Numenera: Wreck of the Klaresh

Saturday July 10, 2021 at 9:30pm numenera, game session notes Comments (0) »
 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

I ran a few-shot for Sheri, Michael, Jese, Joe, and Myra over our summer vacation to SC this past week.  It took us 5 or 6 sessions, but we made it through the entire scenario (albiet without exploring every nook).

The premise was an explosion on a hillside near their town that revealed a prior-world structure. Their job was to evaluate any threats to their village it might contain.

 

Characters:

- Kai [Sheri] :: Graceful Nano who Rides the Lightning

- Jace [Michael] :: Clever Jack who Explores Dark Places

- Madge [Jese] :: Clumsy Glaive who Absorbs Energy

- Umi [Myra] :: Aggressive Jack who Figures Things Out

- Johan [Joe] :: Obsessive Glaive who Crafts Unique Objects

 

Highlights:

- The crew geared up and traveled south across the lake and overland to the place where a thin plume of yellow-gray smoke was still pouring out of the ground.  Upon arrival, they set up and activated the virtual mapper cypher they'd been given to get a feel for the layout of the structure - having to fend off a large pack of broken hounds while it procesed.  The cypher indicated a power source near the rear of the structure and some sort of control center at the far end. Kai was able to determine this structure was some sort of craft - probably one that traveled the Night.

- Once inside, they locatred the power source, which seemed to be unstable and possibly contaminated by cross-dimensional energies.  They also found Ceril, and merchant/trader from their village who had apparently come to find any treasures the ruin contained, but was instead corrupted by the dimensional leak.  Ceril fought with the until they were eventually subdued and removed from the ruin.

- While Johan and Umi were outside with Ceril, the others discussed the next course.  Feeling the power source's unstable state may result in a collapse/meldown/explosion, the group decided to make their way to the "control center" area to see if they could stabilize it from there.

- Johan and Umi missed the marks that had been left for them and ended up an an area strangely overgrown with purple, tendril-like grass and red, fleshy "trees".  It contained a malfunctioning portal of some kind, which was arcing energy from some nearby machinery.  Umi decided to go find the rest of the group, but Johan was obsessed with wanting to understand the machinery and stayed behind.

- Meanwhile, Madge, Kai, and Jace made their way through the mid-section of the craft, through a tunnel where water was pouring down from above.  By the time they arrived at the control area, Umi had caught up with them.  As they approached the final chamber, the door closed in front of them and they saw through the window a tall, slender being with numenera weaponry also examining it.

- Jace bypassed the lock and they moved inside.  Threatened by the biomechanical soldier inside, Madge moved into the room to assist her companions and tripped, falling down.  This startled and distracted the soldier, who accidentally connected its rifle with some loose conduits in the ceiling, sending a jolt of eletrcitiy through it and momentarily stunning it.

- Umi rushed in to grab the rifle as Jace made his way to one of the consoles.  Kai and Madge moved to support Umi, whom the creature immediately began attacking when it regained its senses.

- As the others held off the soldier, Jace had a brilliant insight on how to stabilize the reactor - unfortunately, in so doing, he accidentally cut power to the console as well, and the room with all of its interfaces went dark but for red emergency lighting.

- Meanwhile, Johan, having learned all he could from the portal area, had made his way back through the power core chamber just in time to see the pulsating reactor core suddenly shrink to a stable, standby state.

- The others slipped back through the door to the control center and Jace managed to reverse the security lock such that it was unable to get out.

- Believing they had neutralized the most immediate threats, the group made preparations to return to their village and make their report

Mysts of the Ninth World: Heart of the Void

Thursday September 27, 2018 at 8:30pm numenera, mysts of the ninth world, game session notes Comments (0) »
 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- The group was able to ward off the attacking predators with Naran's daylight abilities, directed by Piper's artifact which had tuned in to their dimensional energy signature.

- Continuing on, they eventually left the fern-encrusted tunnel, finding their way along catwalks suspended in nothingness to a vault that had been torn open from the inside.  6 massive tentacles protruted from it in different directions, and within it was a swirling vortex of black smoke.

- Once they moved into position, Naran used the artifact Piper had made to amplify her cutting light abilities to sear away the darkness - but each time she did so, she became weaker.  The others fought off the flock of bat-like shadows that began streaming from it, and they all did their best to dodge the great tentacles which reeled themselves in and began grasping at the intruders.

- As the blackness was cleared, they were able to catch a glimpse of the interior of the vault - where they saw the source of the living void: an open book.  When the last of the blackness was burned away, the book lay inert on the vault floor - the faintest wisp of black smoke issuing from its pages. 

- The void intrusion now disrupted, the group suddenly found themselves in some sort of control room amdist blaring alarms, frantic error displays, and components and terminals which were burning out and arcing eletricity - the system was overloading.  Against all odds, Piper, Naran, and Ronin managed to manipulate the system to bleed off the excess power and return it to a relatively stable condition.

- The group made their way back to the surface, where they found Polious looking somewhat relieved.  The Weathervane had stabilized - and, even better, was now operating at about 85% of ideal output - a marked improvement from the unstable 30-50% they'd been getting previously.  While its days were still numbered, he was optimistic that they would have at least another 5 years to prepare for its ultimate failure.

END OF CHAPTER 1

GM's Note: Chapter 1.  This is chapter 1.  And it took us two years and 62 sessions to get through.  I think the reasons for the long timeline were a combination of having the party split for so long, having short 1.5 - 2.5 hr game sessions, and that there is just SO MUCH to explore in the Ninth World and beyond.  Also, our group tends to "take the long way".  Don't get me wrong, the campaign has been a blast, but they have only scratched the surface.  For now, however, we're going to set this one aside and play some other things.  On our return, my plan for Chapter 2 is to advance the timeline a significant distance into the future: the players will construct a new generation of explorers set to build on the discoveries this group has made.

Mysts of the Ninth World: Hunger in the Void

Tuesday September 25, 2018 at 8:15pm numenera, mysts of the ninth world, game session notes Comments (0) »
 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Piper headed back to town, where they found that the ruin surrounding their settlement seemed to have "energized" in some way.  Polious was reporting that output levels for the Weathervane were averaging around 120% - up from about the 30-40% of the preceding weeks - but that the system was increasingly unstable. 

- Piper resumed work on the devices the group needed to address the problem and was able to finish them over the next several hours.

- Ronin, Ganthet, and Helios made their way through the night back to Arable, having a brief encounter with a strange, hovering eye covered in voluminous robes.  It seemed to have "left" something for them - a component that turned out to be *exactly* what Piper needed to finish the devices she was working on.

- After resting up, the group headed once more into the corridors below the Weathervane - searching for the epicenter of the dimensional-void they had been encountering.  Using the 'detector' Piper had made, they found their way deep into the ruin, through large sections that seemed to be "missing", and ultimately onto a long, twisting set of catwalks extending out into seeming nothingness.

- Eventually, the pathway led them to a large spherical chamber - from the outside closely resembling the control room they had just scavenged in the B Dome - but the inside was covered in luminous purple ferns.  As they made their way through it, Ronin began to suspect that they were being watched - just before they found themselves under attack by shadowy beast that seemed to materialize from a cloud of black smoke...

Mysts of the Ninth World: Gathering Storm

Tuesday September 18, 2018 at 8:15pm numenera, mysts of the ninth world, game session notes Comments (0) »
 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- As Piper pried the last of the needed components from the machinery, the system's stability reached a tipping point.  The pulsing blue lights in the sphere above them turned a dark red and alarms began to sound.  As they made their way back to the hatchway, several spherical maintenance automatons activated, though only one seemed to be functioning correctly.

- Outside, Ganthet and Helios confronted the many-mouthed being.  Before any real fighting began, however, it was distracted by another of its kind that had targeted Ronin.  As the two creatures argued and fought, the three of them withdrew, rejoining their friends, and all of them hurried toward the exit to the sphere - which was now full of flashing red lights and vibrating intensely.

- Once back at the entrance, Ronin, Ganthet, and Helios used their own abilities to descend from the sphere while Naran teleported herself and Piper directly back to Arable - or, close to it.  They arrived a few miles south of town at Aglarion's watchtower.  They were close enough, however, to see the stormclouds gathering to the south, the tribe of brutish abhumans approaching from that direction, and the billowing plume of smoke rising from beneath the southeast side of Arable - which had now pulled itself about 50 feet up and out of the ground...

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: At Its Core

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper and Helios fought off the sathosh, though some sort of smoke cypher nearly killed Piper - Ronin was able to save her by sacrificing one of the artifacts they'd taken from the abhumans.

- Meanwhile, Naran found some sort of access terminal and was able not only to stop the deafening noise, but also learn something about the ruin they were in and where they might be able to find the components they were seeking.

- The group reunited, and Naran led them deeper into the structure toward something she'd seen in the readouts labeled as an environmental processor - it would likely have the sensors they needed.

- Finding their way to that region proved difficult, however, as broken corridors and other obstructions blocked what should have been open pathways.  They found themselves in a cavernous space that had been overgrown by mushroom-like fungus.  Within this area, they found the entrance to the chamber they were seeking: a hatchway in the top of what seemed to be a 100' sphere.

- As Naran and Piper climbed inside and began cannibalizing what they could from the machinery within - being careful not to disrupt any systems that would prove hazardous - Ganthet, Helios, and Ronin found a humanoid bat-creature that had been captured.  As they freed it, they were interrupted by a strange, skulking humanoid with a head covered in mouths...

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: New Heights

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- The group returned once more to the "B Dome" - this time with Piper - in order to find components she needs to complete the the devices they require to help them address the blackness plaguing Arable.

- They encountered some sathosh on the way, including one particularly unusual individual in white, robe-like garb and weilding obvious numenera.  With the help of a hologram their presence seemed to have triggered, Piper and Helios found their way up into some sort of control chamber...

Mysts of the Ninth World: Missing Pieces

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ganthet, Ronin, Naran, and Helios traveled north to the "B dome", now revealed to be a 1400' sphere and hovering about 200' above the landscape.  They found a collapsed crater beneath the floating orb containing some remnants of the metal sphere and a partially-crushed burned stonework structure - as well as the entrance to an underground sathosh lair.  Unsure of a good way to reach the sphere above and unintentionally attacting the sathosh's attention, they decided to return to Arable.

- Piper continued working on her new devices, and Naran and Helios were finally able to nail down the exact capabilities and limitations of Naran's teleportation ability: to be reliable, the starting point and the destination must be located in direct sunlight otherwise the jump would always be off - sometimes a little, sometimes a lot

- Piper eventually came to the conclusion that to create the necessary artifacts, she would need some specialized components she didn't have - and the most likely place to find them would be the B Dome...

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: The Living Void

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Flashback: About 24 hours after their return from the margr encampment, Drakald organized a search party to go look for Tala and Kelon, who still had not return.  What remained of the encampment was a  bloody mess of dead margr and scavenger beats.  It took a couple hours of searching, but they eventually found the bodies of both of their friends.  Upon return to Arable, a funeral for the lost was arranged.  Even with the return of Naran and Helios, the spirits of the town were depressed for a y several days - lifted somewhat when Piper arrived.

- The group spent some time discussing Polious' concerns.  Despite the Aeon Priest's feeling that the device was doomed, they beleived that if they could remove the void influence from the Weathervane, it might recover enough to be stabilized.  They did some experiments on the puddle-like protrusions finding that bright light seemed to boil it away.  With the help of a cypher, Ronin was able to look "inside" one of the puddles, to find a swirling vortext of shadow leading deep into the earth.

- Ideas for how to remove the void were difficult in coming, but the group eventually decided their best bet was to somehow amplify Naran's light ability and direct it at the "heart" of the void, somewhere deep within the ruin beneath tham.  Piper set about trying to make a some devices (one to enhance Naran's light ability, and one to detect the source of the void intrusion), Naran spent some time studying the strange portal books they'd found on their journeys, and Ganthet, Ronin, and Helios discussed a venture up to the now-floating B Dome...

