obedience, and I want to speak very briefly to Acrux. You must know this one thing before you kiss."

"You were killed wrongfully. You can come back as a vengeance thing."

Corvus banishes the demon. Acrux marries her.

And so it was...

Hey, that ritual was done wrong! I point out. We don't know what to do with that.

When we last left Goldfish, she had teleported back to her family estate, with her mother's corpse.

(And so it was? No! Ted always skips it and launches into description.)

No! We are confused about time! Ted, I say, frame the scene right!

And so it was that goldfish was transported back to the palace, and it has been a few days since then. Mother buried, a very tearful funeral. The family is really unhappy with her. She is still wounded, but she can get around on crutches. And, out in the garden, working out her feelings. Her father enters (henri). Your mother's brother is antagonistic (ted). (we did the roles wrong, previously! Suck! Dev should have been Arrakis.)

She talks with her father. Her uncle wishes to speak with her. "how did you mother die?"

She is snippy and sarcastic, rude. He is indignant. Her father lashes out at her. Be respectful!

(Dev says: this is like kung-fu jane austen.)

Her uncle accuses her of having to do something with her death. Kinyu says it is their fault, she couldn't protect her own mother. Her uncle says that it is still her fault, she killed her mother. Kinyu plays the poor defenseless cripple card. She is snarkier.

Her father accuses her of being inhuman, griefless. Kinyu says her mother never cared for her. back and forth. Bitch bitch bitch.

C'mon, guys, is there a challenge here?

Her father disowns her. "Great, I can leave!" Uncle says that she is going with nothing. Kinyu says that they are her belongings. They argue. Guys, it's a conflict!

Only if they give her money. Only if she gains the disowned Office.

And so it was that she set off in search of Arrakis.

Characters sheets will be typed up tomorrow.

yrs--
--Ben

Could you describe a conflict that happened and the dice mechanics that go along with it?

Paka wrote: Could you describe a conflict that happened and the dice mechanics that go along with it?

So it is a bidding system in which the players kind of action of what it is worth for them to succeed?

Example:

I knock the knight from his horse.

If you do, your joust splinters and takes out one of your eyes.

So be it.

I know nothing about the rules, haven't read them yet but I'm picking up hints from your AP threads.

Paka wrote: So it is a bidding system in which the players kind of action of what it is worth for them to succeed?

Sounds interesting.

Could you give me a few more examples?

This isn't from Actual Play. This is just made up, for example purposes.

Heart: I punch him in the jaw, knocking him out cold.
Mistaken: Okay, if a giant demon rises up out of the earth and swallows your entire city whole.
Heart: Heck no. I don't punch him.

Result: Action never was initiated.

Heart: I kiss her, and she melts beneath me. She loves me.
Mistaken: *spends trait* Okay, and you can tell that she is possessed by a demon.
Heart: *spends trait* You ask too much.
Mistaken: Okay, and acidic blood rains from the sky.
Heart: Let's stick with the demon. *spends trait* And, even after the demon leaves, she still loves me.
Mistaken: No!
*roll dice* Heart wins

Result: She is possessed by a demon, but loves the knight underneath. Acidic blood does not rain from the sky.

yrs--
--Ben

So, conflicts are resolved as a kind of back and forth between the players involved in the conflict, negotiating, finding out what it is worth for them to achieve their goals.

When negotiations break down, enter the dice.

Yes?

You've got it. It's like "Double Dog Dare" with some IIEE and resources.

I'm curious -- how do people find the format of a live game report? It was admittedly a bit of an experiment. Is it something worth doing again?

yrs--
--Ben

your first made up example confused me a little bit.

I'd thought from my last reading of Polaris that the scale of a conflict was tied to the number of traits activated. In the first example (the punch in the jaw one) no traits were activated...wouldn't swallowing the city whole be too large stakes?

Valamir wrote:
I'd thought from my last reading of Polaris that the scale of a conflict was tied to the number of traits activated. In the first example (the punch in the jaw one) no traits were activated...wouldn't swallowing the city whole be too large stakes?

Ahh. I look forward to seeing it. Polaris is just shivery cool.

Ben Lehman wrote: (Dev says: this is like kung-fu jane austen.)

As for the format... I think that it's probably better to take the same notes, but to post a version which is cleaned up and annotated (dice mechanics, trait expenditures, etc). We can get some interesting stuff, like pacing and emphasis, out of this format, but nothing you couldn't distill down and make explicit when commenting on the play. Long live the new conflict system!

Note that if you can get me an even halfway parseable text of the new edition by Friday, I have a playtest group for you and we're in our off-week from Dogs.

- Eric