Struggling with Players - An Actual Play Podcast

Thomas Boulton
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Actual play and game prep across a multitude of systems - Coriolis, Twilight 2K and whatever else Thomas is struggling to have empathy for this week. No promises on production quality, plenty of promises on enthusiasm.

  1. The Flowers of Algorab - Episode 24

    Jun 27

    The Flowers of Algorab - Episode 24

    Coriolis: The Great Dark — Session 24 Summary Ben dominates the session. We learn he's in a low-key, healing friends-with-benefits relationship with Zera Van Dou (a third-gendered Coriolite assassin and the ship's wealthy Coriolite representative). After the trauma of Jamilla, Ben's former lover and employer, the relationship has stopped him brooding and restored some confidence. Separately, Ben visits Ytreppo, Jamilla's cousin, a foppish, independently wealthy artefact-collector of the Almira clan. Ostensibly he's asking about body modifications a ship-wide scan revealed (Ytreppo's mods turn out to be heirloom tech granting short bursts of extreme speed, powered by consuming life-force, "broadly defensive," he insists). Really, Ben wants closure on whether Jamilla is dead. Jamilla, a genetic-engineering expert spaced out an airlock for human experimentation and harbouring blight, was reportedly killed, but Ytreppo is maddeningly evasive: serving experiential tea via his near-invisible servant Yorick, he'll only concede she's "probably dead, on the balance of probabilities," while pointedly noting a heavily-modified person could survive longer. Ben leaves with no closure, barely restraining himself from punching a wall. The arc darkens at the archive. Researching the "living icon," Ben finds he physically cannot read a book about it. A low, sonorous singing fills his ears and the words won't stick. He confesses to the crew that he believes the entity they met in the Hammurabi council chamber (which he took for "the Judge") has been influencing his mind ever since. The session's quiet horror beat. Nillet, the researcher Nillet is the archive enthusiast, "bouncing" to use her permission slip and crack the emerald disk recovered from the shuttle Yawning Moor. She presents the disk to the secret-keepers and drives the expedition's purpose. Aman, the engineer Aman handles the technical work: reading grim Coriolite artefacts (corpse-powered "cadaver clocks"), analysing Ytreppo's mod scans, and, when Ben can't, reading the cursed book aloud on his behalf. The Arkan Archive & the Navigators (NPCs) The crew reaches the Ninhalam system and the archive world Arkan, a rust-red vacuum world of concrete pillbox bunkers run by the tall-hatted Navigators' Guild, self-styled "sacred keepers of secrets." Their price for access: surrender a secret, they judge its worth, and grant secrets of equal value in return. The crew offers the emerald disk. The secret-keeper, an old man with enormous glasses, reads it via lasers and dismisses it as "valueless gibberish." Ben (the party's best at culture) then reveals its provenance: it came from the Yawning Moor, a shuttle from the Nadir, one of two Earth generation ships (the other, the Zenith, became Coriolis station). Reframed, the "gibberish" is recognised as Nadir encryption, crackable because the crew also holds a Nadir-built reader. Ben's parallel lore research surfaces the "pale angels of Al-Adha": siren-singing servants of darkness who grant wishes to enslave weak minds, travelling in butterfly-ships of rainbow iridescence, matching the entity over the Jamuah council chamber. The emperor of Al-Adha serves "the beast," a hidden icon, and the spider, too, is a hidden icon/shadow. (Lore threads also touch the advanced Zelosians and slipstream geography: Habentam, Astoris, Aradine, the Wake tributary, Storm Alley.) Ben is left genuinely rattled

    1h 56m
  2. The Great Pendragon Campaign The

    Jun 21

    The Great Pendragon Campaign The

    A Chronicle of the Year of Betrayals, Five Hundred Being an Account of Saxon Wolves, a Monster That Walks, and a Town That Was Not There Last Year Set down by the Clerk Session Summary Countess Ellen's court convened to distribute Salisbury's first real surplus in living memory. Euric's exceptional stewardship advice unlocked 40 libra for kingdom investment.The knights split their vote along fealty and self-interest lines, forcing a compromise: Sarum's central keep was completed, and a port town, Brenicote, was founded near Amesbury to draw pilgrim trade. Drusilla topped up the last libra needed to finish the moat around Sarum.Two Saxon embassies arrived at court seeking Salisbury's sword-arms for other people's wars. The knights declined both and chose instead to raid Ryderchan on their own terms.Lady Emma timed the raid with extraordinary precision, but the execution fell short; the haul was modest. The plunder was quietly redirected to Salisbury's treasury regardless.Countess Ellen summoned the knights alongside Seaxwulf, a formidable Saxon warrior sent by Wessex, to hunt a monster attacking border villages. Seaxwulf refused cooperation and rode out alone to claim the glory.The knights rode south, questioning villages along the Ebel. Rumours spoke of a night creature that tears down walls and steals women and children.At Oddstock, they found a palisade wrenched apart and two buildings still smouldering. Emma examined the body of Odric, a Saxon settler: split by a single blow from a massive axe. The knights exchanged a look. This was no monster.News from the wider world: King Nanteleod has broken the Irish hold on southern Wales and founded a new kingdom. The year is not short of portents.Dramatis Personae Lady Drusilla of Figsbury, the DevoutSir Euric of Aquitaine, the ArdentLady Arianrhod, the Sharp-EyedLady Emma of Caerwent, the Far-SightedCountess Ellen — Lady of Salisbury, their liegeCountess Eloise de Wallingford — rightful lady of Ryderchan, exiled, currently a guest of SalisburySeaxwulf — Saxon warrior of Wessex; terrifying; not interested in alliesGodhelm Ashmere — newly appointed mayor of Brenicote, formerly a secular clerk to the nunnery at Amesbury