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Burning Out

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- As Ronin attempted to cover Ravri's escape from the merkadian, Helios suddenly appeared between them and a large margr (Glaan) emerged from the chaos behind it.  Helios and the margr engaged the spike assailant while Ronin fired at it with his bow, eventually piercing its chest and causing it to explode in a burst of green, electrical energy.

- While Kelon and Ganthet attempted to occupy the surrounding margr, Naran made her way to the controls of the large, wheeled cannon artifact as the a loosed crag worm bore down upon them.  Naran was able to take control of the device and decipher the controls enough to get it moving in a direction away from the rampaging beast, driving it away through the chaos of the camp and out the other side.

- After taking a few more shots into the skirmishing margr with his numenera polyp weapon, Ronin sensed that they had done what they could and assisted the injured Ravri away from the encampment.  Noticing the telltale signs of his brother's lightening abilities, Helios waded into the camp to help cover his escape.  The warcamp now thoroughly consuming itself, the parties from Arable disengaged - each making their way back to the town by their own route.  Only Kelon and Tala did not return.

- The townspeople were happy to be reunited with Naran and Helios, and there was more celebration on their return.  Once she and Olim arrived, Piper spent some time with Polious fixing the dozen or so perplexing "bugs" that seemed to continue to plague the Weathervane, despite their efforts and what the Aeon Priest was sure should have worked.

- After some time had passed, Polious gathered them all together with some troubling news: the Weathervane was dying.  A number of major components were shorting out and could not be replaced without depowering the entire system, but the burnout of a number of regulatory systems and the malfunctioning of interfaces meant that they only way they had to shut it down would also burn out the entire thing.  On top of that, its power output seems to be much less than the core the group had recovered should be providing - and it's continuing to drop.  He gives it less than two years of reduced operation before it burns out completely, and he has no contingency plan...

- +2xp

GM's Note: For the first time since Mar 6 2017, the party is completely reunited!!

Mysts of the Ninth World: The Ravaging Horde pt. II

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran returned to where Helios had been, only to find him missing.  Looking around, she noticed Ganthet and Kelon in the camp below her, freeing the worms and fending off a merkadian.  Still invisible, she made her way down the slope to some cover and began zapping the spiked man with sunbeams.

- Ganthet used his electrical affinity to awaken and prod the sedated crag worms, who lunged into the camp, adding to the chaos unfolding there.  Kelon attempted to keep the merkadian's attention, which quickly devided between him, Ganthet, and whatever was searing him with bright yellow light.  The three of them kept him unable to focus on a single target, and Naran was eventually able to finish him off.

- Trying to keep Ravri's quarry from spotting her, Ronin fired a couple of polyp canisters in his direction.  The merkadian spotted him almost immediately and charged up into his hiding place.  Not wanting to be cornered, Ronin leapt away into the darkness, but this turned the merkadian's attention elsewhere and he spotted Ravri just before she was able to backstab him.  Ronin returned and began firing arrows and canisters into the resulting skirmish, but neither he nor Ravri seemed to be able to do much damage to the merkadian threat.

- The warcamp itself was quickly devolving into internal conflict.  The margr gathered there were only loosely held together by merkadian control - and most of them resented the outsiders.  One tribe leader in particular called Glaan, saw and opportunity as things began to unfold and made her move against the one called The Eye.  As the duel began, the margr gathered, uncertain of what to do, waited to see how it would turn out - and thus who to side with.  The resulting struggle was brief and brutal, but Glaan ultimately came out on top, crushing the merkadian's head with a final blow that dislodged its numenera eye.

- After killing the merkadian, Naran, Kelon, and Ganthet had a brief conversation about what to do next.  They had killed a probably leader, but they still needed to do more to reduce the threat posed by this band.  Seeing a large numenera machine powering up and rolling through the camp, they decided that would be their next target.  Though outnumbered dozens to one, the three waded into the camp, fighting off abhumans as they went, until they reached the device.

- Ronin and Ravri, both beaten down signficantly, began to make a retreat to the north, away from the fight.  Ronin used his numenera device to put as many polyp growths between them and the merkadian as possible, but it was only slowing him down.

- Glaan, having wondered through the camp in search of the other oppressors, finally spotted the green numenera discharges of the one called The Fist.  She shoved her way through the intervening chaos, emerging to see the merkadian wading through a growth of red polyps toward some unknown attacker in the darkness...

- +1xp

GM's Note: This situation turned into a rather lengthy and complex encounter.  Because Piper is not present - and is, in fact, weeks further in the timeline than the others - I decided to give Keara an NPC to play in this engagement.  Indicating she wanted to do something a bit different, I decided I would give her one of the margr of the camp - the leader of a sub-tribe who chafed against the merkadian's cowing of the others.  While this character was created just prior to this session, the idea of characters like Glaan present in the warcamp was always there, so it was easy enough to flesh out one of them and hand it off.  Keara really enjoyed the change of pace, and getting a different perspective on the chaos of the encounter was interesting for everyone.

Mysts of the Ninth World: The Ravaging Horde pt. I

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Pursued by a patrol of margr, Ronin, Ganthet, and the others scatter into the rugged landscape, forcing the enemies to split up and losing some of them in the process.  A few isolated skirmishes resulted, with somewhat varied outcomes.

- Ganthet and Kelon regrouped and decided that something must be done about the greater tribe.  Neither had a solid plan, so they decided to go for the desperate one that seemed to have the best chance of doing some good: if they could release and prod the juvenile cragworms, the beasts might be able to do enough damage to significantly weaken the horde.

- Ronin had a brief fight with the one margr chasing him and made his way to a nearby skirmish where he found Ravri being attacked by several - including an obvious leader.  The fight took a toll on them both, but with some good fortune they take out the big guy and took off before too many more could arrive.  Deciding that the game is up, they also made their way back toward the encampment - Ronin decided that freeing the cragworms they'd seen earlier was their best bet at keeping the tribe from attacking Arable, though Ravri seemed dubious.

- Meanwhile, Naran and Helios were attacked by another patrol as they wandered unknowingly into the margr's territory.  They fought off their attackers, but lost their pack animal in the process.  Gathering the remaining supplies, they continued on their way - only to stumble upon the encampment from above.

- As Ronin and Ravri made their way around the camp from the north, Ronin caught sight of Ganthet sneaking in and cutting the ropes tying the beasts down.  Noticing another group of margr approaching the area, he fired his red-polyp numenera weapon into their midst, creating confusion and buying his companions some time.  Taking note of the effectiveness of the tactic, he maneuvered into a different position and fired again into the camp as Ravri moved off in another direction.

- Above, Naran and Helios spotted a patrol heading their way.  Naran made herself invisible and teleported to the far side of the patrol in a bright flash of light, startling and disorienting them.

- Ganthet and Kelon managed to cut the cables on the worms without being seen, and the most agitated of them lunged into the camp, devouring whatever margr it came across.  As he carefully pulled back into the shadows at the edge of the camp, Helios, who had been watching the scene from above, recognized his brother.

- Ronin took notice of the figures in spikes investigating the chaos happening in the camp with a bit more focus than their abhuman counterparts.  As one moved closer to his position, he saw Ravri, all but in the open, creeping up behind it with her knife drawn...

Mysts of the Ninth World: Here We Are

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Helios met up with some scavengers outside the Empty Machine and followed them back to the quasi-permanent encampment nearby.  They bartered for food, water, and a shelter from the supply caravan that had arrived from the north and set out toward Arable.  Late in the evening of the 4th day, as they wandered through a badlands region, the found themselves surrounded by a small band of margr...

- Ronin and Ganthet discussed their situation with the other hunters and made some decisions.  A few of them attempted to pursue the margr that had fled from the battle but were ultimately unable to catch it.  The others moved into a recon position to survey the larger tribe.  They found an unusually large group of 200+ margr, possibly being led by a couple of spike-covered humanoids, that had apparently captured a few juvenille cragworms.  As they talked about what they'd found, margr nearby were alerted to their presence...

- Piper, Olim, and Jumis made their way through the scrublands toward Arable.  They happened upon some machinery surrounded by deep, black oil on the way through.  When they reached the city, they were greeted by Neen - deputy Urshan's pet seskii.

Mysts of the Ninth World: The End In Sight

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper and Olim made their way into Luigolamis.  They spoke to a couple of guardsmen who gave them some tips on navigating the city.  They were able to acquire supplies from the lakeshore markets, but had little luck finding suitable components for their damaged airship.  As they made their way out, an alarm sounded throughout the Twinned Cities and the energy barrier was activated - apparently a bandit army was closing in and the city needed to be sealed.  Piper and Olim used a cypher they'd acquired and a makeshift zipline to escape.  Once back to the airship, they set out once more for the Beyond.

- Ganthet began climbing the numenera device that had risen from the sands in an attempt to reach the top before the margr as Ronin fired arrows at the remaining enemies.  Ganthet managed to knock the climbing margr from the device and, continuing to its top, found another numenera objcet being created within teh energy bubble at the top.  As the hunters closed in on the remaining margr, Ronin gained the leader's attention.  As the massive, two-headed margr charged at him, he pulled and fired the weapon he'd taken from one of the others.  His shot was perfect and the leader was consumed from the inside by toxic fungal polyps.  Their remaining foes had fallen, but they knew at least one had escaped in the fray - certainly heading northwest to the larger tribe.

- Naran and Helios rejoined Drokkan at the bunk house.  After a a bit more rest, Drokkan agreed to take them to the machine he'd found as promised.  On the way there, he became increasingly wary - and when they arrived he found a glyph that unnerved him.  As he warned them that they shouldn't remain in the area long, Naran began to examine the complex device.  The center of the room seemed to contain a bubble of space somehow "pulled" from another location.  She discerned that, if one were to break the containment field, that person could enter the bubble and be transported to the place displayed.  In a stroke of considerable good fortune, she not only located the controls to alter the location displayed, but found several "presets" that showed floating obelisks - one of which she recognized from Polious' stories as the Amber Monolith.  From there, she was able to adjust the location eastward until Helios recognized the Empty Machine - a landmark not more than a hundred miles or so northwest of Arable.  It was at this point they ran out of time.  As a greenish mist began to fill the room, Naran activated to device and she and Helios jumped into the portal - telling Drokkan he could come with them, but that it was a one-way trip.

- Piper and Olim traveled slowly but steadily on their airship for several days - through the Black Riage via the Garl Knave, westward to the enormous Ba-Adenu forest, and then north to the plains of Kataru.  They saw distant lights in the impossibly-tall black mountains, the great mass of the largest trees either of them had ever seen, a massive automaton with a glass-like spherical head, a landscape bent down by the inexplicably-sustained gusts of hurricane-force winds, and a silver thread reaching all the way into the heavens in the eastern distance.  After a few days, however, their craft began to experience various levels of malfunction.  They worked tirelessly to keep it stable, in the air, and continuing north, but it became apparent that eventual failure was inevitable.  For the last several miles, the all but scraped the surface of the barren landscape before the craft dug into the dull earth and came to a stop.  In the distance, however, Piper could just make out the point of what appeared to be Aglarion's Watchtower - and landmark only a few miles south of Arable.

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: More Than Bargained For

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper and Garrot load up Jumis and what supplies they had and manage to get the craft off the ground and some distance from the city before they came under attack by the perimeter defences.  They took a hit to the craft's secondary propulsion systems, which Piper was able to patch while dangling from a makeshift harness.  Once away, they discussed their overall plan.  They decided they would stop in the Empire's "Twinned Cities" of Jargolamis/Luigolamis for supplies and components, and then make their way to the Garl Nave to cross the Black Riage into the Ba-Adenu forest and make their way northward from there over the Beyond.  This would mean they'd have little hope of aid should their craft break down, but it also meant they would have little in the way of political trouble.

- Ganthet, Ronin, and their companions continued their fight against the margr band, slowly gaining the advantage.  The holograms that had been shifting overhead suddenly vanished, and some sort of numenera device emerged from the ground - crowned with a bubble of pulsing energy.  The leader and a couple of others broke off their fight with the intruders in order to interact with it: the leader seemed to activate certain controls while one of the others began frantically climbing the structure toward the energy bubble.

