Norm saw himself again as if he were looking through the eyes of somebody else. He was on his hands and knees crawling through the ash. The eye he saw himself through blinked and the view changed now to a view of a different house, in a different time, but the ash and smoke were the same.
"Oh no, it’s happening again," Norm thought to himself, even as he studied the scene intensely.
The structure wasn’t a tenement building like Casey’s rundown apartment, but rather something older and...wilder. The elongated cylindrical structure of the building was visible even with most of it burned down. Norm did his best to move the view of the scene, but could only capture that it was snowing. By the dim light of flames not put out within, the silhouette of a person emerged, muscular and angular, carrying something in their arms across their chest. When they stepped into the coverage of a source of light not seen by Norm, he could see that it was some sort of lizard person, brown scales with green and red markings underneath a set of thick fur clothes, carrying the corpse of a smaller lizard person.
The figure walked toward Norm’s frame of reference and kept coming until it had passed. The last feature that Norm could make out was tears welled up in the edge of the lizard person’s eyes, tears that seemed to boil over a fiery rage. Norm notated all of this before he snapped back to his present self, on his knees in a pile of ash and now being carried out by two aquamagi.
Norm did not resist, even as they unceremoniously threw him down in front of the crowd, where Lucy came and picked him up to his feet, shielding him from the onlooking crowd that Norm could hear whispering.
“Casey’s not in there,” Norm said in a low voice, “And it happened again.”
Lucy looked at him, “Another book coming, huh?”
Norm grinned sheepishly, “Until I figure out what it all means, yeah. But I’ve got something else to do. I’ve got to find Casey.”
Hours later, Norm sat hunched over the bar, not too far from the scene of the crime. The tavern had seen an uptick in visitors, each one either curious about the barfight or the mysterious disappearance of Casey. Either way, Lucy fought Norm’s battles, keeping them away from him while he plied himself with enough alcohol to intoxicate a horse.
Earlier, he and Lucy had discussed what Norm’s course of action would be. They agreed that in a town like Rockhome enough people would eventually talk and they would find out. Besides that, it may just be that Casey would show up and tell the two of them about the latest trouble that he had gotten himself into, and a plan that would involve Norm bailing him out, as usual.
And so Norm allowed Casey’s disappearance to play second fiddle in his mind as he attempted to drown out his own thought in an effort to make the visions come again. It was how he had done it before, a few times when he was writing The Mage and pitching the idea to Stanley Meringue, owner of the Fools Falls publishing company. Norm was overdue for his next work, and he knew it. He pounded down another glass of ale hoping to obliterate his sense of self.
RECALL When you reconnect with the memories of your past lives, roll +wits. On a strong hit, add the value of your action die to your Recall track (max 6). You may then Secure an Advantage, Strike, or Face Danger +Recall to channel the knowledge of past lives. If you do, suffer -1 Recall and take +1 momentum on a hit. On a weak hit, as above, but capturing these energies is harrowing; Endure Stress (2 stress).
1d6+2=7 versus 8 / 4, Weak Hit. Endure 2 Stress 5 Recall Track
ENDURE STRESS
1d6+spirit(3) = 5 versus 1 / 6 Weak Hit, Press On
Norm sought the oblivion, and it wrapped around him like a blanket. All of a sudden, he was the lizard person using a clawed hand to pile rocks atop a hilltop overlooking a frigid bay. After placing the last rock atop the tiny pile, he turned around and saw a dozen or so other lizard people, all wearing similar thick furs and with the same scale color patterns. Some held spears, while others held each other. One stepped forward, arms extended as if to offer a hug. This person spoke as they hugged Norm, or the person Norm was viewing the scene through, rather.
“Drezz, the time for mourning has passed. Now is the time to hunt.”
The lizard person backed off of the hug and pressed a dagger made of a strange black metal into Norm’s soft, clawed hand. Norm nodded.
His vision blurred and the wind sweeping across the cliff shifted, changing from a high-pitched shriek into a dull roar. Norm found himself back in the Smiling Orc, head down on the bar.
"Was the vision trying to tell me something? What am I supposed to hunt?"
The clock on the wall marked it after midnight. Norm sat up and looked around. The tavern was full of patrons, and Lucy moved about, clearing tables and refilling drinks for some of the regulars. A few cast their glances and Norm, and he sneered at an older man that he made eye contact with.
