[Annalise] When "Rome" meets "The Wire"
Nathan P.:
Hey Rachel,
I'm noticing that most of your outcomes in Moments are ending up happening, both achievements and consequences. I'm curious as to whether that's because of advantageous dice rolling, or because players have been using Claims to make them happen (or the proportion of the two, in general). I'm guessing the latter, as you have a lot of great fiction stuff happening, but it's something I'm curious about.
Thanks!
EarthenForge:
Good observation! There have been a couple of Moments where the dice rolling was really lucky, but I think the large number of "yeses" are happening in part from using Claims to alter results and in part because we often think the negative consequences are hot, so we use the higher dice to get what we want and let the bad stuff stand.
I'm really enjoying my character Cordia, and part of me wants to her succeed and have a happy end. But that's only going to be cool to me if she's put through a refiner's fire first. If all this bad stuff happens to her and she still stands strong in the end: fantastic - what a great story of survival and the human spirit. But if she succumbs, after all this struggle, I have tragedy, which is also a good story. So I'm quite motivated to fight for her and have her succeed as much as possible (thus, lots of yeses to Achievements). But I am also motivated to let the fire come and she what she's made of (thus, lots of yeses to Consequences).
I wonder if this will shift though, as the intensity ratchets up and the stakes become more and more demanding. We might become more motivated to fight against Consequences, even if they're cool. I'll find out soon and report back. :)
EarthenForge:
Session #3
My hunch was correct – as the stakes rose with the mounting tension of the story, it became more desirable to stop the Consequences from happening. Some still went through, but you’ll see more “no” results. This was accompanied by more Claims conflicts as we each, in turn, tried to assert our will over the story and make each other “fight” for desired results.
Sextus Galeo’s scene:
Sunset. Sextus stands outside Triarius’s door. He’s been invited to dinner. The smell of roasting meat wafts through the walls. He’s nervous because he doesn’t want to lose a potential friend, but he knows Triarius has been less than honest. Knocks. Tertia, Triarius’ ill wife, opens the door first. Triarius gently ushers her away to rest while the servants finish dinner and then he and Sextus sit and chat. At first it’s just small talk, but Sextus steers the conversation to Tertia’s health and how priests and herbs can get pretty expensive.
Moment! Sextus Galeo gains the Satellite Vulnerability Trait: Deeply emotional (but awkward).
(Achievement): Triarius reveals Corvinus’ payoff to Sextus (yes). (Consequence): Triarius suspects that Sextus is investigating him on Markus’ orders (no). (A): Sextus connects emotionally with Triarius by revealing his suspicion of Markus (yes). (C): Tertia reveals possession of a black god figurine (yes). (A): Sextus reveals his interactions with Ovidius and Triarius is okay with it (yes).
As the conversation becomes more meaty, Sextus just starts to dump everything – what he knows about Triarius taking Corvinus’ bribe, his suspicions of Markus going after Caesar, and about his own attempt to kill Ovidius and then sending him into hiding. It gets a little tense - they start to call each other on their neglected duties. “Does this dagger mean nothing to you?” Then tempers begin to cool as they realize they’re more similar than not. “We wear the same cloak…”
As dinner is served, Tertia shuffles out, Triarius’s red guard cloak wrapped tightly around her. She sits, as though in a daze, and reaches for her wine glass, accidentally dropping a little black figurine into it. Triarius questions her – he saw similar little gods at Corvinus’ home – but her mind is foggy and she seems unable to give a useful answer. Then she sways a bit and faints. This goes right into:
Triarius’ scene:
Sextus and Triarius carry Tertia to her bed.
Moment! Triarius gains the Satellite Vulnerability Trait: My wife is too ill.
(C): Tertia’s been bitten (yes). (A): Triarius removes the black god figurine, and her health stops degrading (no). (A): Triarius finds evidence that the figurine came in a package from Corvinus (yes). (C): The package includes a romantic note (yes). (A): Triarius finds evidence that Kamraan is involved in the same cult as Corvinus (yes).
As Tertia rolls onto the bed and her hair falls back, Triarius notices something he hadn’t before – a bite mark on her neck. He suddenly remembers the apothecary/priest quickly brushing hair over her neck when he entered the room a couple of days ago. He notices something else, too: a slight paper crunching sound as her head hits the pillow. He reaches under and pulls out a little opened box with a small note inside on fancy paper, “Tertia, you are enchanting.” It goes on with praises of her beauty and then, “Please accept this small token of my affection. My friend Kamraan brought it from his homeland in Persia and I thought you might like to have it. Yours always, Corvinus.” Triarius and Sextus put the pieces together, and Triarius is left with mounting anger as he feels the sting of betrayal, remembering Corvinus’ concern for his wife’s health and how he let Corvinus off the hook in exchange for some of his wealth to pay the apothecary priests.
