Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-01-2018, 08:50 AM   #1
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

My role playing group recently started a new campaign, called Chaotic Pioneering. It's a TL 3 fantasy campaign (with elements of TL 4). Chaotic Pioneering is set in a fictional world, on the continent called the New World, where the Old World powers are setting up colonies. Out on the frontier, where we find ourselves as the history begins, danger lurks in the shadows. Since I'm not GMing this campaign, I don't know much about these dangers (yet), other than what's public knowledge, and that isn't much: I know that the Church calls it Chaos and that it's dangerous to travel alone or venture out after dark.

As I said, I'm not the GM, but I thought it could be interesting to chronicle the events as they unfold, and describe them from my character's point of view. I know at least one other player is making a personal log, and it will be fun to compare notes when the campaign ends. If you, the reader, are a player in this campaign, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't read any further, as some of what I'll say here won't be information known to your character.

EDIT: Most of my secrets have come out during play, so fellow players are now allowed to read the log.

A couple of notes before I begin:
  • There will be mentions of sex and nudity in the log, but only mentions. I'll use the technique called "fading to black" where necessary. If you feel the need to comment on these parts of the log, please keep things above board. Explicit descriptions of sex/nudity are not allowed on this forum, and will be deleted.
  • We're using the real world calendar, for simplicity's sake.
  • We're not speaking English when we play, so some things will be translated for the benefit of the readers of this log. If anything is lost in translation, I apologize in advance.
  • I'll write the log entries in italics, and anything else with regular font.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue

Last edited by coronatiger; 07-25-2019 at 05:00 AM. Reason: No more secrets from fellow players
coronatiger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2018, 08:54 AM   #2
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Re: Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

Session 1 (2018-10-20):

Report: May 13th

Hi! My name is Maystatea Viashniskaya. That’s quite a mouthful, I know, but you can call me by my stage name, if you wish – everyone else does. Does the name Mattea Vishi ring any bells? Ah, yes, I thought I could spot the recognition in your eyes as I walked into your little bakery. I see there aren’t that many customers here this early in the morning; maybe you have the time for a private conversation concerning a mutual acquaintance of ours back east? Oh, by the way, I’d like four of those delicious-looking wheat buns to go, please. Seven copper pieces? Sure, here you are!

Ok, now that we are alone, I can tell you why I’m here. As you may know, I arrived here in the New World the winter before last, having spent nearly two months aboard a ship, and started touring with other entertainers that spring. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out, so everyone in the troupe went their separate ways after a few months. Since then, my companion Olivia and I have been travelling from village to village. She keeps an eye on things while I dance or perform acrobatics, and whisks me away before anyone else can.

But I digress. We met a gentleman a few weeks ago, a Virendia government official, as we were slowly making our way westward from Surd. He told us that things weren’t all right out here on the western frontier. Well, we kind of knew that already. Don’t travel alone. Don’t go out at night. That seems to be the theme of the rural parts of the New World.

Well, the gentleman asked us, since we were coming this way anyway, if we could keep our eyes and ears open, and report anything unnatural or out of the ordinary. So that’s why I’m here. He told me to report to you. I suppose you will forward the reports. I got an impression that these activities should be kept on the down-low, for our safety and yours, so before I go, I’ll tousle my hair a bit. That should do the trick. For some reason, I seem to acquire a reputation as a light-skirt whenever I stay for long in one place. Some women resent my good looks and start telling tales, I guess.

I don’t really have anything to report today, as we just stepped off the river barge yesterday afternoon. Olivia and I brought our horses Lightfoot and Snowflake and our luggage to the finest inn in town, where I made a deal with the innkeeper that we’d get free room and board as long as I make an appearance now and then. I think Olivia and I will spend the day exploring the town and maybe get in a training session on the tightrope before we return to the inn.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue
coronatiger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2018, 08:55 AM   #3
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Re: Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

Session 1 (continued):

Report: May 14th

Good morning! Can I have some more wheat buns, please? They were really good! And perhaps a private word? This is Olivia, by the way. She insisted on coming along when she spotted my altered hair-do yesterday. We keep no secrets from each other, so anything you can say to me, you can say to her as well.

I have some news for you. We’ll be leaving town later today, I guess around noon. You see, one of the people we met on the river barge, a dwarf named Magnar Goldenbeard approached us last night. (He actually has some kind of ointment that he uses to make the beard sparkle, as his family name indicates it should.) He told us that he, as a representative of the Adventurers’ Guild, had been tasked with investigating the disappearance of all the livestock from a farm half a day from here, and was gathering a team to go with him.