Norm dropped off the stool and staggered towards the stairs. He had enough of being seen today; enough for the whole week, really. He gripped the banister firmly and pulled himself up the stairs towards the second floor, swaying back and forth as the steps creaked under his feet. When he made it to his room, he threw himself onto the bed, hoping for a small death once more.
Norm felt the biting chill and heard the cry of sweeping wind. He opened his eyes and found himself looking up a blank hill, covered in snow. Atop the hill, from a source out of view, a plume of smoke rose. Norm squinted and could make out the form of a palisade. Looking behind him, Norm saw a trio of other lizard people clutching bows and with small axes hanging in loops on their hips.
Norm felt himself nod and found himself creeping low up the hill, dawn breaking off in the distance. When they reached the palisade, he crouched low and held his hands out as one of his battlemates stepped in, with Norm lifting them up atop the palisade, repeating the process for the rest before extending his arm up and being lifted by one of his comrades to the wall, breaching the camp of the rival clan.
BATTLE: When you fight a battle, and it happens in a blur, envision your
objective and roll. If you primarily…
• Fight at range, or using your speed and the terrain to your advantage: Roll +edge.
• Fight depending on your courage, allies, or companions: Roll +heart.
• Fight in close to overpower your opponents: Roll +iron.
• Fight using trickery to befuddle your opponents: Roll +shadow.
• Fight using careful tactics to outsmart your opponents: Roll +wits.
On a strong hit, you achieve your objective unconditionally. Take +2 momentum.
On a weak hit, you achieve your objective, but not without cost. Pay the Price.
On a miss, you are defeated and the objective is lost to you. Pay the Price.
1d6 + heart (2 for this character) = 7 versus 5 / 9 Weak Hit.
Pay the Price - 1d100 = 73, It is Harmful
The battle, if it could even be called that, was a blur. Norm watched in horror as the team of lizard barbarians crept into tents and slit the throats of guards, barricaded the doors of standing log structures and lit them with a torch. Norm heard the screams from inside in a language that he didn’t understand. The four of them did not stop, did not hesitate even in the slightest as they worked towards total eradication of this village.
The four of them found themselves reunited at the village’s gate. The tallest of Norm’s companions spoke, “It is finished, Drezz. Let us leave.”
Norm surveyed the village as it smoldered. He and his compatriots turned to leave, walking out of the gate. Norm could see the coastline now and in the distance a small boat that he assumed this clan had traveled in. The shore bore a crescent moon shape, with the waves beating lazily amidst blocks of ice.
Norm looked to the sky as the smoke settled in with the clouds above, rapidly rolling into the area. Norm felt the air leave him and was paralyzed as a brilliant light filled the sky. A bolt of lightning moved, almost in slow motion, striking him and throwing him down the hill. Then there was only darkness, the black of the void.
Norm awoke with a startle and found himself on the floor. He had fallen out of the bed.
Norm rolled around on the ground before building the momentum to pick himself up. His head was pounding, and his body ached from poor maintenance and years of abuse. He plopped down in the chain and scooted to his desk before lighting a candle and dipping a quill into an inkpot, and began to write down what he remembered from the visions.
“I can keep Meringue off of my back.”
When he had penned everything that he could, he pushed away from the desk, his chair making a loud scraping noise. Norm pushed it back in, the echo scraping again.
“Could you fucking keep it down?” the voice of a stranger came faintly from the next room over
Almost as if in reply, Norm banged open the door of his closet and took a change of clothes, grimacing at the smell of his current outfit as he pulled it over his head before throwing it on the floor. Norm banged the door shut. As he was putting his clothes on, someone opened the door to his room, the stranger who had cried through the wall.
Norm gave a stare at him, taking a step forward, “Fuck off and go back to sleep if you know what’s good for you”
COMPEL
1d6 +iron (3) = 9 versus 1 / 3, Strong Hit. +1 Momentum
The man, who had poked his head in the door and was attempting to see in the dimly lit room, nearly immediately pulled his head back out, and could be heard apologizing as he shut the door.
Norm grunted and stepped out, watching the man retreat back into his room. Norm laughed at the stupid little hat the man was wearing. “Coward,” he thought to himself.
Norm made his way downstairs and helped himself to a drink at the bar, “Hair of the dog”
He was waiting for Lucy to wake up, bright and early like she always did. After a few minutes, she emerged, somehow managing to look as if she had gotten a good night’s rest. Her green skin glowed as the rising sun made its way through the tavern’s skylight.
“Morning sunshine,” Norm said, “I decided to join you this morning,” he said, helping Lucy flip the chairs down off of the table and onto the floor.
