The Gemini Event, Issue One: To Kill a King, Part 1

Issue One: To Kill a King, Part One
Commentary

This is going to be so strange.  Usually, when I’m playing a Solo game and recording it, there’s only one character so I’m writing things down in first person.  But now there’s two equal main characters, so I have to switch.  I don’t know if that will change anything in terms of feeling like writing a story versus playing through one.  I tend to write a fair amount of stuff in first, though, so maybe not.  The really strange bit will be the present tense.  

On another note, one of the things I discovered when playing other games solo was that sometimes I would roll to randomly determine relatively trivial things and sometimes I would just insert either whatever most immediately came to mind or whatever seemed appropriate based on context.  Even when I was trying to lean into RNGing everything.  When you’re recording these things, it does start to seem more like fiction writing and journaling than gameplay.  Rereading entries, for me, sometimes makes me feel like “did this guy even play anything?”  And there’s an interesting discussion to be had there about the nature of play.  It’s probably too much to get into/beyond the scope of this post but I’ll probably bring it up from time to time as I explore solo play and share my thoughts in these here spoilers.

Formatting Note

Fabula Ultima uses Scenes. As you might expect, the GM frames the scene, the characters interact with it (and can leave and enter it), and then the scene ends when the situation is resolved or gameplay moves to a different time or location. There are conflict scenes and interlude scenes, which are exactly what they sound like, and GM scenes (where no PC is present, like a cutscene showing off a villain or something like that). I’m not a script writer (so don’t come for me, I won’t be formatting Scene Headers exactly properly) but I’m going to use a Scene Header like format to denote the beginning and end of a Scene. This would probably be a lot more organic at the table but since I’m recording it and since game mechanics actually use Scenes as structure, I think calling it out will be useful.

Scene

EXT. A BROKEN BUTTE/BADLANDS - DAY


“But I just painted it!” Locke whines and runs his hand along the airship’s gold plated railing. “Look at this beautiful blue.”

“So?” demands Asher, looking unimpressed. “Paint it again later. It’s not like you can’t afford it.”

“Great Sky Above, Ash,” Locke replies, throwing his hands in the air and rolling his eyes back into his head, “you’re joking. Look, it’s not about the money or the supplies. It’s the principle of the thing. This took hours! And you were no help at all.”

Asher shrugs and turns her attention back to the wide blade of her Greataxe. Wordless, she runs the sharpening stone over it in repeating motions. Locke grips the railing in annoyance and gazes out over the edge of the ship. They had lucked upon this particular port of necessity following an altercation with the giant, leathery winged beasties that lived out here. It was little more than a small butte that had been cut down the middle by something very large long ago. The Vestige is docked in the schism, huge pitons hammered into the rock walls and attached to heavy lines of cable holding the ship in place.

They are protected here, for the moment. No behemoth creatures to fend off anywhere in sight and largely shielded from the harsh elements. Locke might have landed the vessel entirely were it not for the massive balloon holding it aloft. “So,” he says, “back to the Gray and White.”

“Unless you’ve got a better idea. I doubt the Admiral is going to give us a lift.” She continues to sharpen her blade.

“Mm, speak of the devil.” Locke points out at an identical airship to the Vestige speeding low and fast across the barren waste of the Badlands. Asher stops sharpening her blade and looks up slowly before standing and moving to the railing to stand beside her new partner in crime.

Locke glances over. “You won’t need that,” he says, gesturing to her axe.

“I will always need this,” she replies.

Together they stand and wait as the dark gray scout ship fast approaches and moves into position above them, near the top of the butte. In short order, lines are thrown down and a soldier in full dress uniform descends. Locke holds in a chuckle, the corner of his mouth turning up in amusement at the display under these circumstances and in this environment. A glance at Asher shows him that she does not seem to find anything funny about it. He sobers and rearranges his expression into one of blank politeness, the civilized mask of the aristocracy, well practiced. The heavy black boots of the Admiral and two accompanying soldiers thump against Vestige’s wooden deck and the ropes they just descended hang loosely behind them. Locke steps forward to greet them.

“Admiral, how pleasant to see you again. I’m glad you made the journey safely.” Locke extends his hand in greeting. The Admiral stares down at it as his soldiers take up guard positions at his back. Slowly, he looks back up and locks eyes with the Inventor.

Who is this Admiral?

I think we’ll call him Carrick. I haven’t stated his goal here but I think he’s here organizing part of a coup. Oracle roll confirms that his goal is to Seize Power. The Oracle also says he’s Strong, Obsessed, and Smug. He’s definitely unfriendly, which makes sense since Locke is literally a deserter and a thief in his eyes. I’m curious why he wants to overthrow the King, though. Oracle gives “Finish Advantage.” Ok, so I think we’ve already established that the King is a little unstable, desperate to fight the unfightable and stacking bodies like cordwood doing it. I think the King has a son and Carrick doesn’t see the Prince as particularly worthy as an heir.

So who is the Prince then? Looks like he’s called Cadigan of Oak. Next in line to become Rowan of Oak IV. Oracle says he’s an adventurer. We know that Rowan’s aristocracy are monster hunters, so let’s say the Prince is too. His goal is “Collect a Debt.” I think this means his mother was killed in a sea monster attack and now the Prince wants that creature’s hide. I hate to make this reference, I really do, but I suppose that means he’s got a white whale to chase. Oracle says he’s Obsessed and Bitter but Clever. So, an absentee Prince off sailing the high seas and chasing monsters rather than in his proper place at home learning to govern for when his pops finally becomes fully unhinged.