As things were quieting down at the inn, I had approached another patron there. We introduced us to each other and got to talking. She is a high human, which some claim is another race, just like dwarves and elves. I’m not entirely convinced of that, but that’s another matter. As you know, high humans are the leaders of civilized society, and this one, Lady Karita Vindelheim, I believe her name is, is apparently quite high up. I don’t know what she’s doing out here all alone. I think I may have met her at some of the society balls I attended back in the Old World when I was – ahem – staying with a certain Duke Leonard. He’s on the King’s Counsel in Lapac, you know. Lady Karita insinuated that she might have heard of a scandal involving me and said Duke. She didn’t give any details, but I remember that the new Duchess was particularly vocal in her displeasure of finding me, as naked as on the day I was born, in close proximity to the Duke (who, to be fair, was still in his night robe) on their wedding night. Lady Karita may well have heard the screams if she was a guest at the wedding, but I wouldn’t know if she was there. I was most certainly NOT invited to the wedding, since the Duchess-to-be had gotten wind of my history with the Duke. I had just snuck in to see Olivia, who worked in the mansion as a maid.

As I was saying, Lady Karita and I were talking, and the aforementioned dwarf approached us, and explained his quest. He asked if we were willing to accompany him. I don’t know the first thing about investigating missing cattle, but agreed to come along since this is just the kind of thing our mutual acquaintance may want to know about. I don’t think Olivia will want to come along when we start tracking the animals through the dark woods, but she’ll at least go with us to the farm. Why Lady Karita accepted to go on Magnar’s quest, I can’t fathom, but she agreed. One additional person, a cat woman trader called Kine, who had been sitting nearby, probably listening in on our conversation, will join us when we go.

Magnar kept grumbling about how unqualified the team was that he had put together. He asked if we had any weapon training. Kine and Lady Karita claimed to be able to fend for themselves. I had to admit that I wasn’t used to traipsing about armed, and I hoped there wouldn’t be much use for weaponry. I only wanted to come along to observe, so I didn’t mention that I had received some rudimentary training with bow and arrow and in unarmed combat from some hunters I was staying with some time a while back. Magnar insisted that I should borrow one of his daggers. I believe Kine has brought along some weapons for sale, but Magnar may well be carrying as many – that man is a walking armory!

I think Olivia and I have to go now. We’ve got to pack our stuff and let the innkeeper know we’ll be gone for a few days. Here’s seven copper for the buns.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue
coronatiger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2018, 08:57 AM   #4
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Re: Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

Session 1 (continued):

Thoughts on May 14th

I believe it’s a good idea to make a habit of thinking through what’s happened each day, before I go to sleep. That way, I hopefully can make a coherent and thorough report to the baker when I return to town.

Not much happened today. When Lady Karita finally got out of bed and had had her brunch, as she called it, we left for the farm where the livestock had been stolen. The shabby guards at the gate warned us about the dangers of the wilderness when we left town.

We arrived at the farm just before dark, and were shown that the barn door had been lifted off its’ hinges. It was a smaller side door, not the main one, but I still think it was an impressive feat. Animal tracks from about a hundred cows, sheep and goats led into the forest, and we’re going to follow them tomorrow.

Magnar suggested that maybe one of the farmers had a bow I could borrow. I asked one of them in a sultry voice whether they had one to spare, and he was quick to find one, along with a quiver and some arrows, and said that when I returned, I could keep them if I would grace him with a “favor”. That’ll be fun, so I’ll take him up on it, even if the bow isn’t among the finest.

I showed Magnar that I was able to hit the barn wall from five paces. When we went back inside, I performed a little, before Olivia whispered to me that it was time to go to bed.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue
coronatiger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2018, 09:02 AM   #5
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Re: Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

Session 1 (continued):

Thoughts on May 15th

Wow! That was intense! The thoughts are buzzing around in my head, and hopefully I can get some sleep when I’ve sorted through them. To start at the beginning …

We left this morning, following the animal tracks into the woods. Lady Karita and I were riding, but Magnar walked on foot, pulling his packhorse behind him. Kine left her oxen and wagon at the farm. None of us have any experience with tracking, but 100 animals should be easy enough to follow. At one point, Lady Karita thought she could see small, humanlike footprints, barefooted, among the tracks.

Lady Karita has good eyes. Some time later, she spotted a tripwire that Magnar almost triggered. She followed it with her eyes up a tree, to where someone had rigged a crude trap with a bow and arrow. It was a bit to high up the tree for her, so she asked me if I could climb up and get it. It wasn’t really that high, so I simply stood on Lightfoot’s saddle, guided him to the tree and picked down the arrow and then the bow, and handed them to her. The small bow was in poor condition, but maybe Kine can get a few coppers for it, so we gave it to her. The arrow, on the other hand, was all right, except for a wet stain on the tip that Lady Karita said was some kind of poison. She warned me about it before handing it back. Then we resumed the tracking. Some time later, Lady Karita found a flower that she believed was the source of the poison.