While Lucy gingerly lifted and quietly placed them down, Norm slammed the chairs and slid them across the floor. Lucy shuddered at the noise before addressing him, “Listen, Norm, I heard what happened a little while ago. Do you think you could not be rude to paying customers?”
Norm put both of his hands to his chest in astonishment, “Hey, I pay! Sometimes! Besides, gold only goes so far,”
Lucy was grinning, her protruding canines catching the edges of her lips, “Yeah, yeah, but look, it wouldn’t kill you to be nice every now and again, that’s all I’m saying.”
When the two had flipped the tavern, Norm sat at the bar and finished his drink. Lucy looked out over the establishment. Norm spoke, “Well, don’t worry, I won’t harass any of your ‘paying customers’ today,” Norm said, putting his hands up to emphasize the words, “I’m going out and about to try and find out what I can about Casey. Might get into some trouble.“
Lucy and Norm looked at each other across the bar, holding their gaze for a while. Outside the tavern, carts could be heard making their way down the cobbled street, the sound of deliveries being made. The two’s staring contest continued. The door to the tavern swung open, and Norm lost.
As a stout dwarf rolled a keg of ale into the tavern, Norm made his way past them.
“Be careful,” Lucy said to him. Norm made his way out onto the streets, smiling despite how awful he and his body felt. Norm figured that the first place to start was Casey’s bookies.
GATHER INFORMATION: 1d6 +wits (2) = 4 versus 5 / 8, Miss!
On a miss, your investigation unearths a dire threat or reveals an unwelcome truth that undermines your quest. Pay the Price
1d100 = 85 - A surprising development complicates your quest.
ACTION AND THEME ORACLE = INITIATE / RENOWN
Norm made his way down the wounding streets, passing a small number of early risers headed to work. After a few blocks, he found himself at an intersection that he did not recognize, unsure of which way to go towards Vlad’s store. As Norm turned about the intersection struggling to recall, he spotted a person that jumped behind the supporting column of a building’s balcony before peeking their head out, looking in his direction.
“Ahh, fuck. Not her again. Got to lose her.”
Norm pretended to not notice, picking a direction and walking hastily while looking for a way to lose the stalker.
ASK THE ORACLE: Can Norm evade his stalker?
50/50: No
Norm ducked through several alleyways and chose various streets at random before finding a small bench at one of the city’s many tiny parks. As he sat down and breathed a sigh of relief, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.
“Mr. Riggs, why did you run away from me?” a female’s voice came over his shoulder, causing him to jump up from the bench and face his stalker, startled.
“I just wanted to ask you about The Mutineer,” she asked, voice clearly attempting to be sultry, “Why does it end with a cliffhanger? Couldn’t you just tell me how it ends? It could be our little secret.”
Norm looked about, realizing with horror that they were the only two in the park at this hour. He did his best to put on a stern face, “How many times have I asked you to fuckin’ leave me alone? The ambiguity is part of the experience, okay. You can decide how it ends. Now,” he took a step towards her, the bench separating them,” Leave. Me. Alone.”
Compel +iron(3) = 7 versus 9 / 4, Weak Hit. +1 Momentum. They’ll do what you want, but ask something of you in exchange.
“I will, I swear, but can I have your autograph first?” she pleaded, producing a roll of parchment paper and a pen.
Norm took it and hastily scrawled a barely legible signature, “Now beat it, Lauremily. I’ve got shit to do.”
The girl beamed as she skipped away, tucking the parchment into her satchel, “I’m just glad you know my name.”
Norm sat on the bench as she walked away and thought for a moment about where he was. He thought about the task at hand and how best to find Casey.
GATHER INFORMATION
1d6+wits(2) = 4 versus 9 / 2 BURNING 10 MOMENTUM, Strong Hit
When you have positive momentum, after you roll your move, you may cancel any challenge dice that are less than your current momentum value. This gives you an automatic hit.
If both challenge dice are less than your momentum value, you may cancel them both for a strong hit.
On a strong hit, you discover something helpful and specific. The path you must follow or action you must take to make progress is made clear. Envision what you learn (Ask the Oracle if unsure), and take +2 momentum.
The park in this city quadrant, one of several sprinkled all throughout, had a tall hill somewhere near the center.
“What the hell, may as well,” he thought to himself as he climbed.