- Helios was awakened by a sudden tremor that knocked him out of the bunk and frantic pounding on the door.  It also seemed to be "snowing" inside the building.  Looking out the window, he saw some chaos in the Scavengers' Wreck, but nothing obviously corresponding with the cries of "let us in, it's going to kill us!" coming from the people outside.  He poked his head through the door and told them to calm down, but they just ran off screaming.  Seeing no apparent threat beyond the crazies outside, Helios barricaded the door and went back to sleep.

- Naran and Martylla had been making their way to the DataVault when the snow storm hit.  Naran found that contact with the crystals caused vivid hallucinations and disorientation, but Martylla and the other skeane seemed unaffected.  She made it to the DataVault only partially conscious and the next they she knew she was in some distorted facsimile of Arable.  Uncertain of her surroundings but following the cues provided, she and Martylla navigated the construct, spoke with some of the "people" there, and eventually emerged with 3 marker keys.  Taking advantage of the chaos created by the storm, Martylla was able to get them to an unattended "lift" within the vault where they could use their keys to access the correct data-drives to get the information they were after: where was Helios?  The data in the vault seemed to answer their question - as well as a few more unasked.

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Decisive

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper and Garrot were led by Quince into the Court of Rarmon where they spoke with Lord Gyre.  They were asked to explain the afternoon's "malfunction" and to give their opinion of ongoing threats.  Some of the conversation began to sound accusatory when Quince made a proposal to the Lords to move all "significant and mysterious" numnera artifacts to the control of the crown by way of the city government.  A few of those gathered took issue with this "overreach", but most seemed contentedly unaffected.  Following the hearing, Piper returned to the Orrery with Garrot in order to help return it to a (more) stable condition and then made her way back to Olim's tower to find the airship almost ready for launch.  After a brief conversation with him and some hurried preparations and last-minute checks, they decided the time had come to make their move - the test flight of their newly-completed airship would be a flight from the city's powers-that-be and into the Beyond.

- Ganthet, Ronin, and their company continued their fight against the margr as the holograms flashed and shifted overhead.  Ronin attracted the attention of one of abhumans weilding a slug-thrower weapon and Ganthet engaged with the large, two-headed creature that seemed to be the leader while Tala, Ravri, Oorum and Shynd waded into the fray with other specimens.  After being disarmed, Ganthet set off an electrical detonation cypher, which shocked and stunned most of those within the camp as a powerful energy beam from somewhere outside burned into the margr leader's chest

- Naran, Drokkan, and Helios attempted to hide as a band of well-equipped skeane descended upon the area.  Their efforts were only partially successful, and both groups decided to leave the area rather than engage them.  Helios, unsure of the location of his companions, set off toward the membrane gate leading back into the city of Rust and, once there, made his way to Drokkan's dwelling in the South Loop.  Naran and Drokkan were trying to conceal themselves in their hiding place, but searchlights suggested they'd been spotted.  Naran was doing her best not to let the growing dread become panic when she suddenly found herself back in the City of Rust.  She set the injured Drokkan up in one of the public bunkhouses and went to speak with his skeane "friend" Martylla to see if she could find a way to determine Helios's wearabouts.  Martylla suggested they check the DataVault.

 

Mysts of the Ninth World: Cornered

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper and Garrot discovered the huge electromagnet that was part of the Orrery had malfunctioned, possibly as a side effect of their interface with the Atlas, and had pulled nearly all unanchored metal within a wide radius up to it.  After considerable effort, they were able to disengage the magnet and release the objects it had collected in a relatively safe fashion.  After this, they were escorted to the Sunken Palace, which they found still spinning, to speak with city authorities.

- Ronin and Ganthet met with several of the hunters of Arable to plan some action against the small abhuman margr band that had strangely taken up residence nearby and was, reportedly, harassing some of the outlying farms.  Wanting to remove this threat without drawing the ire of the large tribe further northwest, they decided they would attack at night, allow none to escape, and leave no trace of their presence.  As they launched their attack on the dozen or so margr and their two-headed leader, a number of large, holographic images of various people, places, and objects appeared within the battlefield.

- Naran and Drokkan contined to work to shut down the machine emitting the corrosive bubbles.  The glowing fish began harassing them as they attempted to disable the device, some of which seemed to siphon energy from it to become larger and more menacing.  Their efforts ultimately overloaded some part of the device, and it sent out one last shockwave that somehow encased every living thing in its path within an egg-like, red sphere.  Naran cut her way out and made her way over to free Drokkan.  She was able to cut him out as well, but he seemed to have faired more poorly and was barely concsious.  It was then that they noticed lights from a craft overhead.

- Meanwhile, as Helios bargained with the two eleen tribemen for the spoils of the room they had discovered, a third eleen hurried into the room with a warning about kenlem in the area.  Before they could make any real preparations, large, two-headed spiders began phasing into the room through the walls and ceiling.  Helios grabbed what he could, and hurriedly forced himself back through the wall toward his home dimension.  He emerged just in time to be hit by the bubble-machine's shockwave and found himself trapped in a spherical "egg" as well, from which he escaped by phasing through the solid shell, nearly exhausting his energy.

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Partial Success

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper spent some additional time in the Atlas with Garrot attempting to interact with the device in an intentional way.  With considerably effort, she was able to activate the device again, focusing it on their area and where she believed her home town of Arable might be located.  Using the device seemed to be physically taxing, however, and the intense pressure-headaches it triggered ultimately became unbearable.  Believing she had adequate - if not abundant - guidance for where to direct their course, Garrot opened the hatch to descend back into the Orrery's control room, but stopped when he noticed something wrong...

- Ganthet used his lightening ability to jump to the entrance of the power vault to sever the liquid-like tentacle grasping his friend and the power core.  As he hacked through it, Polious threw an electrical detonation cypher into the vicinity.  Their combined effortes ruptured the tentacle, sending black acid all everywhere.  The three were able to get the power core back into position and reconnected, but were not 100% satisfied with the resulting operations: Polious was concerned that the core was outputting too much power, but had to admit that any additional manipulation of the setup was likely to make things worse and not better.  Above, they found that the Weathervane had stabilized closer to its "normal" operation, but that it's area of influence has shrunk considerably and Polious was concerned about a pinhole that had appeared in the perpetual clouds directly above the device's point.  Over the next few days, townsfolk began making plans for clearing land and moving farms that were no longer under the influence of the artifact while Ronin, Ganthet, and the town's hunters discussed the growing presence of margr in the area...

- Helios, Naran, and Drokkan found a nearby area to rest before sending Helios back into the vault.  Just before he began phasing through the metal door, a woman appeared among them asking to accompany him.  It took them a few minutes to realize that this woman was a manifestation of the Sisters they had met in Mekel - she was apparently some sort of artificial construct housed within the numenera cube they had given to Helios and Naran.  She wanted to find a place more suitable for herself, and believed the place Helios had found within the vault might offer more promise.  Helios took the cube from Naran and phased through the door again.  While looking around the room, he was met by two pale-skinned humans(?) who had some claim on the area he had discovered.  They agreed to give him 1/3 of the contents of the room, which seemed fair.  Meanwhile, Naran and Drokkan found themselves beset by dangerous bubbles issuing from what remained of the propulsion artifact they'd been examining when the whale awoke as well as a large rock-creature...

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Awakening Giants

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Nearing completion of the airship project and still in need of a bearing on their destination, Piper went to speak with Garrot at the Grand Orrery about something few know to be concealed within it: The Atlas.  Though he was initially dismissive, Piper eventually convinced him to let her see it.  The Atlas turned out to be some form of VR planetarium showing all of the major solar system bodies.  Upon viewing this array, Piper's subconscious was able to manipulate the device - though, afterward, she was unsure how or why she'd done so.

- Black, liquid-like "tentacles" slipped themselves into the power vault where Polious, Ronin, and Ganthet were attempting to restore stablility to the Weathervane.  The tendrils flowed themselves around people and objects as Ronin and Ganthet tried desperately to sever them while keeping the newly-connected core from malfunctioning.  The grasping strands of darkness ultimately found the power core and began leeching energy from it.  As Ganthet attempted to hack it away, a surge of will from somewhere in darkness beyond strengthened its hold, tearing both Ronin and the core from the wall and pulling them toward the abyss.

- Naran, Helios, and Drokkan immediately began attempting to depower the propulsion artifact they had inadvertently awakened even as the whale and the city on its back lurched forward toward the seabed.  The giant creature with its ring of lights floated back toward them, seemingly curious about this new source of activity and extendended rigid, vine-like tendrils into the aft of the ship.  Naran and Drokkan were able to deactivate the machine after only a few attempts and, as the whale-city began drifting to a stop, they all felt for a moment as though disaster had been averted.  It was then that the static energy build-up made its presense known - growing to an intensity that resulted in a powerful arc between the propulsion device and the bulbous eyes of the looming creature trailing them.  The creature reacted instinctively, ripping its tendrils from the aft of the city and shredding much of the surrounding structure in the process.  This dislodged the massive propulsion artifact, which fell some distance toward the sea floor before it was caught by some sort of cabling which tore free down the starboard side, swinging the heavy device out in that direction and causing the whale to roll along with it.  Just when the rotation had nearly inverted the city, the colossal creature finally awoke.  Startled by the sudden activity behind it, it immediately began swimming toward what it believed to be the surface, smashing its back into the ocean floor beneath its entire mass; crushing the settlement that once perched atop it.  The titanic creature thrashed about as it attempted to right itself - splintering wood, synth, and steel - before it finally succeeded in rolling over and ascending from the rubble.  Naran and Helios had managed to get clear of the whale before the impact and avoided being buried in the waves of sediment kicked up from the sea floor by the flailing beast.  They found Drokkan amidst the rubble, unharmed and smiling - standing before the partially buried vault.

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: The Murky Future

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper went to speak with Ryse and the other Aeon priests at the Embassy of Truth, telling them about the transdimensional device she found in The Pipes.  She also spent some time in the Embassy's library looking over the available maps.  Ibe and a few of the other priests suggested some courses of action to determine the location of her home.

- Ronin and Ganthet went down into the ruins beneath the Weathervane with Polious to finally repair the artifact with the power core they'd recovered.  Upon reaching the jury-rigged setup in the vault-like power room, they determined that the connections on the replacement core weren't going to make the project overly easy - and nor were the black tentacles reaching in after them...

- Helios began phasing through the vault door to see what was inside while Naran and Drokkan continued exploring the hold.  They didn't find much else of interest in the vast storage areas of the ship-city - aside from a massive creature with a ring of lights around its head investigating the structure they were in.  They pulled Helios back out just after he'd seen that the room on the other side of the Vault door was not at all what he expected.  They talked for a minute about whether to address the creature, but decided not to chance agitating it - though they'd have to wait for it to leave before feeling it would be safe to reenter the vault.  In the meantime, they decided to investigate the device Naran had previously discovered in the aft.  They began scavenging it for numenera components when a portion of it unexpectedly powered up - and began pushing the whale-city forward, toward the sea floor...

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: The Primary Objective

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ronin and Ganthet return to the illusory forest they'd encountered when they'd started their quest - though it had definitely moved further north from its previous position.  They made their way through the hologrammatic trees as quickly as possible, though it took several hours.  Somewhere near the center of the wood, they found a giant, tangible tree surrounded by large, translucent pods.  A nearby pool of water allowed them to refill their canteens for the remainder of their journey, though something about the place felt 'off'.  When they finally reached Arable, they were greeted with desparate pleading and endless questions - particularly about their missing companions and the success of their mission.  They learned that the Weathervane's function had been steadily deteriorating since they left and would need attention soon if the settlement is to survive.

- Naran and Helios continued exploring the wrecked whale-city with Drokkan.  Naran found a sort of command or navigation room while Helios phased through a pressure-sealed bulkhead to enter the captain's quarters, which were still dry.  Inside he found numenera devices and a chest of shins amid the mess of papers and objects thrown from shelves and tables.  Naran found some interesting maps for which she went to some lengths to salvage and preserve, as well as a metal safe which she cut from the surrounding equipment.  After giving the remainder of the bow a once-over, the three proceeded into the cargo holds where they found some metal plates that superheated when they came in contact with one another, a crate of pearls that seemed to repel water, and a large metal vault which promised their real payday...

