Sorcery System Test - Episode I - "The Lost Seer'

This is our first play test of the new sorcery system. Overall, I was extremely pleased with our play test last night! Our group was a little larger than usual (5 player), which was great, because it was a good test to see how much sorcery abilities would slow things down.

The Characters

Wrocar Rensa

Wrocar Rensa - grew up on the hard streets of Terendil. He has a cunning knack for "acquiring" what he needs to survive. Wrocar recently tried to steal an artifact from the druid Dusaigron, so he was cursed to serve Dusaigron until he has learned not to steal from a spellcaster.

Talur

Talur - Shaman of the Barul Clan, servant of Kharu, Wolf Mother. He prefers the company of wolves to men, and is distrustful of civilizations and large city-states. Tarul is very protective of nature.

Denion

Denion - Battle-hardened, he is a former army commander who has found much profit in lending his expertise in combat. He has recently been retained by Dusaigron, who is on a quest to learn more about the dark energy that looms above the High Peaks

Dusaigron

Dusaigron - A druid from Cantor, from the Great Temple. Dusaigron, like Talur, is very protective of nature, and he has been drawn to a great black energy that has been growing above the High Peaks. He seeks to find out what it is, and destroy it if it means harm.

Volidr Siring

Voldir Siring - Huntsman and nomad, Voldir has been living in the foothills of the High Peaks for the past few months. He was encountered by the others while on their way to a nearby village, and Voldir saw an opportunity to earn some coin as their guide in this harsh region.

The Set Up

Dusaigron and Tarul, previously unacquainted, became aware of a great black energy forming over the High Peaks; a rough and rugged mountain range at the edge of civilization. Dusaigron had hired Denion to accompany him on his journey as protection. While traveling, Wrocar Rensa had attempted to steal an artifact from Dusaigron, but was caught. His punishment was a curse of servitude to Dusaigron, until he learned the err of stealing from a sorcerer.

The trio met up with Tarul as they made their way towards the village of Thoring, which is the northernmost outpost of civilization before the High Peaks.

On the road to Thoring, they met Voldir Sirring, who was just finishing up a successful hunt. Voldir was the opportunity to earn some coin as a guide for these strange foreigners. He led them to the village of Thoring.

The Hook

As the spellcasters Dusaigron and Talur drew nearer to the black energy swirling above the High Peaks, they both began to have visions.

The visions began innocently enough. Quick and brief images of a mountain village. Next came the visions of a beautiful young woman. It was a serene and calm scene, until it suddenly and violently changed. Images of a struggle, and the woman being taken against her will. Innocent villagers slaughtered in the abduction of this woman. The vision suddenly cuts to a dark and ominous cave, while visions of torture and torment of the young woman flash sporadically in the caster's minds. They see the woman reaching out, softly weeping. "Help me...", she mutters, without any hope. The last image they see is a face. It appears to be the face of a man, but he's not a man anymore. He is gaunt and pale. His skin is cracked and wrinkled, yet it also seems to be stretched tightly across his face. The only expression is a slight sneer.

These visions visit Dusaigron and Talur every night, and they awaken visibly shaken, groggy, with blink-inducing headaches. They quickly realize that this woman has something to do with the black energy above the High Peaks, and they believe that she is somehow reaching out to them for help.

The Session

Thoring

Thoring looks much more like an encampment than a village. There are no great stone or wooden buildings, but rather tents and thatched huts. It is a new settlement comprised mostly of area huntsmen and warriors from neighboring barbarian clans. The largest structure is the mead hall, and it's the first place the party visits.

Thanks to Voldir, who knows several of the villagers, the outlanders don't receive a harsh welcome. Talur's openness about their quest convinces the right-hand of the jarl that Tarul is clearly insane. Voldir and Denion take advantage of the free flowing mead, while Wrocar decides to get some fresh air and "poke around" a bit. Dusaigron, focused on the task at hand, tries to ask around to see what the locals know about any strange occurrences in the area.

Dusaigron accidentally says the wrong thing to the wrong person, as he is lifted off of his feet by a large man screaming at him in some unknown tongue. Denion and Voldir notice this, and step in to deescalate the situation before it gets out of hand. The man calms down, and then explains his reaction, as he was recently witness to a witch performing some kind of ritual out in the woods. Dusaigron's questions spooked the man, as he is no fan of sorcery.

While Wrocar is wandering about the village, he takes advantage of the thin walls of the tents and huts, and uses his skills of stealth and sneakiness to eavesdrop on any conversations, hoping to learn more about the village and its inhabitants. He finds a couple in a nearby hut having a bit of an argument that seems to be centered on an old woman. The old woman, named Urleth, is believed by the locals to be a witch. She lives in an isolated cabin, in the craggy base of the High Peaks,looking own on the village. The woman in the hut has been noticing some strange occurrences lately, and she believes the witch to be the source. The man appears to be placating the distraught woman, although he eventually agrees to go and speak with the witch.

Urleth, Daughter of the Mountain

When the party regroups, they pool their information together, and they decide to pay Urleth a visit. They venture out and up, into the foothills, following a narrow footpath that leads them to a bridge. The bridge connects to an outcropping that looks like a peak with its top sheared off flat. On the outcropping, there is an old cabin surrounded by some trees.

The group treads cautiously, sending Wrocar ahead to scout things out, while the others find cover. Wrocar finds an old woman crouched over a stump, apparently performing some kind of magic. A dead bird is lying on its back on the stump, and as the old woman chants and sprinkles various powders over her candles, the bird suddenly twitches, and then springs to life, flying away.

The old woman seems to know Wrocar, as well as his companions, are near. She also seems to know a little bit about why they have sought her.  She invites them in, and agrees to perform a ritual to help them locate the woman who haunts their dreams, in exchange for an artifact said to possess the soul of her captor. They agree, and Dusaigron and Talur join Urleth in a ritual of scrying, and she is able to get an approximate location of the woman they seek in the labyrinth of caves.

Into the High Peaks

Now that they have a good idea where to find this woman, the group heads out, towards the High Peaks.....