Struggling with Players - An Actual Play Podcast

Coriolis: The Great Dark — Session 24 Summary Ben dominates the session. We learn he's in a low-key, healing friends-with-benefits relationship with Zera Van Dou (a third-gendered Coriolite assassin and the ship's wealthy Coriolite representative). After the trauma of Jamilla , Ben's former lover and employer, the relationship has stopped him brooding and restored some confidence. Separately, Ben...

A Chronicle of the Year of Betrayals, Five Hundred Being an Account of Saxon Wolves, a Monster That Walks, and a Town That Was Not There Last Year Set down by the Clerk Session Summary Countess Ellen's court convened to distribute Salisbury's first real surplus in living memory. Euric's exceptional stewardship advice unlocked 40 libra for kingdom investment. The knights split their vote along feal...

A Chronicle of the Year of Mary Triumphant, Four-hundred and Ninety-Nine Being an Account of a Demon Slain by Lance and Faith, and of Fire That Blessed as Well as Burned Session Summary Drusilla fumbled her Prudence and immediately charged Gorboduc across the open field, invoking her Devotion to the Virgin Mary. Her lance shattered on Gorboduc's shield; his shattered equally, but his horse did not...

499 Session 9 - Group 2 A Chronicle of the Year of False Roads, Four-hundred and Ninety-Nine Being a Tale of Pilgrims Rejected and Bandits Answered, of a Talking Bird with Many Grievances, and of a Village Where the Trees Dare Not Grow Session Summary Arianrhod completed a pagan pilgrimage to Stonehenge and received a divine miracle (+1D3 healing rate for a year). Sir Aur of Lambor went on a Chris...

499 Session 8 - Group 1 A Chronicle of the Year of Broken Trust, Four-hundred and Ninety-Nine Of Feasting, Suspicion and a Champion Laid in the Dorset Dust Session Summary The three knights attended Countess Ellen's great feast at Sarum, seated by glory — Euric near the high table, the others further from the salt. Euric charmed the learned Eloise of Oxford into mutual admiration; Drusilla lost a...

Sadly this one has a stuff up and the best part of the battle is missed. A Chronicle of the Year of the Boar, Four-hundred and Ninety-Nine In which five knights ride into a village of swine, and most of them ride out again Session Summary The party, riding on Countess Ellen's commission toward Lambor, found the village of Alchester overrun by a vast herd of fairy boars Without pausing for anything...

A Chronicle of the Year of the Stolen Saint, Four-hundred and Ninety-Eight A Tale of a Count Most Beleaguered, a Relic Recovered from Beneath the Earth, and a Bear That Spoke Before It Could Be Met Session Summary The five champions arrive at Lambor to find the Count besieged by refugees and wary of strangers; Arianrhod presents Sarum's letters and Euric charms the Count's niece Lucinda at the fea...

498 Session 5 - Group 1 A Chronicle of the Year of the Pax Saxoni, Four-hundred and Ninety-Eight In which three Saxon crowns demand their dues, a pagan woman outsmarts a prince, five knights ride south to collect an overdue debt, and two old men by a fire ruin everyone's evening plans. Session Summary Salisbury faces simultaneous tribute demands from Essex, Wessex and Sussex — the treasury is esse...

A Chronicle of the Year of Broken Hopes, Four-hundred and Ninety-Seven In which five knights earn a public dressing-down, eat innards off the floor and still manage to win a battle. Session Summary The knights return to Sarum still riding the high from burning an Essex fleet and pocketing the gold — only to find Duke Ulfius of Silchester waiting, and he is not impressed. Ulfius dresses down the fi...

497 Session 3 - Group 1 A Chronicle of the Year of Despair, Four-hundred and Ninety-Seven Being a Tale of Five Knights who Rode into the Cold, Found a Dying King, Witnessed a Sacrifice, Lost a Pagan and Gained an Arian, then Raided Essex on the Way Home Set down by the Clerk Session Summary The five knights ride through brutal winter conditions toward the Summerlands, carrying Countess Ellen's app...

496 Session 2 - Group 1 A Chronicle of the Year of the Wolf, Four-hundred and Ninety-Six Being a Tale of Five Knights of Salisbury and their Fortunes upon the Western Road Set down by the Clerk Session Summary Countess Ellen briefs the knights: Saxon pressure is mounting, refugees are arriving and the hill forts need rebuilding. Arianrhod attempts to fortify Figsbury; Drusilla tackles Cholderton....

A Chronicle of the Year of Lost Hope, Four-hundred and Ninety-Six Being a Tale of How Five Squires Rose as Knights and Rode into the Maw of Wessex Set down by the Clerk Session Summary Five squires are knighted by Sir Brastius at Sarum, sworn to Countess Ellen and her young son Robert in the wake of Earl Roderick's death at Badon. Aescwine, Atheling of Essex, arrives demanding tribute; Sir Aur del...

Chronicle of the Year of Breaking Trusts, Five Hundred Being an Account of Trolls Hired, Alliances Broken, and One Very Large Man With a Very Loud Mace Session Summary The knights entered the forest above Oddstock and found no tracks — confirming their suspicion that the raiders were arriving by river, not overland. Deep in the wood, Arianrhod spotted one of Seaxwulf's men watching them. Emma's fl...

Playing Gallows Corner of the first time and seeing how the system runs.