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: A Hitch in the Plan

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ronin and Ganthet fought off the trio of margr, who turned out to be sentries for a massive encampment further into the northern badlands.  They were able to outrun the pursuing band, eventually arriving at the oasis they had visited some weeks before.  Once more, the glowing purple diamond appeared above the well at the site, and individuals seemingly from different worlds or realities wandered in.

- Piper and Olim cleaned up the tower and made some plans to carefully limit what they divulged about their project.  When the inspection came, however, the Queen herself was leading the examination.  Unfortunately, she was able to determine the nature of the craft they were restoring and, as Olim feared, had in mind several uses for it.  To prevent the commandeering of his new vessel, Piper suggested they finish repairs on the ship and then use it to leave for her home of Arable - if they could determine the precise direction.

- Naran, Helios, and Drokkan split up and began exploring the whale/ship/city.  Naran located a large numenera device at the aft surrounded by glowing fish and Drokkan found what he believed to be the "captain's quarters" but was unable to get inside.  Helios, however, ran afoul of a giant black eel-like creature and some dangerous plants.  The group managed to fight it off and resumed their exploration of the strange place.

Mysts of the Ninth World: Keep It Together

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ronin and Ganthet headed east across the desert plains, but their not-quite-domesticated aneen kept driving them north.  Ronin noticed the brilliant-purple object above the oasis they'd seen on their original journey west and reoriented their course but from their northward position, this took them through a badlands region.   They found themselves under attack by margr and are now attempting to fight off the abhumans while keeping their wild pack animal from running off.

- Piper and Olim's meeting with magistrate Quince was interrupted by the Angulan Knight Yal-Sara as she "delivered" the body of a man she'd been sent after.  Once the magistrate regained his composure, he decreed that Olim must provide documentation on his efforts and agree to an imspection.  On their way back to the tower, he voiced to Piper his concern that the queen was angling to seize control of his services and the airship he was restoring.

- Naran and Helios followed Drokkan through the crowds gathering around the return of Vareallius' ship to talk with a skeane friend of his about some deep water equipment for his new companions.  Once this was acquired, the three headed up through the membrane gates and into the cold, dark waters.  They jetted along the sea floor to the place where the deeping martelling was sleeping and then up into the city on its back and made plans to split up and see what they could find in the time.

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Pulled In

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Helios continued into the darkness of the South Loop.  After getting pulled deeper in to the Rustways by a strange current and encountering some massive monsters that seemed to repeatedly appear and disappear, they found their way back to the corridor and on to the Scavengers' Wreck, the more inhabited portion of this dark ruin.  There, they eventually found Drokkan, the many they were looking for who they were told found something in the ruins that might be able to transport them elsewhere.  Unfortunately, he insisted he was pressed for time at the moment - so the two agreed to go with him to help with whatever he was doing: which turned out to be exploring the remains of a deeping martelling whale settlement...

- Ganthet and Ronin evaded the monstrous metal automaton that emerged from a doorway on the far side of the large chamber they'd decended into when it unexpectedly powered-down.  In fact, the entire complex seemed to be powering up and then losing power at regular intervals.  Ronin led them further into the ruin where they found various control rooms and eventually a vertical shaft lined with glass pods, some of which contained creatures that had seemingly been grafted with plants. - one of which, a margr, was still alive.  The ladder in the shaft gave them access to the hatch at the top, and they emerged back onto the plain above.  The aneen Ganthet had left tied up had eventually worn itself out trying to escape, and was now calmly resting.

- An explosion blew out a wall at the top of the tower and sent Piper falling down the stairway into the room below, where Olim was still trying to catch the escaped threviars.  The two pursued the darting creatures downstairs, where they apparently repowered an automaton friend of Olim's and then animated a giant pile of junk which began harrying Piper as she continued her search for some sort of containment device.  It was about this time that there was a pounding on the front door and a voice demanding that Olim come out.  Piper and Olim managed to break apart the junk pile and collect the remaining threviars about the time the door burst open amd one of the Rarmon guards came in and insisted they come with him to speak with the magistrate...

Mysts of the Ninth World: What Lurks Within

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper returned to Olim's tower and resumed helping him on his airship restoration.  They encountered a large number of mysteriously burned out components related to the man's previous attempts to restore functionality to the craft.  As they worked, snakes seemingly composed entirely of electricity leapt out of the craft and began causing havoc with other nearby devices whie the two tried to recapture them...

- While attempting to climb up and out of the opening from which he was dangling, Ronin mistakenly grabbed a vinelike plant and his weight ripped its shallow roots from the structure until it snagged on a piece of machinery.  While he climbed the rest of the way down, Ganthet descended into the chamber himself.  As they surveyed their surroundings, the blocky tower that jutted up from the center of the chamber lit up and the entire structure began a small but intense vibration.  A number of nearby panels powered up, while other areas began to pop and spark with shorting circuits.  Ronin noted a number of broad holes that had been punched through the walls of the chamber from outside just before a pounding sound of metal-on-metal began...

- Naran and Helios spent some time speaking with Thuriss and Marna at the now-emptied Great 'Leens tavern before setting out through the city toward the South Loop.  The pair's persistence with the guards at the gate eventually yielded results and the door was opened for them - revealing the dark, tunnel-like passage into this newly-opened section of the Rustways...

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: An Entrance or Exit

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper awoke and continued attempting to find her way through the caverns and back to the surface.  She found a spiraling passage heading downward which led to a chamber full of crystals and eventually a room full of complex machinery.  She was confronted by a glowing banner-like entity which asked her a number of questions before asking if she wished to return to the surface.  After answering in the affirmative, the next thing she knew she was on the crowded streets of Rarmon with her back to the Obstinate Door. 

- Thruird blasted the Great 'Leens with bursts of ice from her mask while panicked bystanders fled.  Naran was temporarily frozen to one of the pub's machines and Helios attempted to tackle their assailant and cover her face.  The attempt failed, but it did distract her long enough for Naran to free herself and engage the Russet in conversation.  The unexpected turn confused the girl enough that she dissipated the mask and left - obviously still angry but no logner violent.  In the remains of the bar, the two spoke for some time about how to proceed in finding a way back to the mainland.

- Ganthet waited for Ronin for some time before leaving the power core in a "safe" place and heading north after the herd.  As he approached a watering hole next to a cliffside, Ronin found him - now human but covered with smears of blood.  The two made their way to the water's edge, where they were greeted mentally by some unseen entity.  When they were unable to comply with its requests for a "clearance code", the ground began to shake.  Ganthet hopped on a nearby aneen before it bolted away, but Ronin fell into the water and was unable to escape before the bottom fell out of the pool into a massive underground chamber.

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Fragile Rage

Wednesday December 13, 2017 at 8:00pm numenera, mysts of the ninth world, game session notes Comments (0) »
 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- While trying to trap an aneen to use as a pack animal, something inside Ronin was overcome with hunger.  He transformed into an enourmous red serpent and began tearing open the scattering animals.  His ravenous feast was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a cragworm, which fought with him for territory - nearly dragging Ganthet off after being greviously injured.  Ronin, still a giant snake, pursued the fleeing herd beasts to the northeast while Ganthet recovered.

- Piper was attempting to find her way up and out of the cavernous depths when she encountered a small hive of crab-like creatures seemingly composed of the cast-off junk around her.  The brushed them off and eluded their pursuit for some time, before stomping on one that surprised her.  It let out a piercing sustained shriek, which awoke something giant behind her in the darkness.  Whatever it was bellowed and pounded the walls and floor of the cavern, causing underground earthquakes that nearly buried her.

- Naran and Helios entered the "Great 'Leens" tavern and learned something about the place and its odd games, as well as the city at large and some possible ways back to the surface.  The most apparent seemed to be Varealius' craft or a gateway found by a man called Dokkan, but they were also told they could speak with the Deephunters (skeane that know the area outside the city well) and/or consult the Datavault for more information.  Their conversations were interrupted, however, when the bartender called for a drinking game and unwittingly insulted a teenaged girl - who then revealed herself as Thruird, the Russet, and began ripping appart the tavern with blasts of ice from her conjured mask...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: This New Strangeness

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- After being "decontaminated", Naran and Helios received a brief orientation on the city, including information about the "Four Scylines" (the machine gods that "rule" the city), the "florrine" concoction they were required to injest daily, city service, layout, and basic services; after which, they were given their "passtags".  They asked the skeane they were speaking to about access to the surface and the mainland and it told them they were a long distance from shore and many miles beneath the surface, but that there was a man called 'Varrealius' who owned a submersible craft that made voyages to such places.  He was currently away but expected back at any time.  From there, the two ventured into the city.  They found one of the marketplaces in the Rustways where Helios encountered an imposing octipoidal woman in search of a new "servant" - one of 7 human males carrying an odd array of objects in trance-like states.  She was becoming increasingly agitated and insistent when Naran shot a flare which distracted her enough for Helios to use one of his abilities which caused her to forget the past 5 minutes.  Confused, she withdrew back into the city and Naran and Helios proceeded into a nearby tavern which seemed to be engaged in a variety of strange games...

- Ronin and Ganthet managed to slay the towering beast assaulting them, but in so doing ruptured some internal organ that drenched Ganthet in acid.  They proceeded to the edge of the plains below the Black Riage before camping whereupon the cypher levitating their cargo finally burned out for good.  Fortunately, they could see a promising herd of aneen on the plain below that might well serve as pack animals if they could be subdued.  UNfortunately, the presence inside of Ronin was becoming active again - and insisting that he feed on the creatures' flesh...

- After recovering a bit, Piper got up and began exploring the darkness into which she had fallen.  Her only light source was herself, as she still retained a faint green glow from the Numenera incident above.  She found numerous piles of cast off bits of old devices - and even one or two usable objects - before a tall and skeletal automaton took interest in her.  After going through her possessions, he took her burned-out headband artifact and strode back into the darkness.  Piper followed, finding her way to a place where the ground and walls no longer seemed to be stone, but rather a pulsing, squishy, reddish substance.  She recovered her headband from where the automaton had placed it (on one of the piles) and found nearby some sort of transdimensional device embedded in the stone.  She studied it for a few moments before setting out to find a way back into the more populous tunnels above...

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: On Into Darkness

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper was on her way to convincing her assailant that he had mistaken her identity when malfunctioning machinery distracted them.  Arcs of electricity infused her with some form of energy and hideously mutated the madman. She continued deeper into the Pipes and was jumped by a thief attempting to steal her pack.  Piper managed to hold onto her belongings but not her footing, tumbling down a pit into darkness...

- Ronin and Ganthet were able to jumpstart the gravity cypher again, allowing them to push the power core down the mountain toward the plain.  Wanting to make the most of whatever time it had remaining, they pushed on into the night and found themselves ambushed just after twilight by a tall, fierce, and 6-limbed creature...

- Having returned to the relative safety of Rethirra, Naran and Helios chose a new book - this time, one of the small volumes labeled with 'Alaeta' - a place they suspected might be associated with Earth.  Linking through the book into a dark alleyway, they found their environment was filled with liquid rather than air, and in attempts to recover attracted the attention of one of the creatures dwelling.  It quickly led them into the city to a place where they could be "decontaminated".  In the subsequent conversations, Helios and Naran were pleased to discovered that they were, in fact, back on Earth - even if the specific location turned out to be a sealed city on the in the black depths of the ocean..

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Brutal Necessity

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper decided she would see what progress she could make toward the task the Order of Truth had set for her.  Finding the storm-drain entrance the priests had told her about, she decended into the underworld known to the citizens of Rarmon as "the Pipes".  She had a chance encounter with a strange fortune-teller with a glowing third eye who offered strange visions, wandered into some dark warrens, and eventually made her way into a surprisingly populated area before being accosted by a large man demanding she keep her end of some unknown bargain...

