SoloDark Pt. 4: History Never Is
This is the fourth post for my solo Shadowdark game running The Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands. I’m testing using footnotes for smaller Oracle rolls, mechanics, and comments and then using italics for the larger stuff. I’m hoping this makes things flow a little better. Please let me know if you have thoughts on this.
You can find the first post here, and the prior post here, and if you want to see more in the way of notes, you can find my public Notion Notebook here.
I would LOVE questions and insights so please leave those in the comments if you have any.
Previously
After being captured by bandits the group was “persuaded” to explore the main building of the ruined keep on behalf of Firean, the Bandit Queen. The search of the building was uneventful until they reached a large door that had been chained shut. Quibel had slipped inside invisibly and when she returned, she informed Gol'shruk and the rest that they had found the lair of the giant spiders.
The Great Hall
With Quibel back safely with the group, and the knowledge of what lay in the great hall in mind, the group planned an ambush for the giant spiders. Shiori peered through the small gap in the open door and wove the shadows at the side of the room into the image of a goblin moving about, hoping it would attract the spider's attention1. The ploy worked. The giant arachnids scuttled towards the illusory foe, giving the group a precious window of opportunity. The fight that followed was a blur of coordinated strikes. Having been able to prepare for the encounter, the group moved with shocking efficiency, landing blow after blow, managing to slay the giant spiders before they had much time to react. Gol'shruk was the only member of the group to be struck, when one of the spider's fangs pierced his skin, leaving a trail of venom behind.
With the threat neutralized, they turned their attention to the once grand hall, now an ancient mausoleum. They searched for anything of value that might better prepare them for battles to come, and perhaps aid them in their escape from the bandits. They pulled down cocooned bodies the spiders had stashed in their webs, some already half-eaten, and sorted through the bones scattered across the floor. They found coins and weapons but the most intriguing find was a bone scroll tube with a scroll of Invisibility inside and a set of finely crafted thieves’ tools. This discovery would spark a flurry of questions later as both Gol’Shurk and Strika revealed that they were well-versed in picking locks.
To figure out how long it would take the group to search the hall, and then how many random encounter checks to make, I looked at torch length from Shadowdark. Typically they last for 1 hour in real time or 10 rounds if you can’t use real time. Based on that, each round is about 6 minutes long. Knowing how long a round is helps me when determining how long something takes and how many rolls to make. I figured they spent about 30 minutes searching the hall (or 6 rounds) so rolled random encounters accordingly and got nothing.
The adventure said that the spell scroll was Identify, since that spell isn’t around in Shadowdark I just rolled randomly.
I had a ton of very interesting Oracle rolls tied to those lock picks but I’m going to talk about that later when the group rests for the day.
Finally, something good happens to us for a change. If I could learn the power of this spell it could change things for me, for us. With some time to study and a little luck, we might all be able to vanish as Quibel does! - Strika
Dear Strika, nobody can vanish the way I do darling. - Quibel
Shiori and the Spirit
With the lower floor scouted and the spiders defeated, the group moved to the far end of the hall and began ascending the stairs to the upper floor. At the top of the stairs, they heard an unsettling wail reminiscent of a child crying, yet distinctly inhuman, echo from a nearby room. Shiori, the group's witch, moved towards the room to investigate and the source of the cries became clear. Above the skeletal remains of a child hovered the translucent specter of a young boy; gaping wounds and a slashed throat told the story of the violence that had befallen him. Tears streaked his cheeks as he turned to regard Shiori with red eyes filled with both fear and hatred. Seeing the spirit of the child wracked by grief, and knowing the horrific violence that had occurred here long ago, Shiori resolved to do everything she could to avoid violence. She stepped into the room, knelt before the spirit, and began to commune.