All of us failed to spot the second trap, but thankfully it didn’t penetrate Magnar’s armor. After that, I suggested that it might be a good idea to parallel the tracks, instead of walking and riding on top of them. That worked out all right, for we didn’t walk into any more traps.

In the late afternoon, I saw a spear sticking out of the bushes, and excitedly pointed it out to the others. Someone was holding the spear and ran off, and without thinking that it could be an ambush, we followed. The spearman disappeared into a dark hole in the rocks, so we dismounted and lit a lantern before we followed. The natural cave split in three directions, and Kine heard weapons being drawn to the right, over the noises of livestock ahead.

We turned right, towards the supposed cattle-nappers. Magnar took the front, wielding a morningstar and a huge shield. Kine, with the lantern in one hand and a whip in the other followed next, then Lady Karita, unarmed. I brought up the rear with the poisoned arrow on the bowstring, and hoping I wouldn’t hit any of my friends.

The passage soon opened up into a wider cavern, and Magnar found himself under attack by some small human-like creatures wielding spears and bows. There was also a funny-looking one who kept dancing about, waving his strange stick around. I think there might have been something in the air, for Magnar kept sneezing all through the ensuing battle.

Thankfully, we had Magnar in the front who managed to keep most of the creatures out of the passage. Kine positioned herself a half-step behind him and to the side, and Lady Karita took the other side, suddenly wielding a throwing star in each hand. Standing behind the others, it was difficult for me to get a clear shot, but when one of the enemies managed to get behind Magnar, I got him full in the chest with the poisoned arrow. He staggered back into the room, for even though he could have attacked Magnar in the back, he wasn’t keen on the prospect of reeling between three angry females.

It took some time before I got a second shot off, this time at the funny one, but the shot missed. Before I could draw another arrow, Magnar and the others had managed to down a few of our opponents, and the ones who still had their legs intact started fleeing. I tried to kick at them while they wove their way between us, but all three got past and a chase ensued.

Being in good shape and exceptionally athletic, if I may say so myself, I easily overtook the slowest of them just as they were passing our horses. I grabbed him, but wasn’t quite sure what I’d do next. I thought it might be a good idea to try to hold him until Magnar got there, but a panicked horse gave him a solid hoof in the stomach, barely missing my arms. The fellow immediately stopped struggling, so I dropped him to the floor and went after the last two. I saw they had managed to put quite some distance between us, so I leapt into Lightfoot’s saddle and took off after them. Lady Karita and Magnar took some time to get control of their horses, them not being war-trained, so I foolhardily left them behind.

The creatures ran in different directions, so I just picked one and tried to get Lightfoot to slam into him. We missed, but fortunately, so did the creature when he threw his spear. As he was unarmed now, I jumped to the ground and engaged him in close combat. I gave him a punch in the face, dropping him to the forest floor, and realized I still had the bow in my left hand. I couldn’t gather the will to kill him in cold blood, so I started dragging him back to the cave. When he started twitching, I freaked out and let out a scream. Kine found me pummeling his head into the ground a few seconds later.

We all met up back at the cave. Lady Karita had taken a spear to the chest, so I bandaged her wound and Magnar gave her a healing potion. Magnar had taken a couple of scratches himself, which I treated after attending to Lady Karita’s wound. The creatures had soon figured out that they couldn’t penetrate his heavily armored upper body, so they had started going after his legs.

We searched the cave, and found the animals, except for the few that had been sacrificed or eaten. There were ritualistic markings in one of the chambers, and we believe that the creatures had worshipped a demon god. I don’t know much about such things, and I’m hesitant to learn.

Lady Karita and I went to bed. Separately. I don’t think it’s wise to get together with any of my new friends, as that could cause tension in the group. From past experience, I know I won’t be able to refuse a seduction attempt, although I’ve never been propositioned by a dwarf or cat person before, but none of the three have shown any interest.


Well, that concludes the first session. The characters got to meet, we received some information about the world, and we even had a fight!
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue
coronatiger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2018, 02:06 AM   #6
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Re: Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

I woke up this morning ... with the beginnings of a song spinning around in my head. I got up and finished the lyrics before the song faded. It's set to the melody of a song I can't for the life of me remember the name of, which is irritating because I don't know how to hum in chat.

'Twas a lady and a cat
and a dwarf and little Matt-
e-a searching in the woods to find some cattle
that were victims of a nap.
They walked right into a trap
and it lead them to a goblin-slaying battle.