- Naran and Helios bolted back up the stairs as the doors burst open and two avian heads on long, serpentine necks surveyed the room and a cloud of thick, blue fog billowed outward.  They were pursued by 3, smaller, 4-legged, bird-like creatures with two heads - presumably the large creature's offspring.  The mind-altering fog they produced proved confusing to Helios who had some difficulty escaping it even while Naran called to him from outside while using her cutting light ability to keep the creatures at bay.  When his escape was ultimately made, the two ran the final distance back to the top, barricaded themselves in the large office, and linked back to the library on Rethirra using one of the books they'd brought with them.

- Ronin and Ganthet found the town of Urnmoll was in disarray.  A massive, whale-like creature floated over the town, raining shards of black crystal.  The townsfolk seemed to be gathering possessions in preparation to leave - all except a handful trying desperately to repair the Hydrosource, and Seluxii who was preocuppied with Rell who seemed to be ill in some way.  Their nejavin companion Vlorrex, seemingly able to understand the villagers' language to some extent, ended up staying to help them while Ronin and Ganthet proceeded to the place they'd stashed the power core.  They attached the cypher Vlorrex had made for them and covered the large device with coats and bedrolls.  The two somehow managed to keep the few villagers that attempted to speak with them on their way out from discerning exactly what they were doing - all except one particular old woman who simply eyed them suspiciously while suggesting they might not be on the right track.  They got the device just outside the town when Vlorrex's device malfunction and the heavy core dropped unceremoniously to the ground.

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Forward Progress

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ronin and Ganthet fought off the murden ambush and then decided to take shelter inside the wreck once again so they could rest and Vlorrex could finish work on their gravity-negation cypher.  Once completed, the trio set out for Urnmoll.

- Piper returned to the tower with Olim, and, after spending a couple of days examining the project, began work once again.  At the end of the second day, their efforts were rewarded with some success as they were able to activate the machine's console on temporary power.  Satisfied with this progress, Piper decided to take a bit of time off to learn more about the Pipes - where the Embassy wished to send her in search of a dormant device.

- Naran and Helios spent some time examining their options, and ultimately decided to use a linking book called 'Anumos'.  On the other side they found what appeared to be the remains of a sprawling building used as some form of academy, along with linking books with similar titles.  Near the lowest part of the complex, they found a chamber which Helios recognized as the area viewed through another book they'd seen weeks ago - but this thought was interrupted by the crash of something impacting the other side of a set of sturdy doors...

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Available Resources

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Helios fought off some sort of discorporating, glass-breathing lizard creature and search the ruined study - finding several more of the books presumably capable of transporting them to other locations, in addition to a note referencing a crumbling civilization and a man they once met in some sort of time-distortion field.

- Piper followed Olim to the Embassy of Truth.  After some explanation, the priests were able to restore her material state - at least temporarily.  The priests seemed interested in Piper and her experiences, and suggested there was something she could do for them.  Olim, however, pointed out that she'd already "promised" to assist him with the restoration of his "airship".

- Ronin and Ganthet made their way through the wreck back to the pod bay where they had Vlorrex begin work on the device they needed.  Before he could finish, however, something in the pod ship they'd taken refuge within activated and automatons became active outside in the bay.  They decided they should run for it, narrowly escaping the pod bay before the bay doors above opened and the pod ship lifted off.  They made their way out of the larger wreck - only to find themselves under attack...

- +4xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Impediments

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Helios spoke with the old woman for some time, learning a bit about the ancestors who created the portal books - which she seemed to regard as foolish and overly ambitious.  As they were intent on finding their way home, she told them of the ruin of a library far to the south which may still contain some of these books preserved in unusual blocks of glass.  After some discussion, they decided traveling there would be their next move.  Upon arriving they quickly found the glass structures and their preserved objects - as well as a large and apparently-agitated lizard-like creature...

- Ronin and Ganthet made their way back through the ruin toward the pod where they'd left the nejavin.  As they hurried through the ship, they were accosted by some form of mechanical humanoid which attempted to steal some of their gathered components, until Ganthet's electrified fist finally connected, damaging it enough that it withdrew.

- Intent on getting the inventor's attention, Piper began throwing his equipment around the work room - causing him much confusion as to what was happening.  She was finally able to get his attention and explain her situation by writing on some nearby schematics.  The inventor - whose name was Olim - told her that their best bet for reversing her condition would be to speak with the priests at the Embassy of Truth...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Uncontrolled Interface

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ronin and Ganthet continued their exploration of the crashed vessel, eventually finding a shaft-like structure they believed to be part of the craft's power generator.  They were beginning to harvest some components from the structure when it suddenly activated, sending a blue energy pulse down the tube, accompanied by some form of energy being that complicated their escape.

- Naran and Nimerun, having climbed back out of the hole where they'd activated the device, watched the bright blue beam firing up into the sky.  As they were about to return to the old woman's cave, they heard a distant sound and noted another beam firing up into the sky a great distance away.  Then a third.  More sounds followed.  When they returned to the old woman, she seemed to have all but forgotten the errand on which she'd sent them, though she was glad to hear they were successful.  Their conversation was interrupted by a great roar, and Naran decided to go check on Helios...

- Helios and the girl made their way to the dormant "leviathan" with instructions on how to put it back to "sleep" or possibly keep it from waking.  As Helios climbed up onto the creature toward its head, the girl began singing a strange, unnatural "song" and aggressive plants immediately began erupting from the cracks in the creature's hide.  Helios arrived at a massive, opening eye and jammed the injector device into it.  The girl began shrieking as the enormous creature stirred to life, partially lifting itself from the swamp.  The dazed creature flailed after them for a few moments before the old woman's concoction did its work and the beast collapsed back into the water, once more unconscious.  By this time, Naran had arrived and was already pulling the incoherent girl to saftey.  The three of them returned to the village.

- Piper was still with the Angulan Knight and the priest when a man called Quince arrived.  The Knight's patience barely tolerated the man, but ultimately they came to an agreement: she would be permitted entrance to the city in exchange for pursuing a man wanted for the murder of a local noble.  Piper, still seemingly invisible and intangible, followed them into the crowded city, but decided to go her own way once inside.  While heading further in, she happened by a tall, misshapen tower when some sort of "incident" happened inside causing thick, blue smoke to issue from all visible windows.  A man appeared at the door, coughing, and was quickly accosted by two guardsmen who seemed to chastise of threaten him.  The guards left, but before the man withdrew, he made brief eye contact with her.  Piper decided to follow him inside - moving through the door in her immaterial state.  Finding him working on some device at the top of the building, she attempted to get his attention.  He seemed to be able to see (if not hear) her - that is, until he removed his goggles...

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Sating the Beast

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ronin and Ganthet continued deeper into the wreck they were exploring, coming upon a processing bank of some kind.  While scavenging for parts, the scattered debris began assembling itself into towering construct which assualted them.  A purplish, tentacled creature then approached them, finally convincing Ronin to take a bite from its bread-like outer flesh.  Consuming this part of the creature seemed to sate it in some way, but Ronin the last hour or so of his memory replaced by a scene of burning wreckage.

- As the caravan awaited inspection outside the city, Piper witnessed an heated exchange between the town guard and a well-armored woman who'd flown up to the city on a large, reptilian creature.  The Xi-drake seemed able to see Piper, and made some movement toward her as if to investigate until the disagreement at the gate became physical.  An Aeon Priest arrived on the scene and had some success diffusing the situation.  The caravan was permitted entry, but Piper decided to stay and listen to the conversation between the priest and the Angulan knight.  Apparently, she had come from Dynafel in search of a varjellan fugitive.

- Naran proceeded through the village after the spick whom she'd been sent to assist by the old woman.  The two of them dove into a large circular pool and made for a metal artifact protruding from its center - apparently the source of the painful pulses that were emanating through the settlement.  After some doing, the two were able to stop the pulses by more fully activating the device, which was now firing a bright blue beam up into the sky.

- Helios, meanwhile, took a small boat out of the village to the south and was gathering red flowers for the old woman when he noted some bubbles in the water moving in his direction.  As he was rowing himself back to the village, a massive, plant-like creature erupted from the water and began flailing about.  The creature made his escape difficult, but he ultimately returned with the needed blooms.  The woman mixed into the concoction she was making, loaded it into a strange, gun-like device, which she handed to Helios - sending him and a strange girl into the swamp to the south, telling him they must put the "Leviathan" back to sleep...

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Unexpected Turns

Tuesday September 26, 2017 at 8:00pm numenera, mysts of the ninth world, game session notes Comments (0) »
 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Helios continued south along the waterway, eventually arriving in Quei after a brief encounter with some gate-keeping automatons in the canyon.  The town occupied a series of docks and platforms suspended over a swamp.  The townsfolk were less than helpful, but the two eventually found their way to The River's cave, where she immediately set them to work on some seemingly-urgent task with no explanation.

- Ronin and Ganthet rested, further discussed their next action, and spoke with Vlorrex.  They decided their best bet was the power core they'd stashed outside of Urnmoll, and if Vlorrex could cobble together some form of null-gravity cypher to make transportation easier, they could probably managed to get it out of town.  Vlorrex then sent them out into the wreck to scavenge for parts where they came upon some sort of lab containing large tanks of reddish liquid and a mass of malfunctioning, mechanical manipulator arms.

- Piper survived the explosion but found that she had somehow become invisible and insubstantial.  No one was able to hear or see her, and interacting with objects had become difficult.  The caravan reassembled after the ordeal, made camp, and spent a considerable about of time scavenging the remains of the beast and the Hearth before setting out early the following morning.  Piper decided to continue on with the caravan and, after about another day an a half, they all arrived at the gates of Rarmon.

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Opening Doors

Tuesday September 19, 2017 at 8:00pm numenera, mysts of the ninth world, game session notes Comments (0) »
 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Helios spoke with their otter-man friend again as they rested in preparationg to dive into the 'forbidden waters' in search of a way to access a starship they'd been told of by The Sisters.  He showed them a book he'd taken from a fallen Yefort raider - one that contained a black view-panel like Helios' "broken" volume.  He suggested they go to Quei and talk to "The River".

- Ronin and Ganthet explored the vault-lined hallway connected to the cargo hold of the small crafted they'd found within the wrecked carrier.  Among other things, they found a small by exceedingly heavy coin, a jacket and some wood and metal staves, and a strange rectangular book containing a viewport overlooking a rock-lined pool in a redwood forest.

- Lengthy discussions on next moves insued.

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Upheaval

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Agan emerged from the crowd around Naran and Helios, claiming they had brought ruin to the village and accusing Eufren of aiding in the destruction.  When it became apparent public opinion was going south and Agan and his henchment wished to do them harm, Helios pried up some floorboards inside the central ruin and the two escaped by diving into the waters beneath and swimming out.  At Helios' direction, they made for the woodlands containing the otter-man's home.

- While Ronin and Vlorrex attempted to activate the consoles to reconstruct the nejavin's body, Ganthet took a look around in the surrounding chambers, and found they were directly above a massive bay containing some sort of space-faring craft.  When Ronin engaged the final switch to activate the equipment, a short set off a power surge in the craft accompanied by a dramatic shift, which pitched the vessel downward a further 20 degrees.  Making their way to the craft bay once the floors stilled and the nejavin's head was once again reunited with its body, the trio made their way into the ship they had found within the ruin.  It contained a control room in near-perfect condition, obviously-nonhuman crew quarters, some unusually empty pods, and a large hold with a loading door open to a large hall lined with vaults...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: It Can Take You There

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ronin and Ganthet followed the nejavin's head to the wrecked craft wedged into giant crack where the mountain had split open.  They navigated its interior until they found the place where the creature's body had been trapped.  On the way, they encountered a colony of mouse-like creatures which seemed to take some interest in them - until they reached a room with strange puddle of a viscous, acrid substance and some rotting, tentacle-like appendages protruding from it.  They glitterbombed the room with a detonation Ganthet had been carrying and hurried through.  When they reached their destination, they found the nejavin's body separated into several pieces and suspended in the air, but apparently functioning as though it were still whole.