Oh great spirit, your anger burns our face and your sorrow pierces my soul. Violence and despair linger in your wake. Do you seek peace? A justice yet unfulfilled? Tell me child, how can I help you? - Shiori
"Peace! You speak of peace when my family lies cold in the dirt, their blood staining these very stones? Justice! Where was justice when goblins tore through our home, leaving only screams and silence? Help! Can you mend shattered bones? Can you stitch a throat back together? You trespass on my pain, mortal, offering nothing but empty words. I will show you pain, I will share my misery and it will destroy you! - Einar, the Tortured Spirit
Shiori, terrified yet determined, held her ground. She knelt deeper, touching her forehead to the ground, continuing to speak with the spirit. The spirit responded with rage, rushing forward to possess her, to force her to see the truth that lay behind his suffering. His spirit clashed with her will and she resisted the intrusion, keeping her mind her own. Yet, she saw glimpses of his fate. His name was Einar he had been a child when he died alone in the dark, away from his parents. He had heard their screams silenced and knew he could do nothing but hide and hope the goblins never found him…they did.
Having resisted the possession, Shiori still motioned for her allies to avoid interfering. Slowly, patiently, she spoke to the entity, first acknowledging its power, then soothing it like a frightened child. Over time, the spirit quieted, his screams turning first to whimpers and then to sobs. At last, Shiori calmed him and he was able to reveal his tragic tale.
Long ago his parents, the Ironwolfs, lived in this keep in relative peace. Over the years things changed. His father was sad and drank often, and their helpers left and never returned, but through it all he had his mother. She cared for him until his last night alive when goblin forces attacked their keep. He heard the fighting in the great hall downstairs, heard the death and dying; he heard his mother scream in the room nearby and he knew she was gone. He did all that he knew to do; he hid under his bed and sobbed until the goblins came. Now he was forever bound to this place, separated even in death from his parents. He asked the group to gather his and his parents’ bones and lay them to rest together, though specifically not in the keep’s undercroft. He sensed something dark and tainted in the earth below the keep. Shiori readily accepted and in return, Einar told them of his father’s secret vault but warned them it was guarded well.
The book says the spirit is hostile but doesn’t attack unless provoked. I see Shiori as a “spirity” kind of witch (heavy inspiration from Yennifer and Ame from Worlds Beyond Number). Based on that I rolled an Oracle check, and the rest came as a result of the way things went.
Oracle (w/ Adv): Does Shiori act first and stop the group from attacking? Yes
As the spirit is violent in nature, but not physically, is Shiori able to stay calm? TWIST! … I rolled 2 sets of prompts and got Escape/Truth & Hinder/Ambush. I decided that he would try to possess her to show her the truth. She succeeded on her save to avoid possession and continued to entreat with him.
Is the spirit calmed rather than continuing to rage? Yes
I see the fear in your eyes, Einar. The pain. I know you’re angry, but it's alright to be scared. But you don't have to face it alone anymore. - Shiori
Shiori led the group in finding and collecting the bones and bringing them to Einar’s room, laying them reverently before him. This act, along with the hope that the bandits believed them dead, convinced the group to make this upper floor their temporary haven. As long as Shiori could maintain Einar's peace, they had a sanctuary to rest and recuperate. For the remainder of the day, they rested, not wanting to face the guardian Enier spoke of with Gol'shruk still injured, though Shiori spent her time in Einar’s room speaking with him as Gol'shruk stood guard over her2.
Oracle: Does Gul’shruk stand guard over Shiori for the day? Yes
Does Shiori sleep in the room with Einar? No…but she does decide to sing him a lullaby before bed to calm him.
I decided to treat the upper floor as a safe place to rest (at least for a while) for a few reasons. First, the adventure states that there is plenty of light on this floor due to the windows, so it’s already not very “Shadowdark” dangerous. It also specifically states that there are no random encounters on this floor, and finally as long as Einar remains calm he might be a kind of guard for them. Overall it just felt right.