Perhaps Admiral Carrick thinks the Navy will do a better job of handling this crisis. And, after all, amid rising sea levels, who better to rule than the guy who commands all the airships?


“Mr. Leitner. This isn’t a social call. If you weren’t useful to me, I’d execute you myself where you stand for the crime of desertion alone.” His coal black gaze sweeps over Asher and returns to settle weighty on Locke, who drops his hand but not the pretense of amicability.

The deserter smiles in the face of his former commanding officer. “Then, let’s discuss regicide. That’s why you’re here, readying Rowan’s would-be assassins like a new blade.” If possible, Admiral Carrick stands even straighter. One of the soldiers behind him makes an almost imperceptible uncomfortable shuffle, shifting her weight ever so slightly.

The Admiral gestures sharply and the other soldier steps forward with a single, sharp snappy step. He retrieves a rolled up bundle of clothing from within his pack and passes it forward. Asher steps forward and takes the bundle from him. “Palace Guard uniforms,” the Admiral says stiffly. “They won’t pass muster up close. Your faces are unfamiliar to the Guard. But they’ll work from a distance.”

He gestures again and the other soldier, the uncomfortable one, steps forward and produces a steel key. “To the King’s bedchambers, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” The Admiral turns to leave as Locke takes the key.

“Won’t they wonder how we got the key?” Locke asks.

“No,” Admiral Carrick replies with his back to Locke, turning his head to speak over his shoulder, “I’ve taken care of it.”

Check

If this were dnd or something, I’d probably kneejerk call for an insight check to see what Locke knows about the current political climate and whether he can put together any conspiracy theories about the Admiral’s grand plan here. But Fabula discourages making unnecessary Checks. Unless there’s capable opposition, threats, specific context, and other rules mechanisms that call for them, Heroes usually just succeed (especially if a task is already in their wheelhouse). Or fail, if the task is obviously beyond them. There’s a lot of GM Fiat in that but my experience tells me that few things tank a game faster than a misguided call for an unnecessary roll. So I’m ok with this. In this situation, Locke is a minor noble of a now dead house from an annexed country. He left some time ago, so his knowledge of current events is spotty. I think he’d still know some stuff (having been a noble) and we know he’s bright (with that d10 Insight) but I also think his understanding of the current environment is rapidly fading and that he was never super privy to high level details anyway, so he’d probably just fill in the blanks himself. Also, I’m getting the impression as I play him that he’s got a bit of snark in him and has a hard time just keeping silent.


“You’re Minix, aren’t you?” Locke asks innocently.

Carrick stops with his hand on the rope and glances over at Locke. “If I am?”

“Oh, I’m just thinking out loud. The noble houses of Strastint are visiting the Palace this month, I think. If there was one thing you can count on Strastint nobles for, it’s bending the knee. I suppose if you really wanted to just take over, it wouldn’t be difficult for a man with your resources. But the Strazer Family could be a real thorn in your side if you went and did that. Your nephew…he’s about grown, isn’t he?” Locke examines the key as he works it through.

“You understand little and have too fanciful an imagination, Tinker. Mind your affairs.” The Admiral gives two sharp yanks on the rope and is pulled up and out of sight. The two soldiers follow, the uncomfortable one glancing back quickly at the pair before ascending as well.

The Plan

Yeah, it’s a bit silly, convoluted, and unrealistic in that CW show kind of way but it gets us there. This is one of those areas where it feels more like playing a story than writing one (contrary to my earlier fears) because this batshit nonsense sort of evolved from me trying to insert the characters into their plot on the go rather than taking the time to more meticulously plot something more realistic. Anyway, let’s get this party started.


As the Admiral’s scoutship departs at speed, Locke looks over at Asher. “I think that went well,” he says, still smiling.

Asher snorts. “You’re lucky he didn’t shoot you and set this ship on fire.”

“Nah,” Locke waves his hand as if batting the idea away, “you’d have saved me.”

Asher stows the uniforms in a nearby chest and hooks her greataxe onto her back. “What makes you think I’d take a bullet for you?” she asks as she mounts the steps toward the wheel of the ship.

Locke laughs and pulls the pitons free, unmooring the ship. As it ascends, he grows suddenly serious. “Wait. You would, wouldn’t you?”

Now it is Asher’s turn to smirk a little.

End Scene

There aren’t yet any endscene effects we need to worry about (and probably won’t be til we hit a conflict scene…I’ll have to look over the character sheets again to make sure but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it).

Things we learned or maybe learned:

  • King Rowan’s Palace Guard is either tightly knit or highly disciplined or both.
  • Tei’s colors are Gray and White.
  • Admiral Carrick, a Minix, is one of Tei’s Navy’s top men and is doing…something to usurp the throne.
  • King Rowan III has a son, Prince Cadigan. The Prince is a famous monster hunter obsessed with killing the sea beast that took his mother’s life.
  • The aristocracy of Strastint is influential by way of boot licking. The most influential family from Strastint appears to be the Strazers. They might not support the military.
  • There appears to be some tension between Strastint and Minixetereth.
  • There are Behemoths of both Land and Sky in the Badlands.


Next: Issue One: To Kill a King, Part 2

Comments

Post a Comment