With her hands upon a bow
Maystatea tried to show
she could hold her own in battle if she had to.
All her arrows went astray
but the dwarf could save the day
and he did and then he said that he was glad to.

All the while and to the side
where the others did abide
waiting eagerly for goblins they'd be thrashing
stood the cat girl with her whips
taunting goblins, making quips,
making sure that they'd come near enough for lashing.

Next to her the lady stands
with no weapons in her hands
looking easy for the picking - a deception.
Stupid goblins make a try
realize too late they'll die
as her throwing stars correct their misconception.

When the goblins have been downed
we know cattle is around:
In the distance can be faintly heard some mooing.
They are brought back to the farm.
(Only two had come to harm.)
And the heroes look for new quests they'll be doing.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue
coronatiger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2018, 12:22 PM   #7
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

I'm reminded of "The War Song of Dinas Vawr" (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poe...-of-dinas-vawr), which I think of as an rpg song from many decades before RPGs were invented:

We bore away from battle,
And much their land bemoaned them,
Two thousand head of cattle
And the head of him that owned them. . . .
__________________
Bill Stoddard

I don't think we're in Oz any more.
whswhs is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2018, 12:29 PM   #8
SionEwig
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Default Re: Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

This sounds like an interesting campaign. Please keep writing up the log sessions, they are an good read. It will be somewhat different seeing a Campaign Log written from a character's POV rather than that of the GM.

One question, what was the starting character CP total that you worked with?
SionEwig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2018, 04:40 AM   #9
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Re: Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

We started on 230 CP and 50 CP disadvantage limit if I recall correctly. We had some house rules with requirements with regards to CP spendage.

In our role playing groups, campaign logging is usually a shared responsibility between the players (to spare the GM of that), and we read the log at the beginning of the next session, to recap what happened. This time, it's different, since the log contains personal thoughts and perspectives, but I'm going to sing the song when everyone arrives today. They should have been here a few minutes ago. Next log entry will hopefully enter the realm of the internet some time this weekend.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue
coronatiger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-18-2018, 05:17 AM   #10
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Re: Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

Session 2 (2018-11-17):

Thoughts on May 16th

Magnar came and woke us up in the morning, hammering on his shield. It was completely dark in the cavern, so I stuck out my tongue at him. Over breakfast, which Kine made to perfection, I learned that I had slept through quite a few events in the night: Kine had decided that the livestock was in desperate need of food, so she had brought them out to graze. During the following hours, the pigs had been fed most of our travel rations, two cows and a sheep had toppled over, and despite all of Kine’s attempts to handle the animals, five pigs had run off.

I’ve come to learn that Lady Karita is definitely not a morning person. Magnar’s rudeness did not help at all, and it was a very grumpy lady that we had to deal with when we were packing up and leaving for the farm. She thawed up on the way, though, and was back to her own diplomatic self in short order. Some bad words had been said by her and Magnar earlier, and I almost had to step in to defuse the situation, but now they were both polite and pleasant again. On the way back to the farm, I helped Kine herd the animals, being the most mobile of the party, but I picked up some of the conversation between the two nobles. That’s right, Magnar is a lord, and the Goldenbeard clan seems to be of some importance in his home country, wherever that is.

Back at the farm, while the others put the animals back where they belonged and were thanked by the farmers, I sought out the one who had lent me his bow. I gave him a smile and a wink and rendezvoused with him in his bedroom to return the bow. I kept the quiver and arrows. Some time later, I found Olivia and told her I was headed to the nearby stream to take a bath, and she joined me. I’m infinitely blessed to have her! We’re barely into our twenties, but we’ve been through so much together. I love her with every fiber of my being, and I know she loves me deeply as well. She sticks with me despite my countless affiliations because she knows they’re just physical, an urge I can’t resist. My heart is with her, always. I don’t keep secrets from Olivia, but I spare her the details of my encounters.

Describing the trip through the forest and the battle with the small people to Olivia took some time, since we did some not-talking too, by the stream. We returned to the farm before it got dark, and I performed with a little acrobatics before retiring to bed.


Thoughts on May 17th

Today we returned to town after an uneventful trip, and to the Golden Swan Inn. There were just four people in the common room aside from the staff, so I was a little disappointed when I tumbled and backflipped my way in there. One of the customers tried to flirt with me, but Olivia dragged me off before I could respond.

In the evening, I performed for a while, and noticed people looking in the windows. I suggested to the innkeeper that if he lowered his prices of beer, maybe more people would become paying customers. I don’t know if he did or not, but a few people came in when he closed all the curtains on the windows.
__________________
You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue
coronatiger is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
campaign log

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:33 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.