- Naran and Helios met with The Sisters who told them of a craft in planetary orbit that might be able to return them to their homeworld - and also that a means to reach it might be found in the "forbidden waters" of the valley outside the village.  The two were then presented with a small, translucent cube and told that it would be necessary if they wished to use the spacecraft, but when Naran took the device, the Sisters vanished and their chamber transformed from the white stone building it had been to a plain, sandstone ruin that more closely resembled the rest of the village.  When they emerged, they found Eufren wide-eyed and demanding to know what they had done...

- Piper and one of the hunters attempted to destroy the rampaging beast with a cannon-like numenera device the caravan had been carrying, but it malfunctioned after discharging only twice, though that was sufficient to attract the creature's attention, and it smashed into the wagon - splintering the vehicle and sending the device flying.  Seeing their one method of injuring the creature lost, the hunter retreated, but Piper had another idea.  Short-circuiting the damaged artifact and bypassing its power regulators, she caused it begin building up a catastrophic charge.  With the help of some others nearby, she loaded it onto a wagon and shoved the unstable device toward the monster as the others fled.  The resulting explosion was more powerful than she had anticipated, however, and ripped through the beast, the landscape, and the remainder of the camp before she had time to react...

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Raids and Respite

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Helios helped defend the village of Mekel against the raiders and their presence now seems to be generally accepted by most of the settlement.  Eufren suggested that they speak to The Sisters, who they're told are leaders of the community.

- Ronin and Ganthet managed to force the murden to retreat further up and in to the nest.  While Ganthet watched for a coming ambush, Ronin freed the skull-like creature who told them of the ruined craft further up into the mountains which the murden had been scavenging.

- The caravan Piper was accompanying arrived at a waypoint with a large crystal that radiated significant heat.  As camp setup was completing, she left the site with a few scouts who found a small caffa swarm and decided to go hunt for goldgleam.  As they were heading back, however, they became aware of a huge creature terrorizing the encampment...

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Not From Around Here

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ronin and Ganthet set off to find the murden.  The hike up into the mountains was arduous, but eventually lead them to a small plateau tucked into the cliffs where they found dozens of rough columns of various diameters but all about 75 feet tall.  Between the columns were stretched various hides and insect carapaces, forming a sort of multi-leveled nest.  They approached to attempt to speak with the abhumans, but were ultimately ambushed when they entered the area.

- Piper had some time to rest and was eventually retrieved by a humanoid that had sets of tentacles in place of arms.  He lead her from the room...and that was the last thing she remembers of that place.  The next thing she recalls is being awakened by a group of travellers atop a column-like structure somewhere in the south of the Pytharon Empire - a name she happens to recognize as being a kingdom in the Steadfast, which lies across the Black Riage and hundreds of miles from her home.

- Helios attempted to communicate with the otter-man who had invited him in, but didn't have much luck.  The creature's responses were unintelligible and somewhat odd.  Eventually he fell asleep, only to awaken a short time later with the otter-man standing over him.  He then began asking Helios questions, apparently in The Truth(?), about where he came from and what he would do.  When Helios told him he was trying to find his friend and return to their home planet, the creature took him to Mekel - which was under attack.

- Naran spoke for some time to Eufren and Motof about the books, the planet they're on, and the surrounding area, before an alarm from somewhere in the village startled her hosts.  Racing outside, they found much of the settlement already in flames as a raiding party from the nearby, sinking village of Yefort descended upon the town...

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: So Many Questions

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Through some cleverness and good fortune, Ronin was able disuade Seluxii from pushing them out of the village of Urnmoll.  The group of them proceeded to have a conversation about recent events and the party's goals (hopefully without giving too much away).  The key points discussed were the murden that raided the village and (likely unintentionally) summoned the craft that took Piper, and a man said to be the foremost expert on power supplys residing in the steadfast.  After a rest, Ronin and Ganthet decided to go after the murden in hopes that they can learn something of what happened to their friend.

- Unable to find a suitably hidden location in the floating village, Helios decided to swim to a wooded shore to the north.  There he found an otter-like humanoid who invited(?) him into its dwelling for food and rest.

- Naran used her cutting light to stab at the octopoidal creature pursuing them while she and the boy escaped the remaining distance to the surface - which turned out to be under some section of the floating settlement.  He led her to a building where another man was apparently waiting for them.  The man gave Naran some sort of potion that rendered her unconscious, but when she awoke, she found she could speak to and understand them.  She was in a village called Mekel, and the man's name was Eufren.  He seemed very interested in the fact that she was an outsider and where she came from.  He told her that their ancestors had once traveled between worlds very easily, but he didn't know how they had done it.  Naran's stories about the books that had transported her and her friend fascinated him.

- Piper decided to spend some time attempting to repair her burned-out headband artifact while waiting to see what would happen next.  After several hours, she was interrupted and lead (apparently) out of the craft she was in and into some other structure.  There, she was taken to a massive chamber where several entities locked deep within some sort of crystal asked her a myriad of questions about herself and her world.  Her responses were clever and informative, and so The Seven (as they called themselves) took a particular interest in her.  After some time, they suggested that they would speak more, but that she and they required rest...

- +4xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Cages and Snares

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Multiple drones and automatons (or possibly, armored entities) emerged from the cylindrical craft and began a sort of harvest of the surrounding village.  Using stunning and tranquilizing weaponry, they subdued Piper and Ganthet, though only the former was actually taken.

- Helios made a quick exit from the chamber where the robotic entity was tending to the thirsty machine.  He hadn't made it very far when he heard the sounds of the reptilian cats pursuing him.  Upon reaching the pool where he'd entered, he once again encountered a strange, hovering being with heavy robes and one large, mechanical eye.  It asked several questions of him before sinking back into the pool.

- Naran resisted the octopoidal creature's pushing for her to use the linking book it was presenting to her, and after it left in frustration, attempted to swim to freedom.  The distance and pressure of the water soon proved too much, however.  Fortunately, she found another "pocket" of air near the point where panic was starting to set in, and managed to reach it before blacking out.

- Aboard the craft, Piper suddenly found herself in her room back in Arable - or, at least, a very close approximation.  The door and window were impassible and everything felt slightly "off".  She was missing any functioning cyphers or artifacts that appeared technological, but otherwise seemed unharmed.

- Helios leapt into the pool after the his questioner, and began swimming "down" and away from the cat likely still pursuing him.  It was a long, hard swim back to the surface, but he somehow was able to succeed.  He happened to notice a boat lurking in the shadows some distance from him before swimming for the village.

- As she recovered Naran was briefly visited by a boy in some sort of swimming gear.  They had a brief "conversation" in which little was communicated (due to the language barrier) before he left again.  A couple of hours later he returned, however, this time with an additional breathing apparatus.  As the two of them made the long swim for the surface, the octopoidal creature found them...

- Having taken Piper, the cylindrical craft lifted slightly before de-materializing.  As the panic in the village began to calm and Ganthet regained consciousness, Seluxxi approached he and Ronin, demanding they leave the village - declaring to those around her that these outsiders would not help their village as some had hoped, and that they cared only for what they could take...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Where To Go From Here

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Helios became disoriented in his dive and surfaced, but found himself in a dark cave. Using an electricity artifact for light, he found his way into a chamber where some sort of robotic automaton was apparently "feeding" human blood to a massive machine.  He spoke for a while with the robot .

- Naran chose not to struggle against the man who was threatening her, and instead watched the faces of the growing crowd he was addressing - their expressions seemed to vary between fear, anger, and uncertainy.  As his address resolved, someone else grabbed her and put something over her face.  She had the vague sensation of splashing into water before she lost consciousness.  She later awoke in some sort of air pocket within a small room in a ruined building surrounded by water.  After some time, she was visited by a large octopus-like creature that produced another of the strange books - this one overlooking golden spires piercing upward above a sea of clouds - offering her a means of escape for a vague "price".

- Piper and Ganthet spoke some more with Seluxii, though her suspicion continued to increase.  A few of the townspeople seemed convinced that these outsiders might be able to help their dying village and, on their behalf, Seluxii somewhat-disingenuously asked them if this was so.

- Ronin finally arrived in the village and was greeted with obvious fear by the villagers - parly due to recent events, and partly due to his now-more-monstrous visage.  The presence in his mind urged him to react violently, but he fought to refrain.  Ronin was able to calm the villagers somewhat and ultimately rejoined his companions - who were shocked to see him alive, and moreso at his somewhat-disturbing change of appearance.

- It was at this moment that a massive, cylindrical craft appeared in the sky above the village projecting a column of bright blue light downward into the streets.  Several of the villagers - ones with orange tags like the one on Piper's arm - seemed to think heading toward this light would be a good idea...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Perilous Waters

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper and Ganthet found themselves amidst a murden raid on the village of Urnmoll, also involving a large, crab-like, mechanical contraption smashing its way through the village.  The murden were eventually driven off, and the robot, after sustaining some damage, folded itself into a small sphere.  The two considered making a break out of town, but decided to stay to see what they could learn.

- Ronin found his way out of the cave he and his friends had originally entered and decided to continue through the mountains toward the village.  On his way, he began to perceive a beckoning presence which led him to a small, glowing cave.  Upon seeing his reflection in a pool, he became aware that he was no longer alone in his head.

- Helios and Naran fought with the aquatic predators, attempting to drive them off.  Naran found her way into one of the boats and was brought back to the town built on the ruins protruding from the lake, but Helios had dived back into the water in an attempt to find one of the missing villagers.  About the time Naran realized Helios had not come back, she was grabbed from behind - and found a knife at her throat...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Making Waves

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ronin awoke, alive but debilitated and surrounded by silver insectoid creatures.  Over the next day or so, he made his way back out of the ruin, slowly recovering strength.  During this time, he noticed that patches of his skin all over his body had been replaced by red scales.

- Ganthet spoke with the apparent leader of the village of Urnmoll, a woman Seluxii.  Her suspicion of his activities in the region seemed to increase as he answered her questions with partial-truths.

- Piper spoke with the old woman for a while, learning that the town's water-producing artifact had recently ceased functioning, and that many in town were worried.

- Naran and Helios toppled from their perch above the rushing river when the bird-man from the previous world followed them through into this one, sending all three of them into the river and over a tremendous waterfall.

- Ronin reached the cave in which the group took shelter from the glass storm, and found himself attacked by a black puddle - apparently the remnants of the tentacled creature that had previously harassed them.

- The relative peace of Urnmoll was suddenly disturbed by shouts, screams, and mechanical pounding and whirring coming from one corner.  Piper was ambushed by some form of avian humanoid, and Seluxii left Ganthet apparently trapped in a room with a vanishing doorway.

- Naran and Helios found what appeared to be a fishing town built on partiall-submerged ruins in the valley into which they'd been deposited.  As they swam for the approaching boats, they were attacked by some sort of aquatic reptile...

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: New Domains

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Helios continued fractured communication with the birdman, who seemed intent upon fixing some part of the inner workings of the tower and/or island, and reacted negatively toward any action they took that might even superficially damage it.  Deciding there was nothing remaining for them in that place, they made their way back to the book Naran had previously found, using its viewport to travel to the world on the other side.

- Ganthet and Piper made their way through the ruin to the lowest exit they could find.  Waiting till dark, they lowered the power core before descending themselves.  Concerned over what the townfolk might say if they were found with the artifact, the two hid it in a cleft of rock nearby.  As they approached the only way out of the rocky depression, Ganthet was spotted by the two guardsmen and taken down to the village - Piper followed along behind.

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Into the Depths

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- After Naran and Helios finished their rest, Helios suggested they investigate the bubbling pool which he found to be breathable while Naran did not.  While Naran spent some more time investigating the machinery in the hollow of the island, Helios ventured down into the water-filled chambers below where he found what appeared to be a city populated by enormous frog-people.  He also met up with the bird-man they'd first encountered, who returned to the chamber with him.

