Befallen: The Ballad of Luigi Solare part 3
Towering over the rest of Aman-det, the Temple of Resurrection was a landmark built into the western wall of the step well. Luigi crossed a series of courtyards and galleries to find Narra convening with other well-dressed undead.
Her expression withered when he mentioned the Verdant Growth.
“I will tell the council,” Narra said. “This is more serious than we imagined. We must find the source.”
“Aren’t you a Speaker?”
“I am the Chief Enkindler. I oversee the resurrection of the new undead. Politics is part of my life, but I’m not on the council.”
Luigi scratched his chin. “I will speak with the families of the victims, see if I can find anything. Could you tell me about them?”
Narra gave him the information.
“Take care, Narra. Please make sure the council understands the gravity of this.”
——
The families are scared, in grief, and not looking forward to talking about the disease, much less to an outsider.
I’m going to persuade them to talk, explaining that my goal is to help find the cause and possibly a cure.
Challenge, d10 + 1 = 11
I use 1 stamina (3/5)
Roll Persuasion, 3d10 = 1, 1, 5
Failure and big complication
The couple reluctantly invited Luigi into their home. Red-eyed and disheveled, they weren’t looking forward to that conversation, but Luigi insisted, convincing them he was trying to help.
He sat down and asked about their son’s day-to-day life. As they talked, Luigi noticed movement behind them. The room brightened, and a cold aura caressed his ankles, but the couple didn’t seem bothered.
A laugh rang across the room, sharp and maniacal. Palechord Dorian materialized and circled them, presenting one of his unfinished songs. The note carried violence and madness, and its energy would weigh on the couple even if they didn’t realize why.
Luigi calmly picked up his lute and played an E major to counter Dorian’s cursed song. The man stopped talking, and the woman’s mouth dropped.
Dorian laughed out loud, then started crying and screaming. He fired his phantom notes too fast, so Luigi stood and strummed with urgency, keeping up with the haunting spirit. The man shouted something that Luigi ignored, focusing on Dorian and his cursed music.
Luigi grunted and locked his teeth together as his tendons complained at his intense fingerstyle. He crossed the room to avoid Dorian and knocked over a chair, then a table with water and a half-burned unlit candle.
Dorian’s notes made the couple angrier and impatient—Luigi was sure he wasn’t helping, but it was mainly Dorian—and it also affected Luigi himself, making him anxious, depressed, and tired.
He strummed hard, amplifying his music, doing his best to nullify Dorian’s influence. The man shouted for him to stop and go away, oblivious to what really happened.
He paced the room while playing, getting to the door. Dorian unleashed a potent final note, unsettling and alien, that cramped Luigi’s hand and jumbled his strings. The note carried such fury that Luigi slammed through the door, splinters exploding around him. He dropped the lute and skidded across the ground.
Luigi stood up, coughing and dusting himself. His face throbbed and bled where it scraped on the dirt.
Frightened neighbors stared at him from windows and gaps in the doors, quickly shutting themselves in as he turned around.
Dorian was gone.
And no one would talk to him anymore.
-1 Fortitude (6/7)
Complication: can’t talk to the families anymore.Must look for alternatives.
Luigi trudged toward the Smoke Market, shoulders heavy with dejection. The moon provided some comfort. It hung brilliant and silver, mesmerizing against the evening sky.
Mostly ale houses were still open. Luigi considered going to the Honeyed Wind, but decided not to bother Ma’ri again.
Something caught his eye in the center of the market. A solitary undead performed complex movements with a sword in each hand, an entrancing dance, both agile and deadly. Luigi approached, the swishing and hissing of the blades becoming louder.
The double scimitars traced wide arcs in the air, bathed by moonlight, dreadlocks following each swing. Luigi sat on the ground and admired the performance. He plucked a few quiet notes on the lute to accompany the fighter’s movements, punctuating their rhythm.
A small crowd gathered, watching every lunge and stab with smiles. The presentation concluded with applause.
The undead walked toward Luigi. “Evening, bard. I’m Yan Wields Blades of Moonlight,” she said. “I’ve been doing this for a while, but it’s the first time that so many people have stopped by. Are you familiar with Karn?”
The city of Karn had a culture of worshiping the moon and dueling under it—specifically the full moon—so Luigi squinted his eyes and leaned back. “I’ve heard of it. In passing. Distantly.”
“I’m trying to establish its dueling custom here in Aman-det. Make it even bigger than Karn’s. What do you say?”
“I say why, followed by how.”
“Can you wield a sword and make it look beautiful?”
“Depends on how much sword makeup I have available.”
Yan stared at him blankly.
“I think I can, Yan.”
“We fight an exhibition duel. We make it interesting.”
“Interesting as in painful and bloody?”
“A few nicks won’t hurt.”
“A few nicks will literally hurt.”
“I’ll make it worth your while. I just need some assistance.”
Luigi considered it. “Fine. Let’s nick each other, then.”
Yan raised a hand. “Not yet. We need spectators. People are leaving already.”
“Give me a moment.”
□ Quest started: Fight an exhibition match with Yan in hopes of drawing people into the dueling custom of Karn.
I’ll sing a song about the duel and play around the market, luring people to watch it.
Challenge d10 + 1 = 3
Roll Deft, 2d10 = 9, 1
Success with a complication
Luigi managed to attract quite a large crowd, but also a few guards who forbade the duel.
I’ll convince them to allow it, as it’s only a demonstration.
Challenge, d10 + 1 = 4
Roll Persuasion, 2d10 = 9, 5
Success
“Don’t worry, fine gentlemen,” Luigi told the guards, “no bards will be harmed in the making of this.”