Norm huffed and puffed his way up the gravel path, nearly out of breath as he reached the top. As he crested the hill, he found himself face to face with an unexpected person, Vlad, one of Casey’s bookies. At his feet was a pair of twin children, both laughing and extending their arms up towards him, “Me next daddy, me next!”
Vlad lifted his daughter up and threw her into the air. Norm slowed his pace but made eye contact with Vlad, who very nearly dropped his daughter due to the distraction. Vlad crouched down to eye level with his children and spoke softly to them, saying something that Norm couldn’t hear but caused them to run off.
Norm approached him, flexing his knuckles in front of his chest. Vlad did not shirk away, only saying in a thick accent, “Please not in front of my children. I know why you are here. It is about your friend Casey, yes?”
Norm was within arm’s reach of the man, but he relaxed his posture as he saw Vlad’s children attempting to climb one of the trees. Norm smiled and waved at them.
“Yes, and you’re going to tell me where he is,” Norm said, “Or I’m going to break off one of those branches and shove it up your ass right here in front of your children.”
COMPEL 1d6+iron(3) = 7 versus 5 / 6, Strong Hit. +1 Momentum. If you use this exchange to Gather Information, make that move now and add +1.
IGNORING THIS BECAUSE I ALREADY ROLLED GATHER INFORMATION
“Alright, alright,” pleaded Vlad, trying to keep his fear in check in front of his children, “You know how much money he owes me, yes? Well, what you might not know is that I, too, owe money to people.”
Vlad put his hands in his coat pockets, “I sold your friend’s debt to Asnorian merchants. They are...how do you say this...in the business of creating work for people who owe them. They take him into what I believe they call ‘indentured servitude,’ far away.”
Norm’s face burned as his voice raised, “Where the fuck did they take him?”
Vlad’s children stopped climbing and looked down at the two, clearly concerned. Norm placed his hand on Vlad’s shoulder and smiled at them before attempting to offer a friendly wave. He tensed his hand, putting pressure on Vlad, “You’re going to tell me right now or I’m going to pull your spine out of your asshole and throw your limp body down this hill, right in front of them.”
“Please,” Vlad begged, “I don’t know. I swear I don’t know. You have to believe me.”
“I don’t have to do shit,” Norm said, releasing his grip on Vlad’s shoulder, “So you think this is all over now, huh? Casey’s debt is gone, and so is he, it’s smooth sailing for old Vlad, that easy? You got a big storm coming, Vlad. I’m going to ruin your fucking life. I’m going to make you pay. You hear what happened to your cousin Niko? That’s going to look like child’s play by the time I’m done with you. You’re lucky that your children are here. I wouldn’t want them to grow up as fucked up as you are. I’m going to find Casey and bring him home.”
SWEAR AN IRON VOW
When you swear upon iron to complete a quest, write your vow and give the quest a rank. Then, roll +heart. If you make this vow to a person or community with whom you share a bond, add +1.
1d6+heart(1)+1 = 8 versus 2 / 3, Strong Hit.
On a strong hit, you are emboldened and it is clear what you must do next (Ask the Oracle if unsure). Take +2 momentum.
Formidable Quest - Bring Casey Home
“And you’re going to pay my bills to make it happen. I don’t give a damn about the Denim Road gang and their protection racket. They can’t save you from me.”
Vlad slowly nodded, “Okay, okay, fine. I am going to leave now. You know where to find me.”
Norm retrieved a small notebook from his shirt pocket, “Wait, no, what is your shop’s address?”
“652 Winfrederick Way,” Vlad said as he lifted his children down, holding his son on his shoulders as he walked away, “Tell the nice man goodbye.”
The children did not tell Norm goodbye, looking glum as their father led them down the path and towards the pond on the opposite side of the hill. As they tread the path, Norm did a double-take. The pond at the bottom of the hill was a crescent moon shape, the same as the bay that Norm had seen in the dream of Drezz and her eradication of the rival clan’s village. Norm rubbed his eyes and blinked, but the pond was the same shape.
“Did I dream that bay because of this park? Was this just a coincidence? Does this mean something? Am I doomed to repeat the events of my past lives because they’re trying to tell me something? What would have happened if I had beat Vlad here on the hill? It would have been just like Drezz wiping out that village.”
Norm began to walk back towards The Smiling Orc, realizing that he desperately needed a drink.
REACH A MILESTONE When you make significant progress in your quest by overcoming a critical obstacle, completing a perilous journey, solving a complex mystery, defeating a powerful threat, gaining vital support, or acquiring a crucial item, you may mark progress.
