Thursday Mar 28, 2024

The Rise of the Ancient Rulers – 3

Reference

Pink color represents me as a solo Player, making interpretations

Yellow color, and tables, represent GM Emulator (PUM+SUM) mechanics

White color represents game text and RPG mechanics

Recap

Following the events of The Rise of the Ancient Rulers – 2 Laura and Diego entered the heart of the Opiateh jungle, in the search of the tomb of Tzontemoc, whose omens indicate terrible times in the current era. The archeologist expeditions hurry to find it, as soon as the research center located it’s potential location.

Main threadLocate the Tomb of Tzontemoc, in the Jungle of Opiateh
Question #1What are these Betzalcotl undead? And why are they here?
Question #2What happened to the Wild Dog whose corpse disappeared?
Question #3Why is there no longer phone signal?
Note #1Jack and Robbie are waiting at the camp, near the cliff
Note #2Laura and Jack found a “Safe’s Place” Tzontemoc’s Amulet

Scene 4

ContextLaura and Diego got the Amulet of Tzontemoc, and a wild dog’s corpse disappeared. They decided to move deeper into the Jungle. No idea what happens next, let’s go PUM
Design🎲 Catch enemy in action. 🎲 Is the enemy the disappeared Wild Dog? β†’ No, and… 🎲 And, what? (What) β†’ Toxic Enemy. 🎲 Another undead? β†’ Hard to say, unless… (we get closer)
Skill🎲 Resistance or endurance – Difficult decision (Toxic, and resistance endurance). 🎲 Is the attacker a monster? β†’ No.

As Laura and Diego advance through the Jungle, they will be entering a region in which air becomes poisonous to breath, or at least dangerous to breathe. They should check Survival or Notice to detect.

🎲 Laura Notice β†’ 1d4x: [2] or 1d4x: [2] FAIL. 🎲 Diego Survival β†’ 1d6x: [1] or 1d4x: [3] FAIL.
Laura and Diego start coughing, as they begin to slow down their pace, the jungle is dark. They look at each other. 🎲 Laura Vigor β†’ 1d4x: [1] or 1d4x: [3] FAIL. 🎲 Diego Vigor β†’ 1d8x: [1] or 1d4x: [4, 4, 1] = 9 SUCCESS.

Laura’s cough is much stronger than Diego’s, and she notices some blood even.

“Laura, damn… cover your face! Your nose, you are bleeding”
“Crap… what is that smell… I am feeling terrible”
“Perhaps we are getting closer. Tell me, what should I do?”
“Water…” (🎲 Does it help? β†’ No, at first.)

🎲 SUM GM Action +0 β†’ Reveals something not seen or present earlier. PUM What? β†’ Hidden Challenge. SUM Adjective β†’ Valuable, rich, promoted, commercial. 🎲 Is it a door or entrance? β†’ No, possibly. 🎲 Is it a trap? β†’ No. 🎲 A chest? β†’ No, unless…

This is possibly not an entrance, and not a chest unless… it somehow holds something inside. I imagine some sort of lock, that holds a challenge. 🎲 PUM Skill β†’ Resistance or endurance. This will involve holding up the breath, and if it’s valuable, it has to be something underwater.

As Diego looks around, he discovers a puddle of water that goes deep down. Laura still coughing.

🎲 SUM GM Action +10 β†’ Remains silent, what do characters do?

Diego: 🎲 Do I spot any source of light coming from below? β†’ Yes, at first. (There seems to be a light, but it turns off as soon as you realize there is). Diego turns on the flashlight and tries to spot anything. 🎲 Notice β†’ 1d6x: [3] or 1d4x: [3] Spends Bennie 1d6x: [4] or 1d4x: [4, 1] = 5. SUCCESS.

Scene Designer said we “catch enemy in action“, let see which action. 🎲 SUM Action + Subject β†’ Work, build, tailor, craft, brew, cook, prepare + Chance, an opportunity, advantage, a moment. 🎲 Is something luring, Diego? β†’ Don’t know, but…

As Diego is exploring the water puddle for something shiny, he will be surprised by a huge tentacle trying to grab him from his leg and pull him down!