He hoped it was true. It had been a long time since he had last wielded a sword, and never a scimitar. But, like musical theory, the drills of the Conservatory lingered in his bones in spite of him.
Yan handed him a blade, and the duel began.
COMBAT STARTSYan Wields Blades of Moonlight
Fortitude: 7
Challenge: d10
Roll Strike, 2d10
6 | 10, 5 = 2 damage dealt, +1 Fate (4)
5 | 7, 2 = 1 damage dealt
8 | 7, 8 = 1 damage dealt
7 | 1, 1 = 1 damage taken (5/7), big complication
Luigi started well enough, the old training coming back to him seamlessly. The sword felt light in his grip as he met Yan’s attacks with grace and got a few cuts in. She seemed surprised at his ability, and he smirked. No one expected a Virtuoso to fence well. But a gentle melody could hide a war hymn.
As his confidence grew, so did his carelessness. Luigi slipped during a lunge, and Yan’s sword met his chin, harder than she intended. The wound wasn’t deep, but it spurted a shower of blood that drenched his clothes and made the crowd gasp. The guards stepped forward, but Luigi laughed it off, teeth bloodied, ignoring the burning pain.
“Splendid skill, my friend. But I’ll save my shaving for the morning, if you don’t mind.”
He won some laughter, and the duel continued.
Complication: -1 Fortitude (4/7), -1d10 next roll
11 | 10 = 1 damage dealt, + 1 Fate (5)
Ok, that was an incredible roll. It made up for the previous mess.
I’ll roll Deft to gain 2 defense dice
5 | 10, 7 = +2 defense dice, +1 Fate (6)
Defense dice are d6s. Rolling 4-6 reduces damage by 1.
Rolling Strike again
11 | 5, 3, 3 (used 1 stamina [2/5])
Roll 1 defense die, d6 = 4, no damage taken
9 | 10, 5 = 1 damage dealt, +1 Fate (7)
COMBAT OVER
They jumped away from each other. Following Yan’s cue, they touched the sword hand on their chest and bowed, signaling the end of the duel. The crowd applauded and whistled, to Yan’s delight.
“This is an immense step toward my goal, bard. I appreciate you.”
🗹 Quest completed: Fight an exhibition match with Yan in hopes of drawing people into the dueling custom of Karn.
+1 skill point (2)
+1d6 resources = 2 (8)
+Reputation with Yan
Positive reputation gives me another d10 in rolls interacting with Yan.
Luigi looked hurt. “My chin won’t heal so easily, you know. A compensation for the effort sounds fair to me.”
Use Persuasion to bargain for more
Yan challenge, d10 +1 = 10
I use 1 stamina (1/5)
Roll Persuasion, 3d10 = 6, 3, 3
Fail
Again, I didn’t include the extra Reputation dice as it was still part of the quest.
Yan crossed her arms. “You have cut me more than I cut you, so maybe I should be compensated.”
“Well played, we are all satisfied with the amount of cuts we received, and neither requires more payment.”
“So be it.” They shook hands. “Now I need to think of ways to gain renown and popularize the duel.”
“Well, listen…”
I’ll convince her to join me against the Verdant Growth.
Yan challenge, d10 + 1 = 4
Roll Persuasion = 1, 3 , 2
Ugh. I’ll use one Fate point (6) to reroll one die = 8
Success with a complication.
“…there’s a plague going around town affecting the undead, spread by a corrupting power known as Verdant Growth. This is a very dangerous situation, and many lives are at risk. I don’t know what awaits at the end of this. We’re investigating the origins of the infection, and I could use some help, but I want you to think long and hard about…”
Luigi fell silent as Yan’s eyes watered with emotion. “You want me to put my life on the line and take on an unknown power without even knowing if it’s possible to succeed?” Luigi lowered his head and was about to apologize when Yan sniffed. “Thank you for this opportunity, bard. We shall hunt down this corruption together.”
“Oh,” he said, tilting his head. “Are you sure? We could get seriously hurt, or killed, or even worse.”
“Cease your sweet talking. I have already agreed.”
“All right, then. Tomorrow I’ll continue investigating. I’ll get in touch when I find out more about it.”
“No, bard, we stick together. I will not sit and wait as you clash and conquer.”
“There’s not much conquering to be done yet. I need patience and discretion to figure things out right now.”
“I can be inconspicuous.”
Luigi looked at the undead fighter three heads taller than him, wielding two scimitars, with eyes flaring and body trembling in expectation. Once again, the dissonant gods plucked his strings. He sighed in defeat.
“Fine, Yan, we stick together.”
“Glory as one,” she said, her heavy hand clapping his shoulder and making him wince.
Complication: Yan will stay with Luigi at all times. Some actions can’t be done with her, and Luigi has to pay for her living expenses at the end of the day.
End of the day
Interacted with the Verdant Growth, roll for corruption
Challenge d6 + 1 (current corruption level) = 6
I use 1 stamina (0/5)
Roll 2d10 (base + stamina, no skills are used) = 9, 5
Clear! No corruption increase.
-2 resources (6)
+2 Fortitude (6/7)
Full Stamina
I’ll use 1 skill point to acquire the skill Sneak
Still have 1 skill point
Luigi’s skills: Strike, Deft, Persuasion, Occult, Sneak
Notes
I had a really good time playing and writing this chapter.
The complications coupled with skill checks are a really fun way to drive narrative. I can say that this is my favorite system for story-driven games. It can basically work with anything you want to play. I love it.
My (bad) luck in skill checks makes sure that the story moves in a curious direction, at least for me.
Yan will add a dynamic I wasn’t expecting. It’s going to be interesting to roll with her tagging along at all times.
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