- Ronin, Ganthet, and Piper, meanwhile, attempted to cross the gravity-less chasm with their power-core while avoiding harassment and attack by the vanishing and re-appearing serpent.  Unfortunately, their counter-attacks eventually agitated the creature to the point that it disrupted the null gravity field, sending objects plummeting into the chasm.  Noticing the signs, Ronin managed to push Piper and the power core to the relative safety of the far wall, but in so doing failed to reach it himself - and fell into the darkness below...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Bugs in the System

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Helios investigated the top of the tower, where they found an hive of bugs averse to bright lights and some control panels that seemed designed to operate the tower's machinery.

- Piper, Ganthet, and Ronin escaped from several pursuing monstrous centipedes and found some time to rest.  Attempting to find their way back out of the ruin, they happened upon a vast chasm which seemed devoid of gravity - and also contained some form of ephemeral, shape-shifting serpent...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Grasping for Power

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Ronin, Piper, and Ganthet found their way up into a chamber containing what they believed to be the complex's power core - the device they had come to retrieve.  As they approached it, however, they found themselves confronted by a monstrous, transdimensional, crustacean-like entity guarding and feeding off the power source.

- After Naran's discovery of the portal book, she and Helios decided they should find their way to the top of the tower to try to reactivate the dormant machinery.  The managed to open the iris at the top of the underground chamber, granting them access to the tower once more.  What they did not notice, however, were the two bird-men lying in wait.  The ambush jolted them both with electricity, and caused Helios to fall back onto the platform at the top of the chamber, which began wrenching free of its supports due to the impact.

- The monstrous creature the group had found by the power core began attacking the intruders with its massive claws and spewing a burning, plasma-like substance from its dozen or so eyes.  The group used several artifacts and cyphers they'd acquired since entering the complex to fight back, shattering bits of its thick armor and occassionally punching through.  Ganthet decided to use the green detonation artifact Polious had given him, which caused a thick and animated forest to suddenly spring up in the area.  The aggressive plant growth slowed the creature down, but proved to be more dangerous to the adventurers - especially to Ronin who was moving amongst them - as the group had to contend both with the hostile plants and with the fires set by the crustacean's dripping red-hot plasma.

- While Helios attempted (with some difficulty) to climb back into the tower from the failing support, Naran did her best to fight off the bird-men, trading bright blasts of forceful light with the electrical arcs firing from the avian's energized spears.  After Helios managed to re-enter the tower and Naran had incinerated the last of their foes, they looked up at the large vine/tree structure and the crystals growing from it, suspecting that it could be used to gather energy from the world's hot suns if they could figure out how to reactivate it.

- Just as Ronin was stabbed by some sort of poisonous plant which rendered him unconscious, Ganthet's final shots against the monster managed to penetrate the armor under its head.  Shrieking, the beast collapsed to the ground, spewing plasma from its eyes - which in turn further ignited the plant matter beneath it.  

- Ganthet and Piper darted past the growing flames into the area beneath the power core.  Ganthet made some efforts to revive Ronin, but seemed only to make his fallen friend's condition worsen.  Acting quickly, Piper successfully connected a power regulator she had constructed to the conduits feeding the power core, and then began the delicate operation of detaching the core from the surrounding eqipment.  Unfortunately, the group didn't have time for "delicate".  Piper did what she could to prevent any instability due to the disconnect before slicing through the adjoining cables.  She held her breath for several moments before the dim blue glow returned and stabilized in the core's interior.

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Further Up, Further In

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Naran and Helios attempted to communicate with the earnest-seeming bird-man, but were ultimately less than successful.  He did lead them to a hidden chamber full of devices he'd gathered but, apparently, had no particular knowledge of.  He left by way of a bubbling pool, and the two decided to get some rest.

- Ronin, Piper, and Ganthet continued into the ruin they'd found, soon encountering a vast area overgrown with blue plant growth.  The sweet smell of the plants seemed to affect the minds of the party, causing Piper and Ganthet to seek out and activate machinery with visible but indecipherable results.  They also encountered several giant centipede-like creatures.  

- The bird entities apparently gone, Naran and Helios spent some time exploring the interior of the island and its machinery, eventually finding that some of it seemed to "connect" to a 'portal book'.

- Attempting to outrun their insectoid pursuers, Ronin, Piper, and Ganthet ended up at the top of a large cylindrical vault, where they found another portal book, some arms and armor, and a room that simpily glowed for no obvious reason.  At the bottom of the chamber, they found a passage leading deeper into the complex from which they could hear a dull hum, as well as one final vault door smeared with some kind black, pitch-like substance...

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Guardians' Ire

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- After some brief discussion, it was decided that Helios would follow Naran into the book and the others would continue into the ruin to locate the power core.

- Naran and Helios found themselves on top of a small island about 400 feet above the surface of an unknown ocean.  Two suns blazed overhead, making it difficult to see through the brightness.  The island contained a tower full of machinery and a strange vine-like plant growing crystals.  As they investigated, they were attacked by some group of bird-people with spear-like weapons that projected arcs of electricity.  They fled up the tower, but found themselves trapped until another one of the bird-people "flew" them to a large cave-like entrance at the base of the island where they discovered it to be mostly hollow and full of ancient non-functioning machinery.

- Ganthet, Ronin, and Piper continued up into the ruin above the overgrown library.  As they made their way through its interior, they encountered some sort of automaton guarding a sealed doorway.  Apparently they triggered some condition in its programming, and the machine attacked.  The resulting battle battered, burned, and froze the three, but they were ultimately victorious.

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Gaining Entry

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Discerning that the tunnel of ferns proceeded in the direction they were attempting to travel before the glass storm hit, and believing that the ferns themselves may indicate the presence of a ruin similar to the one at their home, the group decided to leave the aneen in the cave and follow it.

- The picked their way through the winding tunnel for almost 9 miles, encountering a few caverns (including a large one with a tree and clouds) and several other passages.  There was a faint, warm breeze blowing through the tunnel - all the tunnels proceeding southwest toward its source were overgrown with purple ferns whereas other passages were not.

- Having pursued these phenomena all the way to its source, the group found part of some kind of buried building, broken and overgrown with the purple ferns itself.  One of the chambers had a large hole in the corner of the ceiling, through which various wires and conduits hung loosely which opened into a set over chambers and corridors reminiscent of the "B Dome" they'd explored.  

The room they were in seemed to Piper to be some sort of library.  Beneath the ferns were shelves containing the remains of many strange, rectangular books.  She couldn't read them, but her ability to decipher suggested they described locations in great detail.  A few of those in the best shape had window-like screens on their first pages, showing a specific, unfamiliar location.  The glowing panels gave odd sensations when you touched them.  While attempting to discern some sort of use or a way to "activate" the one of the books, Naran placed her palm over the glowing panel and suddenly vanished.  Looking down at where the book fell, Ronin could see his friend standing in the scene depicted through the window...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Swallowed

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- The group ran south behind the herd of aneen, fighting their way through the fleeing beasts and the larval worms pursuing them.  When the adult worm caught up with them, Piper scarred it with a plasma cypher, but the monster killed one of their pack animals as they attempted to flee.  It was Ganthet's "liquid air" artifact that enabled them to finally escape.

- Once in the mountains, the group was beset by a violent storm of glass.  The group took shelter in a shallow cave, along with several dozen dog-sized beetles apparently native to the area.  During this time, Ganthet fell deeper into the cave, where he found an underground stream, a tentacled monster, and a tunnel lined with the same purple ferns that grow around their home of Arable.

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Time and Place

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- After treating their wounded aneen as best they could, the group gathered the remainder of thier possessions and set out again.  The animal slowed their progress significantly, however, and it was after dark before they reached their destination: the on oasis on their route through the desert.

- As they approached, they noticed two things.  The first was a brilliantly-glowing, blue-purple, diamond-shaped object floating above the oasis.  The second was the fact that the oasis was occupied by several different groups of people.

- As they refreshed their animals and made their camp for the evening, the group spoke with several of the others there and learned that each of them had a wildly disparate understanding of the surrounding world - to the extent that Naran and Ronin suspected that perhaps the area occupied some confluence of time and/or reality.

- Just before dawn, the diamond-shaped object began to pulse and vibrate.  After a few minutes, the object collapsed in on itself - seeming to draw everyone and everything else occupying the oasis into itself before vanishing.

- Observing how much their wounded aneen had slowed their progress and believing speed to be essential, the group voted to use Helious' healing artifact on their injured animal.

- Packed up again, the group continued their westward journey for the next couple of days - approaching the gathering clouds near the looming black mountain range and fighting the oppressive heat.

- As they neared the foothills in the shadow of the jagged mountains of the Black Riage, they happened upon a sizable herd of wild aneen making its way north along the edge of the hills.  The clouds above were beginning to arc with purple lightening.  The group was still approaching, intending to pass the herd to the south, when an enourmous cragworm erupted from the earth ahead of them, bellowing its hunger...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Of Beasts

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- The group set out to the west, crossing the northwestern region of the Gathmund Scrublands before exiting them into the wide, flat expanse of the desert flat that lie between them and their destination.

- On the second night, the group awoke to suddenly find themselves in a dense forest.  Margr fled through their camp and something large was approaching from the north.  As they attempted to calm the aneen, a massive bison-like creature emerged from the surrounding trees.  It was gushing blood from a wound in its side, making thick red pools wherever it stepped, and the creature held a miniature-sun-like fireball in its mouth which licked flames out toward anything living.

- The group grabbed what supplies they could and attempted to flee, but the aneen Piper and Ronin were riding was panicked and uncooperative.  It fell on its side, throwing Ronin off before bolting the opposite direction.  Unfortunately, this took it right past one of the lingering margr, which put a nasty slice in its right leg - causing it to fall again and Piper to lose her tenuous grasp on the animal.  The giant buffalo plodded onward, seemingly unaware of them.

- Piper and Ronin were able to make short work of the lingering margr still prowling the area, while the others rejoined when the beast had passed.  As they gathered their now-blood-covered supplies, the group discussed what should be done with their injured animal.

- +2xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Looking Ahead

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- The group continued their discussion with Polious about their upcoming journey and some of the potential difficulties they may encounter.

- The following day was the third day of the yearly Eves festival - the evening of the big feast and a time for making important announcements about the upcoming year.  Among others of various kinds, Polious announced his assistants' journey to a far-away place in order to recover desperately-needed components for the town's faltering artifact.  The group enjoyed the feast and spent some time talking to various townsfolk about their upcoming quest.

- After the Eves, the group spent a few days preparing for their journey before heading out.  As they left the town, accompanied to its edge by various family, friends, and well-wishers, they noticed that the farmland looked noticeably parched...

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Losing Power

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Piper, Naran, and Ronin headed down into the guts of the Weathervane while Ganthet and Helios remained with Polious in the control room, attempting to keep things from getting out of hand.

- The three descended into the structure, noting more and more of a strange, acrid-smelling black oil as they made their way toward the inward.  Outside the vault itself, a large stream of the stuff poured down the wall over wires and conduits - among which were dozens of eyeless rat-like creatures.

- A couple of townsfolk approached the Weathervane, looking for Polious to address an issue in town involving a strange device, and hostile spreading plant growth.  As he was still unable to see and Helios had been more weakened by the day's events, Ganthet was sent to address the problem.  He found some sort of artifact producing a thick fog and causing shrub-like plants to grow.  When he activated it, the ground began to vibrate violently.  He found himself outside of the town by several miles, and watched as large sections of earth some distance to the north rose out of the ground and floated above it.

- Once inside the vault, Piper found the Weathervane's power core and attempted to disconnect it.  Unfortunately, this seemed to cause a runaway reaction resulting in the core's explosion.  Piper somehow managed to escape the brunt of the blast.

- The explosion of the power core radiated energy throughout the town, instantly burned away the stormclouds, and ultimately resulted in a total blackout as all power drained from the ruin.

- Over the course of the next few weeks, Polious, the others, and the rest of the town attempted to pick up the pieces.  Polious managed to cobble together a replacement power source for the Weathervane and once the rain cycle resumed - even though it was irregular and somewhat less than sufficient - the townsfolk began to relax.  Polious and the others, however, know that the current arrangement is underpowered and anything but stable.