    2h 9m
  3. The Great Pendragon Campaign the Year of Mary Triumphant,

    Jun 21

    The Great Pendragon Campaign the Year of Mary Triumphant,

    A Chronicle of the Year of Mary Triumphant, Four-hundred and Ninety-Nine Being an Account of a Demon Slain by Lance and Faith, and of Fire That Blessed as Well as Burned Session Summary Drusilla fumbled her Prudence and immediately charged Gorboduc across the open field, invoking her Devotion to the Virgin Mary.Her lance shattered on Gorboduc's shield; his shattered equally, but his horse did not survive the exchange — Drusilla's force doubled his endurance and he was unhorsed.Sir Euric rode in with Devotion to God blazing, scored a critical strike; Gorboduc fumbled his defence and took catastrophic damage. The demon-knight fell.Gorboduc erupted in demonic flame on death, burning Drusilla to within an inch of her life. Sir Euric was untouched by a miracle of spiritual resilience. Arianrhod arrived one beat behind and extinguished the flame by the grace of her own spiritual fortitude.Emma shot Drusilla's Andalusian charger to drag it clear of the fire.The remaining bodyguards and mounted reinforcements were defeated; Sir Aur held the flank throughout, body-blocking two bodyguards to protect the others.Drusilla attempted to consecrate the freed village church but fumbled — St Helen of the Wells, the church's established patron, was not pleased by a Marian override. A magpie led the party to Lonnazep, a priest was fetched and the church was reconsecrated properly.The bandits' liberated coin was donated to the church; all five knights received ten glory each. The session closed as the year turned to 500, with Drusilla undertaking a barefoot pilgrimage to Holywell in London as penance.Dramatis Personae Lady Drusilla of Figsbury, the DevoutSir Euric of Aquitaine, the ArdentSir Aur, the SteadfastLady Arianrhod, the Sharp-EyedLady Emma of Caerwent, the Far-Sighted

    2h 34m

  4. Jun 21

    The Great Pendragon Campaign the Year of False Roads,

    499 Session 9 - Group 2 A Chronicle of the Year of False Roads, Four-hundred and Ninety-Nine Being a Tale of Pilgrims Rejected and Bandits Answered, of a Talking Bird with Many Grievances, and of a Village Where the Trees Dare Not Grow Session Summary Arianrhod completed a pagan pilgrimage to Stonehenge and received a divine miracle (+1D3 healing rate for a year). Sir Aur of Lambor went on a Christian pilgrimage to St Paul's Cathedral in Londinium, saw the Sword in the Stone, tried to pull it and fumbled his devotion roll — no further pilgrimages for two years.Drusilla fumbled her Intrigue roll but delivered false intelligence with great confidence: Ryderchan was supposedly reaching out in peace. The party resolved to ride north to Oxford bearing gifts.Entering Ryderchan, no escort came to meet them. Two knights sensed they were being watched. They set a night watch.Bandits ambushed the camp at night with arrows. Drusilla was knocked unconscious by two arrows; Arianrhod was also wounded. Sir Euric and Sir Aur charged into the forest; Sir Euric cut down two footmen with his family sword. Arianrhod, mounted, rode down an archer before fumbling and dropping her sword. Lady Emma dragged the unconscious Drusilla behind the wagon and performed a critical first aid save.Sir Euric interrogated a prisoner. The bandit revealed they were hired by Basile de Wallingford, who spread slander that Countess Ellen rides to sup with Cerdic. The party was furious.The prisoners were tied together and sent stumbling down the road. The party retreated via Kinnerton and Castle Lambore, abandoning the Oxford route.In the Forest Sauvage, Drusilla sang the magpie song taught by Merlin's druid. A lone, magnificently vain magpie descended and spoke — a spy for King Sauvage, delighted to have a kind audience. It agreed to guide them.The magpie led the knights to the village of Gorboduc: enslaved peasants building a stone tower under armed guards, the forest conspicuously absent from the clearing. The red-haired Gorboduc was spotted walking the perimeter, guards trembling at his approach. Session ended on a cliffhanger as Drusilla readied her lance to charge the field guards. Next session: 24 May.Dramatis Personae Lady Arianrhod, the Sharp-EyedLady Drusilla of Figsbury, the DevoutLady Emma of Caerwent, the Far-SightedSir Euric of Aquitaine, the ArdentSir Aur of Lambor, the LargeAlso named in counsel and rumour: Countess Ellen of Sarum; Basile de Wallingford, lord of Ryderchan and employer of brigands. And newly met upon the road: the Magpie, spy-in-chief to King Sauvage, name unpronounced by human tongue; Gorboduc, red-haired lord of a clearing where the forest keeps its distance.

