DM Thoughts - Session 04
What can be said about this session?
To me, it was the perfect conclusion to the pre-campaign. Where the original goal had been to create names and faces for the legendary Olmans who saved the Isle of Thanaclan after the Savage Tide hit - in the end that is exactly what happened.
Though they certainly didn't have the lengthy lifespan of some of our other more recent characters, who have been with us for months and even years... These three heroes - Meleeki, Immortal and Bakura - their story shall be one with we as players will likely remember for quite some time to come.
One event that particularly resonated with me was the tragic sacrifice and death of Meleeki. The way that the scenario was supposed to end was always very open in my mind - I truly didn't know which of the character might step up to trigger the Tlaloc's Tear, and who among them might die in the attempt. The big danger involved would be for characters who had failed their saving throws against either of the aboleth's more nasty attacks: the mucus cloud or the slime from its tentacles. Either way, a character who failed a save might end up quickly dead when Tlaloc's Tear pushed away any sign of water for miles...
It was, in my mind, the most likely TPK scenario: the character all make it to the final fight, all survive it, trigger the Tear, then die as heroes, sacrificing themselves. Yet that was far from the case. All saves to that point were passed (some with help, from either Action or Fate points, but passed all the same). With this, a new ending suddenly became quite likely: the survival of all three heroes.
While that would not have really bothered me, it would have somehow diminished the importance of their mission. To have all three of them come back would in a way feel like things were too bright and happy - despite the deaths of thousands of Olmans in the Tide explosion. It wasn't that I was eager for characters to die, but from a storyline standpoint, it would feel more tragic and heroic if at least one of them gave their life in order to protect everyone left behind up on the island. If this were a movie, for example... that's how the script would go - with one of the main characters dying a heroic death to save the mission.
In this case, that heroic death came in an unexpected, yet particularly dramatic way: as Immortal finally lived up to the threat he had hung over the party's head from the start - to lose it and kill off an ally. Those final moments of Immortal trying to save her life, only to then go mad and take it from her instead... that was very dark and tragic, yet made sense, in that he'd been expected to do that by the players for some time. It was as though that tragic moment was waiting for the biggest possible impact - which it had. Chris' later roleplaying of the days after the event sealed it as legendary, as Immortal gave Meleeki a watery burial to the tune of Aerith's Theme from FF7, while stating his love for her... then allowing himself to slowly die of hunger and heartbreak at her side. It was very poetic and perfectly worked as a conclusion to the story of Bakura's two guardians.
As for the Dragon Shaman himself, meanwhile - he became the "sole survivor" of the pre-campaign, and new ruler of the Olman tribe. His leadership and plans for them made for the perfect transition to the Olman villages along the southern coast that exist in the present day, no longer made of bitter outcasts - but of Olmans who hold to their old traditions, while still living somewhat in fear over the events of so long ago, that still haunt them to this day, keeping them from returning to the forgotten city in the north, where Thanaclan once stood.
All in all, the pre-campaign felt like a success to me. It hit the right emotional marks, it had some interesting fights and scenarios, and it set up the danger of the story quite well. If Gustave, Glaive and Garland ever come across a shadowy pearl that is about to crack open... while they may not know what to expect from it, the players on the other hand will probably be quite frightened and anxious over the possible consequences... because they have seen what the Savage Tide might bring in.
To me, it was the perfect conclusion to the pre-campaign. Where the original goal had been to create names and faces for the legendary Olmans who saved the Isle of Thanaclan after the Savage Tide hit - in the end that is exactly what happened.
Though they certainly didn't have the lengthy lifespan of some of our other more recent characters, who have been with us for months and even years... These three heroes - Meleeki, Immortal and Bakura - their story shall be one with we as players will likely remember for quite some time to come.
One event that particularly resonated with me was the tragic sacrifice and death of Meleeki. The way that the scenario was supposed to end was always very open in my mind - I truly didn't know which of the character might step up to trigger the Tlaloc's Tear, and who among them might die in the attempt. The big danger involved would be for characters who had failed their saving throws against either of the aboleth's more nasty attacks: the mucus cloud or the slime from its tentacles. Either way, a character who failed a save might end up quickly dead when Tlaloc's Tear pushed away any sign of water for miles...
It was, in my mind, the most likely TPK scenario: the character all make it to the final fight, all survive it, trigger the Tear, then die as heroes, sacrificing themselves. Yet that was far from the case. All saves to that point were passed (some with help, from either Action or Fate points, but passed all the same). With this, a new ending suddenly became quite likely: the survival of all three heroes.
While that would not have really bothered me, it would have somehow diminished the importance of their mission. To have all three of them come back would in a way feel like things were too bright and happy - despite the deaths of thousands of Olmans in the Tide explosion. It wasn't that I was eager for characters to die, but from a storyline standpoint, it would feel more tragic and heroic if at least one of them gave their life in order to protect everyone left behind up on the island. If this were a movie, for example... that's how the script would go - with one of the main characters dying a heroic death to save the mission.
In this case, that heroic death came in an unexpected, yet particularly dramatic way: as Immortal finally lived up to the threat he had hung over the party's head from the start - to lose it and kill off an ally. Those final moments of Immortal trying to save her life, only to then go mad and take it from her instead... that was very dark and tragic, yet made sense, in that he'd been expected to do that by the players for some time. It was as though that tragic moment was waiting for the biggest possible impact - which it had. Chris' later roleplaying of the days after the event sealed it as legendary, as Immortal gave Meleeki a watery burial to the tune of Aerith's Theme from FF7, while stating his love for her... then allowing himself to slowly die of hunger and heartbreak at her side. It was very poetic and perfectly worked as a conclusion to the story of Bakura's two guardians.
As for the Dragon Shaman himself, meanwhile - he became the "sole survivor" of the pre-campaign, and new ruler of the Olman tribe. His leadership and plans for them made for the perfect transition to the Olman villages along the southern coast that exist in the present day, no longer made of bitter outcasts - but of Olmans who hold to their old traditions, while still living somewhat in fear over the events of so long ago, that still haunt them to this day, keeping them from returning to the forgotten city in the north, where Thanaclan once stood.
All in all, the pre-campaign felt like a success to me. It hit the right emotional marks, it had some interesting fights and scenarios, and it set up the danger of the story quite well. If Gustave, Glaive and Garland ever come across a shadowy pearl that is about to crack open... while they may not know what to expect from it, the players on the other hand will probably be quite frightened and anxious over the possible consequences... because they have seen what the Savage Tide might bring in.
So hats off to my amazing players, as always, for bringing the story to life.
And now that we embark on the real journey ahead of us, let us hope that things only continue to get better and better. I have a feeling that they will.
And now that we embark on the real journey ahead of us, let us hope that things only continue to get better and better. I have a feeling that they will.
posted by Markus the Mad | 2:30 PM
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