- A few days later, the Eves festival begins.  This is marks the new year in Arable, as well as the first few days of the planting season.  The group spends the first day of the celebration with their individual families, spending time together and exchanging gifts.  Polious also visits each, giving them gifts of his own.

- The second day of the Eves is a time of planning for the new year.  For most, that means talking about what crops to plant in which fields, which animals to breed, and other such things.  For Polious and his associates, however, this conversation looks very different.  Polious tells them he's learned of yet another ruin similar to Arable and the "B Dome" (which is now known to be a sphere, and is floating about a hundred feed above the ground along with some chunks of nearby landscape).  This one is about 10 miles into the mountains of the Black Riage, near a village called Urnmoll.  It, reportedly, even shows signs of continuing power.  Arable needs a new power core.  The Weathervane will not survive without one, and if the Weathervane doesn't survive, the town is doomed.  Further, Polious is unable to leave the town - the artifact is too unstable.  The others are going to have to do this on their own...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Downpour

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- The group hurried toward town, only to find the north gate held closed by a massive mutated plant.  When the group attempted to cut the struggling gate mechanism free, they found that deformed plant also possessed bladed tendrils and often emitted psychic shriek when injured.  As the group fought with the plant creature, an errant shot from Ronin deactivated the gate completely and a massive tendril grappled with and ultimately once-more panicked Naran's aneen.

- As the others hacked and burned away at the plant, Helios worked on phasing through the door to assist from the other side.  He successfully reached the other side, but not before sustaining further injury to his already battered body and mind.  Though significantly debilitated and possessed of only a rudimentary knowledge of the Numenera, he somehow managed to reconfigure the gate's controls to bypass the circuit destroyed by Ronin's arrow and opened the gate.

- The group reunited and reached the malfunctioning Weathervane, but the situation was quickly worsening.  Even with help, Polious was unable to stabilize the artifact.  His blindness preventing him from doing himself what was quickly becoming obviously necessary, he handed Ronin the key to "the Vault" and sent the group into the guts of Weathervane to shut it down...

- +1xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Out of Control

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- The group decided it would be best to recover the panicked aneen before heading back, but Polious and Helios were in no condition to assist.  Being somewhat beat up himself, Ronin volunteered to stay with them while Ganthet, Naran, and Piper pursued the animal.

- The chase led them back up into the forested hills a couple of miles away, where they encountered a giant, fin-shaped ruin and some hostile, hovering automatons n addition to the few hounds pursuing their pack animal.

- Meanwhile, Polious, Helios, and Ronin encountered a strange being completely covered by thick robes except for its large, mechanical eye.  The entity babbled in several different languages in addition to the Truth, and spoke seemingly random bits of information or observations before disintegrating before their eyes.

- Naran manged to grab the harness of the panicked aneen, climbed up onto it, and managed to calm it down while Piper and Ganthet fought off the remaining hounds - the automatons having apparently disengaged.

- The group rejoined at their camp - now with all of their animals - and made their way back to town.  They were approaching the edge of Arable's farmland when the storm that had been gathering finally unleashed...

- +2 xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Broken

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Seeing the growing agitation in the chance moths, the group began attempting to scramble up the rope.  Outside they were confronted by a pack of broken hounds - one of which was massive and seemed to twist and distort as it growled.

- The moths triggered something in the chamber which began causing strange environmental effects.  While Ronin climbed the rope, Piper investigated the surrounding machinery and found that shorts in the controls seemed to result in her ability to terraform the immediate area.

- As the group fought off the smaller hounds, the huge one closed and happened to pick out Polious as its first target, grabbing and flinging him aside.

- As the situation with the hounds outside worsened, Polious called for withdrawl.  Piper had a more difficult time escaping the ruin as the rope which had been worn on the jagged edge of the hole finally snapped.  Ronin threw a rope down to her but wasn't able to tie it off quickly enough and Piper would likely have pulled him in if Ganthet and Naran hadn't come to his aid.

- Polious recovered from his tumble and, seeing the severity of the situation and the massive hound threatening his companions, raised his damaged rifle.  The weapon discharged but seemed to overload, radiating explosive energe outward.  The great hound was severely burned, but so was Polious - badly enough on his face that he was blinded.

- The group left the site as the hounds fled.  They returned to their camp to find that one of their aneen was about half a mile across the plain, being harrassed by a few other broken hounds.

- +2 xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Burnout

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- Polious activated his transmitter artifact, sending a message to Piper and her companions to join he, Ronin, Naran.

- On their way, Piper, Ganthet, and Helios were ambushed at the top of the descending shaft by abhumans of some sort, apparently living in the bowels of the structure.  The creatures were savage, gaunt, and where their faces should have been was only the base of a writhing tentacle.

- While Polious began examining the glowing power-artifact, another trio of the abhumans attacked him, Naran, and Ronin.

- The insuing battles were chaotic, as their assailants attacked in an uncoordinated, frenzied fashion.  One of the abhumans attacking Ganthet and his companions activated some sort of gravity cypher, which caused anyone and anything within the shaft itself to become weightless.  Another assaulting Naran and the others in the room below activated a cobbled artifact which missed her, sending a bright, white beam into the surrounding structure, exploding several metallic "pods" the group assumed were capacitors of some sort.  This seemed to adversely affect the power-artifact, increasing the instability of its already dangerously-overloaded state.  

- At Ronin's insistence, Polious set to work attempting to stabilize the pulsing blue power source while the others fought off the remaining attackers.  Just as the battle concluded, Polious released the power build-up in the device, sending power out into the ruin.  To his dismay, however, the core itself burned out - the pulsing, blue-sun-like glow collapsing in on itself, leaving the cylinder an empty, glass shell.

- The group spent some time gathering components from this room, as they had specifically come for power-distribution parts.  When they were finished, they made their way back toward the "entrance" area, noticing that many of the rooms and passages were now lit and active with various buttons, screens, panels, and other, more incomprehensible controls or interfaces.  They noted much that could be salvaged and investigated, but time was against them as they suspected more abhumans may be emerging from the depths of the complex.

- At the entrance, they noticed the Chance Moth hive was now very active - flying around the room, feasting on the enegies provided by the newly-supplied power.  As they made ready to ascend the rope back out of the complex, they heard the unfortunately-familiar keening of a pack of Broken Hounds from outside - and something very, very large slam into the top of the structure...

- +2 xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Apprenticed to a Scavenger

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

- The group journeyed with Polious to the "B Dome" - a secondary site which seems to be very similar to the structure around which their town of Arable is built.  As such, it is a trove of spare parts.  They were looking for "crystal fuze couplings" to replace some key components relating to the Weathervane's power distribution, but are always on the lookout for anything else that might either be of use or able to be made into something useful.

- Upon descending into the ruin, Ronin encountered a rather large hive of Chance Moths, attracted to a numenous light Naran had created.  At Polious' instruction, the lights were put out and the group carefully moved away from the entrance further into the dark while Naran distracted the hive by illuminating a large metal panel in the opposite direction.

- After a brief discussion in the corridor, the group decided to split up to cover more ground: Helios, Piper, and Ganthet continued down in that direction, while Polious, Naran, and Ronin went back through entrance area and through a partially-open doorway.

- Helios, Piper, and Ganthet found a grassy area in the metal ruin which also contained a large tree with glowing geometric designs on its leaves.  It seemed to interact with nearby machinery in some way - affecting the immediately-local plant life and/or weather/environment when they interacted with it.  In addition, they discovered a stone chamber full of shelves and charred, rectangular books.  Piper found 4 seemingly untouched and took them with her, and discovered at least one of the mostly-burned volumes seemed to have some kind of static charge within it.  After investigating the area, Piper set to work disassembling sections of the machinery, salvaging several promising objects before she began inadvertently triggering it.

- Polious, Naran, and Ronin found a large laboratory area.  Polious set to work scavenging the equipment for useable parts while Ronin and Naran looked around the room.  Ronin found a bank of large, cylindrical, glass tanks (only one of which was still intact) and Naran soon discovered pools of liquid on the floor and ceiling which were dripping into each other.  While she marveled over this, a pseudopod from the lower pool grabbed her, and pulled her up off the ground.  Ronin worked to free her and Polious shot the creature with his powerful rifle-like Numenera weapon - which, instead of evaporating it, caused it to harden into a pink-white crystalline material (from which Ronin cut a section to take with them).  From there, the three proceeded deeper into the complex.  At the bottom of a 170ft shaft, they found a black door behind which hummed some sort of impressive, glowing artifact...

- +3xp

Mysts of the Ninth World: Character Creation

 Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games
Numenera artwork © Monte Cook Games

System: Numenera

Setting: The Ninth World, The Beyond, Arable

Players: Sheri, Tony, Adam, Tim, Keara

Schedule: Near-weekly

 

Finally starting a Numenera campaign!  Been waiting for this for two years!  Very excited!

The party is a group of young adults from a small town in the Beyond called Arable - a wasteland farming community based around a weather-control artifact.  They will begin as assistants to an Aeon Priest called Polious, and tasked with assisting in the maintenance of the Weathervane, scavenging for parts, and generally discovering the Numenera.

Characters:

Narangerel "Naran" [Sheri] is an Inquisitive Nano who Possesses a Shard of the Sun

- Helios [Tony] is a Stubborn Jack who Exists Partially out of Phase

- Piper [Keara] is a Manipulative Delve (Seeker) who Makes Something out of Nothing

- Ronin [Tim] is a Wasteland Jack who Explores Dark Places

- Ganthet [Adam] is a Weird Glaive who Rides the Lightening

Numenous

Sunday January 17, 2016 at 8:02pm gaming, numenera Comments (0) »
 Obelisk of the Water God by Kieran Yanner, © Monte Cook Games
Obelisk of the Water God by Kieran Yanner, © Monte Cook Games

I really want to run this game.  Yes, I know.  

I have been fascinated by Numenera since my first encounter with it over a year ago.  I don't know that it's a "perfect" game for me (such a thing probably doesn't exist), but it might be very close.  The setting is fascinating and unique, borrowing from science and sci-fi as well as fantasy in a way that doesn't feel like a clumsy genre-mash.  It also has some of my favorite tropes built-in in an inherent way - I always love worlds with forgotten histories, and I love how exploration and discovery are main themes.  There is even a solid, in-world explanation for "adventuring" as an occupation.  The real genius of the Ninth World as a science-fantasy setting is that it can contain pretty much anything and yet still make sense. The rules system for the game is simple enough to be straight-forward, but sophisticated enough to be interesting - and has a uniqueness itself.  Plus the artwork in pretty awesome.

So, instead of re-ordering the Mouse Guard book I returned (and with some additional cash I was given for my birthday/christmas), I have added a few more books to my Numenera collection.  I usually don't buy additional/supplement material for games these days - sticking to core-only and letting my imagination do the rest - but I found myself making an exception for this game for two reasons:

- First, because this game has totally captured my imagination.  So, good job, Monte Cook Games.  

- Secondly, because the setting is so unique, I think some additional material might actually be necessary as I try to wrap my head around how the Ninth World actually works enough to run it.  I've looked through the Ninth World Guidebook, the Technology Compendium, and the Ninth World Bestiary a fair bit since I got them, and they've been helpful.  Also, I've been pretty impressed with them as creative products.  The books' mechanical aspects are pretty simple and straightforward, and the overall foci of them seem to be more on flavor and feel than on mechanics and rules.  This is always a win where I'm concerned - expanded world/setting material is always my favorite part of any RPG supplement.  I've found quite a few interesting ideas to use so far, along with some ideas borrowed from other sources to supplement my own material. 

I'm looking to start a Numenera game after our current World of Darkness campaign reaches some resolution.  I'm loving the WoD game, but I also can't wait for this one.  Yes, I know.  I got the core book for Christmas last year and I still haven't had a chance to run it, much to my chagrin.  Now, however, I'm a bit more prepared.

 

...and now, with the previous post, my brain is considering the Mouse Guard Territories 1 billion years in the future.  So that's odd.

 

~PS