[Official] Poison

[Usgardh]

Poison is an official scenario included in the "introduction kit" of Shadows of Esteren: Book 0 - Prologue.

This scenario is the most "vanilla" one of the triptych proposed in Prologue. The plot is rather straightforward, and the mysteries involved are far from brain-racking, even for novice role-players, which makes it very adequate for first-timer Leaders and Players. Still, it does have the special Esteren touch, and is sure to create memorable moments filled with thrills and tension!

If you have any questions about this scenario, the team will do their best to give you satisfactory answers. Likewise, feel free to share any remarks or suggestions you might have in mind.

Also, do not hesitate to create discussion threads to post reports of your game sessions!

[tamsyn]

As with Loch Varn going to post my leader experiences with this scenario here. If it should go somewhere else please move it.

Started running Poison so here's my recap. It has been said before that my group are slow, so there might be quite a few posts!

First I had to get the generated characters from the end of Loch Varn to the start of Poison. After the big fight at the Sanctuary they went to the chapel of Nyline to recover and heal. Luckily the druid could speed things up a bit. Ausingly every time they wake up now there is a whole 'are we really awake?' debate. They made it back to Melwan, from where they were originally sent to help Varn. Upon arriving they heard about the ill and after making their report to the council were asked to go to Dearg to collect the herbs from Leog. They also got paid for their work with Varn. They also asked if anyone had any items to be taken to Dearg and Matalia from the Inn asked them to take a letter to the innkeeper, i invented an amusing pen pal relationship between them.

They travelled the road to Dearg without incident and split up to talk to different folk. Half went to the inn, the others to see the Demorthian. Those in the pub had a chance to meet some of the more colourful residents of Dearg such as Tadh and Harald. Luckily having the Red Fall adventure handy meant I could drop in the details without having to come up with them myself. Here they also heard about Zaig's shop of wonderful things. Flush with cash they visited and i gave them a luck roll with a chance that something rare they wanted was there. No one passed - might make it easier next time! As they were returning to Melwan with the supplies a terrible storm came in and they were forced to retreat to the mountain temple bothy for refuge. It was funny for me as no one wanted to take a watch! During the night the bear attacked, breaking down the door but was easily dispatched. Next day the storm had cleared and they continued.

Onto Melwan and on return they learned about the increase in illness. The gate guard is a massive gossip. After handing over the herbs they discovered the birds at the well and while they were looking it over the hermit made a loud and disruptive appearance. After the chaos subsided they had the council meeting discussing what to do about water and the group were asked to investigate. They started by capturing a vole and feeding it the well water to see what would happen! It didn't fare well. We ended it there with their plans to visit the mill at the beginning of the next session.

At the end I asked them to roll to see who had been infected by the water from the one and one of the players had, with hallucinations to come....

[Clovis]

Yay, more news from tamsyn!

Well, seems like you had a nice game session. A handful of amusing events here and there, but overall, looks like you were able to keep the feeling of danger and oppressiveness that makes the atmosphere of Esteren; I'd say it bodes well for the remainder of the scenario, particularly with one of the PCs poisoned!

I also see that you chose to start from Melwan and have them travel to Dearg; that's a nice choice, and probably one I will make when I run the scenario.

Not much else to say. Looking forward to learning about what will come next!

[tamsyn]

Thanks, all input appreciated! I know my recounts aren't that long, you don't want pages do you? Will continue next week. Feel free to ask any questions.

[Dragoslav]

Very interesting. No questions yet, but I'm looking forward to the next report.

[Clovis]

Thanks, all input appreciated! I know my recounts aren't that long, you don't want pages do you? Will continue next week. Feel free to ask any questions.

It's true that making it too long could make things dull (which isn't the case so far!), so keeping things concise is for the best. After all, if we want additional information about such or such aspect of the game session, we can simply ask!

[Valenae]

I finish my translation of Poison and ran scenario yesterday.
Characters was Ean, Yaldiana and Lian.

0) I start scenario with scene when Yaldiana drinks from river then go to Melwan and then I give short description to village.

1) Than I roll time forward and there was fight in sanctuary. My opinion that bear too strong opponent if players didn't choose Arven. Some unlucky rolls and all die. I decide that bear will die from disease after one of the heroes will fall, but novice Leader can kill character in start of the game - bad idea.

2) After heroes come in village I offer some hints that water is poisoning but they didn't understand it. So they wait for council.

3) When there is become obviously that water poisoned heroes go up to ther river to found source. They meet Nat the smith, Goater family and Ergan but they didn't found Octar.

4) In cave I decide that Talasien should appear from his hideout in one of the caverns (as shown on picture to that scene). There was brutal fight and I have lizards appear at end of scene and pull Talasien to the shadow of cave. Yaldiana run right after combat but Lian and deadly wounded Ean wants to stay. But after more lizard was climbing from cave they decide to leave field of battle.

5) Lian have make camp and try to save Eans live (he was struck by disease in addition to wounds) Yaldiana run as fast as she can to Melwan and return with "cavalry" from Mac Lyrs. Mac Lyr soldiers seal the mine and save Ean and Lian. It was good final words from critically wounded Ean about wound from nimheill heals itself.

My opinion - Poison is good short scenario. With little work it can be expanded for two sessions scenario.

P.S.
Yaldiana chart says that she want to meet with her sister in Dearg. Strange that there are not a word in scenario how was their meeting.
Lian should have 10 erudition (11 herbalism).

[tamsyn]

The bear was too strong? My guys killed it no problem. They are only 20xp off starting! I suppose they like the fighting so might be skewed that way.

I like Talacien getting dragged into the cave by the lizards.

Looks like we will spin out the scenario to 3 sessions because then it takes us to our Christmas break. Playing out the trip to Dearg helped and I think I may add some Mac Lyr intrigue if I need to. Since we only get 3 hours at most or a session should be ok.

[Clovis]

I guess that there being only three characters made the fight all the more difficult, since the scenario is originally planned for a group of 4-5 players.

And indeed, Poison (as the other Prologue scenarios) can be expanded to last several sessions, with the addition of subplots or by making the main plot more complicated.

Yaldiana chart says that she want to meet with her sister in Dearg. Strange that there are not a word in scenario how was their meeting.

Well that's one of these things that the Leader is free to deal with how he pleases. After all, a scenario is just the basic structure of an adventure, with advice to set the atmosphere, details about the local NPCs, etc. but as far as PC-related elements are concerned, it's not really part of the plot in itself. Hence the fact that Yldiane's sister (Adeliane, one of the premades of Book 1) is not mentioned in Poison.

Lian should have 10 erudition (11 herbalism).

You're right! I have taken note of this in my Errata file. Rest assured that it will be corrected in further editions of Book 0.

[tamsyn]

I will post a full recap about the last session but I have posted in the errata thread about something too.