Cordia’s scene:
At the restaurant in the upper-class cosmopolitan district. Markus sent Triarius and Corvinus to work with Cordia on her investigation. Although she likes Triarius, there is tension between her and Corvinus and between Triarius and Corvinus. (And Corvinus is nervous because he’s been sent to investigate the cult he’s a part of). For the moment, everyone is trying to keep cool and focus on the job. Cordia lays out everything she knows about the cult (which isn’t much) and awkwardly answers some difficult questions regarding her accidental involvement with the cult and the holes in her investigation. She asks for their help and any useful bits of information they may know.
Moment! Cordia gains the Satellite Vulnerability Trait: Doesn’t want to be alone.
(C): Corvinus makes Cordia an ally (yes). (A): Corvinus lets on more than he should about the cult (yes).
Corvinus lets it slip that the cult’s name is Noctus. When the others give him a funny look, he quickly backpedals, “what? Everyone knows this cult is Noctus – it’s the only cult known for drinking a red elixer!”
Soon, they are following Kamraan back to his house and watching the people who enter. Triarius has gone around the side, and as soon as Cordia has a moment alone with Corvinus, she rounds on him. “You’re a real bastard! I was waiting for you the other night and you never came! Then I found you with your arms around another woman!” Before she goes on too long, Corvinus explains he had been sent to investigate this woman by Markus. She starts to light into him again, but he keeps his cool and pulls the “let’s keep this professional and put our job first” card. It’s total BS, but Cordia is impressed by his professional façade and while she might not trust him on a personal level, she does believe he will be good for the investigation. (She doesn’t know he’s a part of the cult, although Triarius does.)
Sextus Galeo’s scene:
In a slum suburb of Rome, Sextus again finds himself knocking at a door (this really should be a Claim!). Ovidius (the man he “killed” once, nearly drowned info out of, and sent into the suburbs to hide) answers, and panics a little, “oh gods, oh gods, please don’t!” “Stop – I’m not here to kill you. Again.” Ovidius nervously looks left and right out the door and then cautiously ushers Galeo in. A tense but somewhat friendly exchange.
Galeo, armed with a little more knowledge, demands to know more about Ovidius’ cult involvement. Ovidius, sweating, but not looking to piss Galeo off again, tells him as much as he knows. “Look, I was dying. My friend Corvinus was there and he gave me this red elixir. It brought me back. I don’t know what it does – I don’t care. Who am I to question something that works? The elixir, and the cult, gave me my life back – wouldn’t you be grateful too?” Then, he becomes less defensive, even slightly predatory. “Maybe…maybe it could do something for you, Sextus.”
Moment! Sextus Galeo earns the Satellite Secret Trait: I will use whoever I need.
(C): Ovidius convinces Sextus to visit a cult meeting (no). (A): Sextus uses Ovidius as a spy in the cult (yes). (A): Ovidius avoids detection by Markus (yes).
There is something in Ovidius’ tone that is inviting, but the oppressive surroundings of the slum seem to shake him. He hardens again, and, worrying less about friendship and more about getting to the root of the cult, he takes back the higher ground in the discussion. “Look, you want out of this place, right?” Ovidius glances around his pathetic little house – nothing like the comfort he’s used to. “More than anything.” “Good. I’m getting you out of here, but you have to help me.” Sextus then gets Ovidius to go back to the cult as a mole. We next see Ovidius entering Kamraan’s house through the back secret entrance.
Triarius’ scene:
Back to the stakeout. A little later that night, Triarius wanders over to Corvinus’ post when he’s alone. “Corvinus, a word. I have some delicate matters to discuss with you.” He then flatly explains all the evidence he has that Corvinius is both involved in the cult and with his wife. Corvinus recoils. “There’s nothing delicate about this! These are offensive accusations and I will have none of it! Your scar will have a mate.” Then he draws his dagger and Triarius draws his.
Moment! Triarius gains the Satellite Vulnerability Trait: I must protect her.
(C): Corvinus overpowers Triarius in a knife fight to win back his façade of honor (no!). (A): Corvinus tells Triarius the purpose of the cult (yes). (A): Corvinus stops pursuing Tertia, Triarius’ wife (yes). (C): Tertia enters the cult house that night (yes).
Corvinus and Triarius skillfully leap and strike and parry with their daggers. But Corvinus makes one wild swing and suddenly Triarius is shoving Corvinus against a tree, arms behind his back, knife to his neck. He leans in closely, menacingly, “what is the purpose of your cult?!” Corvinus’ face seems to glaze over, “Nocturnus is our lord. We exist to serve him.” “You *will* stay away from my wife!” Corvinus answers dully, “Fine. But it’s out of my hands. Nocturnus wants her.” (And the audience sees Tertia enter the cult house.) Alarmed, Triarius leaves Corvinus to slide to his knees and runs home, throws open the door, and finds his wife’s bed empty.
We still don't know exactly who the vampire is, but we're getting close, and just another scene or two should get us to the Confrontation phase.
Nathan P.:
BIG SMILE
Thanks for taking the time to post all this, Rachel. Sounds like the game is doing that thing it does, which is always neat-o.
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