"Hurry," Halvard grunts. The two professors race up the pathway from the Gorge of Gourds into the Black Gardens; a network of obsidian-tiled parks and gardens that surrounded Gordell's Academy of Supernatural Science. "If these artifacts are what the Crimson Eye say they are, then the ones who recover them will be acclaimed in every academic journal from here to Trattoria. We might see some competition from the other faculty.."
"..members."
"Ah, finally! Nice of you to join us, Professor Moon - and is that? - Professor Evergreen you have with you? We hope this isn't an inconvenient time."
Professors Brettley and Nedward stand smugly on the opposite end of a trimmed courtyard; a fountain burbles away merrily. Standing nearby is a third gentleman Halvard and Mississippi don't recognize. He grins at them slowly as Nedward continues on impetuously. "This fellow is Mr. Crim, an ambassador from the Crimson Eye - he says he's following up on a letter they sent yesterday. A letter which, as Brettley and I were just discussing, we haven't received."
Brettley pipes up, his bald head gleaming like a spoiled egg. "Unless, of course, one of our own faculty pocketed such a letter and was making plans to depart without consulting Gordell's senior professors."
Halvard adjusts his spectacles, leveling an even gaze at the two wizards. "This is an archaeological mission. As head of the archaeological department at Gordell, I'm the clear candidate for this - and I require Evergreen's knowledge of alien geography. Brettley, you teach, what? Dragon husbandry? And Nedward is an art teacher. Neither of you are.."
"Any representative from Gordell must pass a combat fitness test before a mission." Snaps Nedward, beady eyes glistening behind his greasy spectacles. "We'll apply this test now."
Mr. Crim continues to grin like a shark in bloody waters. The discomfort growing in the garden plaza seems to excite him.
Brettley charges up his three SuperNatural D4s and summons three 4pions!
Meanwhile, Nedward conjures a 6Creant. Spooky.
Turn One:
Overview of the map.
Halvard and Mississippi roll low on the initiative, but are able to access their inventories at any time they're out of combat. Halvard pulls out his sword and shield; Mississippi presents her SuperNatural Grimoire.
On Brettley and Nedward's turn, they both prompt their Diemons to move forward. All three 4Pions succeed on their Burning Rolls, but the ground is obsidian and nothing catches fire.
Mississipi makes a Heroic Action and flips to a page in her spellbook, uttering a low whisper! She conjures a bucket whose bottom is a dimensional wormhole to the floor of an arctic thermokarst lake.
She proceeds to pour it on the 4Pions. They're all extinguished immediately by the icy torrent.
Meanwhile Professor Halvard deals with the 6Creant the old-fashioned way.
Turn Two:
Nedward, furious at the demise of his twisted piece of art, leaps forward and enchants his hand with a SuperNatural D6 of damage! Halvard parries it away effortlessly. It becomes clear that this is more than a 'combat trial'.
Brettley is also playing for keeps! He launches three SuperNatural fireballs at Mississippi using his staff. She expends her own SuperNatural D8 to bolster her armor, creating a protective shield.
It's Mississippi's turn! She attempts to Heroically cast a spell to turn his staff into pine needles. This fails awkwardly. Instead she uses her SuperNatural D8 to give herself an extra action this turn, runs up to Brettley, and beats him in the head with her Grimoire.
Soon to be in the Gordell Academy Newsletter: Local Academic Devotes Life to Scholastic Pursuit, Killed by Textbook.
Halvard dispatches Nedward in a gentlemanly fashion. The greasy art teacher has been stealing the good classrooms for years.
With Nedward and Brettley down, and the smoldering embers of their Diemons drifting into the greenery, the clear winners for the mission are left standing in the black garden. Mr. Crim claps modestly and extends a cold hand. "Glad to see you two are suited for the challenges ahead. Unless you have other belongings to collect, my private ship is ready to take us towards Didaxi Prime. I can explain more about the mission on the way there."
Halvard raises a bushy eyebrow. "A private ship from the Crimson Eye? You're awfully concerned about these artifacts you've lost - what exactly are we chasing here?"
"A lucky charm, Mister Moon - a penny on the scales of fate. A card up our sleeve. A ball on our side of the court." Mr. Crim raises both hands, shrugging with a grin. "In case you haven't heard, Mister Moon - Ragnablok is upon us. And we're going to need all the luck we can get."
Thanks for tuning in to the first segment of this playtest! Already I'm noticing a few things that need to be worked on - the main adjustment this session is that player-characters can only access their inventory when they're not engaged in combat. Stay tuned for the continuation!