    2h 38m
  5. The Great Pendragon Campaign the Year of Broken Trust,

    Jun 21

    The Great Pendragon Campaign the Year of Broken Trust,

    499 Session 8 - Group 1 A Chronicle of the Year of Broken Trust, Four-hundred and Ninety-Nine Of Feasting, Suspicion and a Champion Laid in the Dorset Dust Session Summary The three knights attended Countess Ellen's great feast at Sarum, seated by glory — Euric near the high table, the others further from the salt.Euric charmed the learned Eloise of Oxford into mutual admiration; Drusilla lost a drinking contest and was escorted out; Emma lost a strongman bout and took it in good humour.Cerdic of Wessex addressed the court, flattering each knight by name and lineage with unsettling precision. All three signed his treaty of alliance.Cerdic immediately called in the debt: Dorset was pressing his southern border and Salisbury's lance was now his by right of fresh ink.The knights rode south; Emma commanded the conroy with cool efficiency and the opening charge struck clean.In the grinding mid-battle, Drusilla withdrew before being overwhelmed, Euric felled a Dorset sergeant in a single stroke, and Emma traded blows with a knight neither could best.The Dorset champion called Emma out for single combat. She unhorsed him — and fell herself in the same collision — but rose from the dirt to claim the day.Cerdic surveyed the field, noted that word had served better than sword, and rode off to plan his next move.Dramatis Personae Sir Euric of Aquitaine, the GallantLady Drusilla of Figsbury, the SuspiciousLady Emma of Caerwent, the SteadfastAlso named in counsel and rumour: Countess Ellen of Sarum; Sir Brastius, her marshal; Cerdic of Wessex, Saxon king of considerable ambition. Newly met: Eloise of Oxford, gentlewoman of good repute; the Champion of Dorset, whose name did not survive his landing.

    3h 23m
  6. The Great Pendragon Campaign the Year of the Boar,

    Jun 21

    The Great Pendragon Campaign the Year of the Boar,

    Sadly this one has a stuff up and the best part of the battle is missed. A Chronicle of the Year of the Boar, Four-hundred and Ninety-Nine In which five knights ride into a village of swine, and most of them ride out again Session Summary The party, riding on Countess Ellen's commission toward Lambor, found the village of Alchester overrun by a vast herd of fairy boarsWithout pausing for anything as sensible as a plan, all five charged directly into the herdEmma and Aur broke through the press; Drusilla, Euric and Arianrhod had a considerably rougher passageDrusilla executed what Geoffrey is generously calling a tactical withdrawal, drawing boars away from the main fight while taking fourteen points of damage to her horseThe Mayor of Alchester — a fairy boar of exceptional size and poor temperament — was brought down by Emma and Aur in the final roundWith the Mayor's death, the enchantment broke: the surrounding boars transformed back into the villagers of Alchester, blinking and shivering in the mudSir Euric collected the fairy boar's blood before it dissolved into the forest; he has a plan, and Geoffrey is not asking about itThe party rested four weeks in Alchester, then rode to a nearby monastery to convalesce before the winter court at SalisburyDramatis Personae Sir Euric of Aquitaine, the ArdentSir Aur of Lambor, the StungLady Arianrhod, of the Old Faith, the Sharp-EyedLady Drusilla of Figsbury, the DevoutLady Emma of Caerwent, the Far-SightedAlso named in counsel and rumour: Countess Ellen of Sarum, whose commission drives them still; Arimathea, warhorse of extraordinary loyalty and very poor obedience; and the unnamed dead of Alchester, freed at last from their long, bristled shame. And newly met: the Mayor of Alchester, fairy boar of prodigious size; and the villagers of Alchester, who were swine before they were people again.