Diego: 🎲 Athletics β†’ :1d8x: [4] or 1d4x: [2] SUCCESS. Diego jumps towards his back and kicks the tentacle down, which goes again into the water. Diego falls back.
Laura: “Diego!!!”

🎲 SUM GM Action +20 β†’ Conclude the scene, make characters move on

Diego: “There’s something down there… for god’s sake. I think here we need reinforcements. This place is insane. Laura, how do you feel?”

🎲 How bad is the air toxin? β†’ Passable

Laura: “I can make it… covering our faces helps… Let’s just move” – coughs some more.

Things aren’t going so well for them. Let see what PUM says about a negative resolution: 🎲 Scene Resolution, negative β†’ Reputation or relationship harmed. Whatever is in this place, is not happy about the archeologists…

Scene 5

ContextDiego and Laura will continue carefully through the Jungle. No expectation.
Design🎲Scene Designer β†’ Find enemy sequels. 🎲 Helpful skill β†’ Stealth or discretion 🎲 What sequels? SUM Action+Subject β†’ Descend, go deep, fall, sink, slope + Barbaric, nomads, bandits, renegades. 🎲 Describe area β†’ Legally Crowded 🎲 SUM Adjective β†’ Original, native, cultural, traditional, conventional

Diego and Laura find a group of people, as dressed in native (aztec like) clothes, descending with ropes into a fracture in the ground. 🎲 Are they chanting? β†’ Yes, and… (dancing, singing loudly).

Diego and Laura approach keeping a safe distance, they turn off their lights immediately, and figure out what they are doing. 🎲 Diego (Stealth) β†’ 1d4x: [1] or 1d4x: [1] CRITICAL FAILURE. Diego steps on a wooden branch and a “crack!” can be heard. The natives suddenly turn around, they seem to speak a strange language.

🎲 SUM GM Action +0 β†’ Remains silent, what do characters do?

Laura moves, taking distance from Diego. Both are not to be found, she thinks. 🎲 Laura (Stealth) β†’ 1d6x: [6, 6, 3] or 1d6x: [5] SUCCESS.

🎲 SUM NPC Behavior (Bad) β†’ Acts defensively, looking carefully at your moves. 🎲 Do they have fire weapons? β†’ Yes.

Laura tries to identify the language 🎲 Language β†’ 1d8x: [6] or 1d4x: [1] SUCCESS. 🎲 Can she speak it? (Likely) β†’ Yes, and… (fluently). Laura shows up from the opposite direction they were walking into, and points at them with a gun, calling them in their own native language. “Hey, stop! We are here to talk”, asks Laura

🎲 SUM NPC Action +0 β†’ Show you their skill or profession they practice

Natives: “Ha! As if you were going to be a threat in OUR land. We are the masters here. Who are you?” They turn around, as Laura takes cover near a tree.
Laura: “We come in peace… we are looking for Tzontemoc’s tomb”

Need to know their intention, so I know how to role-play them!
🎲 PUM Intent (What do they want?) β†’ They Need Allies. 🎲 PUM What (What for?) β†’ Hidden Challenge. Looks like they are looking for the same thing, somehow. 🎲 PUM Reason (Why or what for?) β†’ To hold Power or Desire.

Natives: “Ha! You do now…” (🎲 do they immediately trust? β†’ No, possibly.) “Why…?”
Laura: (Bluff?) “We want to prevent something terrible from happening… stop the omens.” 🎲 Use language β†’ 1d8x: [4] or 1d4x: [2] SPEND BENNIE 1d8x: [5] or 1d4x: [4, 1] = 5. SUCCESS

The natives stop and think, looking at each other for a moment, considering.

🎲 SUM GM Action +10 β†’ Brings a new or existing NPC to an interaction

After a moment, some of the natives make a strange call, singing, and promptly what seems to be their chief, arrives (🎲 PUM Describe him β†’ Legally Dangerous). He is heavily armored, covered in amulets and collars made of bones and skulls, carries a modern automatic rifle, and some knifes.

🎲 SUM NPC Action +10 β†’ Refuses to continue if not persuaded or bribed

Chief Maltzcoa: “Name is Chief Maltzcoa. Make it worth my time, or you are all dead. Af, af! You are poisoned anyway, he he he…”

To be continued…


JeansenVaars

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