Category: The Gauntlet: Our Games

Sharing this with you guys also! This is Part 2 of my The Watch Dreamation writeup. The Kickstarter just hit its goal, but there’s still plenty of time to back it! kickstarter.com/projects/medeiros/the-watch-rpg/

Originally shared by Michael X. Heiligenstein

Here’s part two of my write-up of The Watch at Dreamation 2017! You can check out part one here: https://plus.google.com/112385927503441977582/posts/aj19gGAzhHn

Also worth checking out Tony Lower-Basch’s write-ups which often cover a totally different side of the action:

https://plus.google.com/111342308702465447948/posts/QsYaKJM6AFm

https://plus.google.com/111342308702465447948/posts/QtSyHBKzpBC

Thanks again to Anna Kreider and Andrew Medeiros for designing this awesome system, and Aaron Friesen for running it with Anna at Dreamation! Here’s our cast, now that our captains are switching over:

“Mean Girls squad”

Cpl. Laustec “Lau”, the spider. Clan Richti? (nomads). Played by Albert D

Lanec, the lioness. Clan Thason (herders/equestrians). Played by yours truly.

Trull, the bear. Clan Toltho (craft folk/farmers). Played by Joe Beason

Reme, the owl. Clan Sharn (hunters/gatherers). Doug Bonar

guided by the amazing Anna Kreider

“Degrassi squad”

Cpl. Cal, the wolf. Clan Royshan (warriors) Played by Rebecca W

Preshi, the eagle. Clan Molthas? (mountain folk). Played by Tony Lower-Basch

Tabak, the fox. Clan Charsa (miners). Played by Christo Meid

Peyma, the raven. Clan Dothas (mystics). Played by George Austin

guided by the fantastic Aaron

On to Part 2!

The night after Cal leaves, Reme has a vision of an uncannily beautiful shadow sorceress. The sorceress promises Reme powers beyond her reckoning. Unsure, Reme says she would rather have raw knowledge, but tentatively accepts the sorcereress’s mysterious offer.

In the morning, Sergeant Lau arrives to take command of the squad. They go straight into battle, venturing deeper into lost territory. Lanec overextends herself, and again Trull comes in after to cover her back – but not before their squadmate Prashi (NPC) dies in the fighting.

As they make camp, Lau confronts Lanec, and asks her to take responsibility for Prashi’s death. Lanec insists that she did what was necessary for their victory, and opens up about her fears of being overtaken by the shadow. Lau claims to know techniques that can help, but refuses to teach her, saying she doesn’t trust Lanec yet. Lanec rebuffs Lau and storms out.

Reme comes to Lau to tell her about her recent dreams of the Shadow sorceress. Lau describes her own shadow encounters, while healing Reme with her freaky spider magic. Before leaving, Lau shows Reme her scars from being whipped as proof of what happens if the Watch’s leadership finds out about their forays into the shadow magic. Later that day, Trull and Reme reconcile with each other, and they both blow off steam together by chopping wood.

The next morning, Lanec wakes up early for her very public exercise routine. While sparring with Lomo (NPC), she hears a ghastly scream coming from Commander Ruenti’s tent. Lanec bursts in to find a possessed Dalu standing over Ruenti, who she has just murdered in her sleep. Left with no choice, Lanec cuts down Dalu.

This is when the other women of the Watch arrive to find Lanec standing over both womens’ bloody bodies. Lanec tries to explain herself as the officers bind her hands and take her prisoner. Reme intervenes on Lanec’s behalf, and asks Lau to help; after careful consideration, Lau agrees to not leave HALF HER SQUAD COMPLETELY HANGING OMG. Lau also asks Lanec to take responsibilty for Prashi’s death, and this time, she does.

Anyway, Lau vouches for Lanec and she’s released without her sword. Afterwards, the two of them spot the shadow Sorceress walking out of Ruenti’s tent, unnoticed by the other women. They confront the Sorceress. While Lau tries to learn more from their enemy (and opens up to her !?), Lanec blows a fuse and, despite Lau’s urging, tries to assault the sorceress, who isn’t actually there in tangible form. The Sorceress inflicts a vision on Lanec: Lanec witnesses Ruenti’s murder from Dalu’s perspective. Trull arrives out of nowhere and pulls Lanec away from the Sorceress.

Reme, meanwhile, is in the middle of a magic ritual to engage the Shadow head-on. Lanec drops in, sees Reme’s setup, and demands Reme destroy her demonic accessories. Reme agrees, while convincing Lanec to let her keep her journal – the only item of any significant value to her studies.

SESSION 3

Before long, the order comes through for another transfer: this time, Lanec is being sent to the other squad. Before she leaves, she wishes Trull goodbye and tells her how much she owes her for saving Lanec more than once, and how much she respects her for holding fast before the shadow. Trull makes Lanec promise to watch her back, and Lanec agrees. She says a curt goodbye to Lau and Reme before riding out to join the other squad.

She arrives and reunites with Cal, and they confer what has happened on the two squads Lanec tells Cal about the suspicious behavior on Mean Girls squad. Cal tells Lanec that Degrassi squad has scored major victories against the Shadow, including the capture of multiple people afflicted by the Shadow.

Now, they turn their attention to the rebel clanswomen who have refused to join the united clans. Their next mission is to broker a deal with the Clan Royshan rebels – the warrior clan, of whom Cal was once the chieftain. The squad successfully finds a way to infiltrate the rebel ranks without bloodshed. They arrange a meeting between Cal and her former clanswomen.

While Cal goes in to broker a deal, Preshi, Tabak, and Lanec have a moment to get to know each other. Preshi compliments the squad on their efforts and tries to keep things positive, but Lanec quickly finds out that Tabak and Cal banged, pretty much right after Cal arrived at their squad. Tabak even callously mentions that Cal burnt all of Lanec’s letters, which yes did happen, and Lanec loses it and starts throwing punches. Preshi intervenes, and the three of them all walk away bruised.

A raucous celebration follows between the former rebels and the women of the Watch. Lanec feels the sting of jealousy – not just because Cal so readily bedded Tabak, but also because Cal has the remnants of a clan; Lanec’s clan, Thason, was all but wiped out in the early days of the Shadow. She tells all of this to Cal while they’re in bed together. Cal proposes to her, and says she can join Clan Royshan as her wife. Lanec says maybe.

From there, they prepare for a final battle against the Shadow. The entire Watch comes together against a massive field of Shadow soldiers led by two sorceresses, and engage them head-on in a battle to end the war. Going in, they enter the power of a silence spell that prevents the women from speaking.

Lanec and Preshi charge deep into Shadow lines, while Cal and Tabak mount a follow-up attack to exploit the Shadow’s weak spots. Lau and Reme turn the Shadow’s magic back on them, provoking the two sorceresses to fire back. Lau nearly succumbs completely to the Shadow.

Midway through the fight, the silencing stops but a powerful wave of Shadow magic passes across the battlefield, seriously injuring many of the women on the field. Lanec and Preshi take down the two sorceresses: in a magnificent hug, Preshi redeemed one sorceress; Lanec, meanwhile, tossed her sword to the ground and beat the other sorceress with her leather-clad fists.

From there the Shadow recedes, seemingly beat back for good. The women go different ways from there, some returning home to rebuild, others remaining on the Watch in case the Shadow returns.