    1h 24m

  7. Jun 21

    The Great Pendragon Campaign the Year of the Stolen Saint,

    A Chronicle of the Year of the Stolen Saint, Four-hundred and Ninety-Eight A Tale of a Count Most Beleaguered, a Relic Recovered from Beneath the Earth, and a Bear That Spoke Before It Could Be Met Session Summary The five champions arrive at Lambor to find the Count besieged by refugees and wary of strangers; Arianrhod presents Sarum's letters and Euric charms the Count's niece Lucinda at the feast, while Arianrhod and Drusilla uncover troubling rumours — Tribruit has been entirely swallowed by the forest, and armoured riders circle Lambor's walls each night in silence.At the village of Lilleburn, fairy-grown saplings have locked every wagon wheel and resisted all attempts at removal; the champions must pit their deepest virtues against the Fairy King's will.Emma and Euric break the enchantment through critical feats of valour and energy, each earning fifty glory; Arianrhod and Drusilla hold firm and earn twenty-five each; Aur, rattled by an ill-timed jest from Euric, falters and the fairy press walks over him.Travelling south toward the Abbey of Saint Hippolytus, Emma navigates the party around a dangerous patrol entirely unseen; they note a freshly turned sixth barrow among the ancient burial mounds at Dunstable and file it for later.A local priest, Father Bland, cheerfully recommends a forest shortcut; they politely decline and take the long road.The Abbot reveals the abbey's reliquary of Saint Hippolytus was stolen a week prior by a visiting priest; Arianrhod asks the right question and the trail leads straight back to Father Bland.The squires dig up the false sixth barrow and recover the reliquary intact; Father Bland arrives in tears and confesses before anyone can accuse him, and Drusilla delivers a pointed but compassionate verdict — he vows to crawl the road back on bare knees.The Abbot gifts them a secret path into the Enchanted Wood that costs less will to traverse; at the forest's edge, a bear of impossible size addresses them directly.Dramatis Personae Sir Euric of Aquitaine, the ArdentSir Aur of Lambor, the StungLady Arianrhod, of the Old Faith, the Sharp-EyedLady Drusilla of Figsbury, the DevoutLady Emma of Caerwent, the Far-SightedAlso named in counsel and rumour: Countess Ellen of Sarum; the Count of Lambor, lord of a forest-eaten realm; King Sauvage, fairy sovereign of the Enchanted Wood. Newly met upon the road: Lucinda of Lambor, the Count's niece; Father Bland of Dunstable, priest and most abject penitent; the Right Reverend Abbot of Saint Hippolytus; Lucius, squire to Lady Emma; Bakken, squire to Sir Aur; and one Bear, prodigious in stature and unexpectedly articulate.

    2h 9m
  8. The Great Pendragon Campaign the Year of the Pax Saxoni

    Jun 21

    The Great Pendragon Campaign the Year of the Pax Saxoni

    498 Session 5 - Group 1 A Chronicle of the Year of the Pax Saxoni, Four-hundred and Ninety-Eight In which three Saxon crowns demand their dues, a pagan woman outsmarts a prince, five knights ride south to collect an overdue debt, and two old men by a fire ruin everyone's evening plans. Session Summary Salisbury faces simultaneous tribute demands from Essex, Wessex and Sussex — the treasury is essentially hollow.The five knights cultivate border lords between Sussex and Wessex with grain and a horse, purchasing quiet intelligence for future seasons.Arianrhod parleys with Prince Cynric of Wessex and negotiates a full military alliance, dissolving Salisbury's tribute obligation entirely — fifty glory well earned.Sir Aur declines to attend the Saxon parley on grounds of firmly held personal principle, goes hunting and finds nothing.The five raid into Sussex to recoup the treasury, strike at dawn, and despite Aur's decision to hold against reinforcements, win the field and take thirty-four libra.Sir Euric is unhorsed, nearly ransomed and saved only by Aur's mace arriving with thirty points of intent; Lady Emma patches him up and earns ten glory for the trouble.On the road home across Salisbury Plain, the knights encounter Merlin and Archbishop Dubricus cooking supper beside a covered wagon, entirely without ceremony.Merlin departs Britain on undisclosed business; the knights are tasked with entering the Forest Sauvage to break the power of King Sauvage and the devil's fiend sitting at his court.Dramatis Personae Sir Euric of Aquitaine, Lord of EbbleSir Aur of Lambor, Bearer of the Spiked MaceArianrhod, Daughter of the SummerlandsLady Drusilla of Figsbury, of Roman BloodLady Emma of Caerwent, the MercifulAlso named in counsel and rumour: Countess Ellen of Sarum; young Count Robert; Cynric, Prince of Wessex; Aescwine, Atheling of Essex; Celyn of Sussex; King Idres of Cornwall; Earl Erbin of Devon. Newly encountered upon the road: Merlin, enchanter and counsellor of kings; Dubricus, Archbishop of the British Church; and King Sauvage, fairy lord of the Forest Sauvage, whose court has grown perilously bold.

    2h 18m
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Actual play and game prep across a multitude of systems - Coriolis, Twilight 2K and whatever else Thomas is struggling to have empathy for this week. No promises on production quality, plenty of promises on enthusiasm.

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