History
With plenty of hours before nightfall, the group spent some time gathering their thoughts and discussing their next steps. During this time both Gul’shruk and Strika shocked the group by inquiring about the thieves' tools they had found earlier. As far as anyone was aware no one in the group knew how to pick locks and disarm traps so having two compatriots who knew how to work with these tools came as a surprise. Gul’shruk explained that it was just something he picked up out of boredom in the last few years. He had no real purpose behind it, other than to learn something new. Strika however had a much more somber reason for knowing this craft.
Strika told his friends how years ago he was a war mage in service to his country and a talented one at that. Young and eager he believed every word about their enemies. But the higher he climbed the more things just…felt wrong. Contradictions in official reports, missing information, and outright lies from his seniors. Suspicion gnawed at him and he took it upon himself to find the truth. He practiced skills beyond wielding magic; he learned to pick locks, linger in shadows, and overhear what others meant to keep secret. These skills gained him access to hidden truths – manipulated facts fueling the war machine. Armed with that knowledge, he tried to expose the lies. It was a fool’s errand. He was betrayed, declared a traitor to the empire, and imprisoned with no hope of escape. He believed all was lost until Anya, his best friend, sacrificed everything to break him out. When the two tried to flee, she had been captured. The last time he heard her voice, she had screamed for him to escape before their pursuers silenced her cries. She now remained trapped while he walked free.
No longer just spells, I learned a thief's art – picking locks, becoming a shadow. Not for riches, but to unlock the secrets fueling the war.
We were supposed to escape together, but they caught her. Her scream, urging me to run, still haunts my memories…it still keeps me awake at night. But I swore that one day I would return. I would free Anya, even if it means destroying everything, and everyone in the whole damn empire. - Strika, the War Mage
The group sat in stunned silence as tears rolled down Strika’s face. Strika was an ally but they hadn’t known him for that long, now a simple pair of lockpicks may have pushed him to treat them as friends rather than simply allies. Gol’shruk embraced Strika, as Strika embraced his sorrow, and as the group prepared for rest Shiori began a slow, gentle song to calm the hearts of both Einar and Strika.
All of that resulted from a pretty quick/minor Oracle roll that kind of ballooned out of control. Honestly, though this is one of the things that I love the Oracle for most, asking questions about your characters, being surprised by the answers, and then using prompts to help flesh out stories and traits.
It all started because we don’t have a thief but there was a set of lockpicks in the room so I thought I’d just check to see if Gol’Shruck or Strika knew how to use them (the two characters with positive Dex).
Oracle: Does Gol’shruk know how to use thieves' tools? YES! (Nat 20)! … this must mean he’s very good at it and prompts the question, why? I’ll dig into that in a moment and I think also give him +1d4 to checks with thieves tools.
Oracle: Does Strika know how to use thieves’ tools? Yes but… (what the hell is up with our sneaky people?)
I decided to dig into Gol’shruk first since he got a natural 20.
Oracle: Did Gol’shruk learn in early childhood? No
Did he learn to help with something at college? No, but… here I was thinking maybe breaking into offices to help him or Shiori but I guess not.
I rolled 2 sets of prompts and got Uphold/Barrier & Pursue/Unknown, kinda made me wonder if he just learned to use them as a side hobby because he was bored.
Oracle: Did he do it just to learn a new skill? Yes … So that’s interesting, I think this gives him the [Curious] trait. He’s now at 4 traits and I think if he picks up a new one it may drop off an older one. We’ll have to see.
For Strika I started with the normal prompt roll since he got a “Yes but” and rolled Sneak/Prosperity & Resist/Treachery. This kicked off a lot of fun creative thoughts, especially given his background of being a war mage who had fled his country after opposing their wars. I decided that he learned this trait while growing suspicious of his superiors, the real question is what happened after that.
Oracle: Did the military find out Strika was doing this? Yes
Was Strika able to flee before they caught and imprisoned him? No
When he finally escaped did he do it on his own? No, but … So a friend must have helped him.
Did his friend escape? NO! (Nat 1) … His friend was captured helping him escape and Strike wants to go back and rescue him.
How close is Strika to this friend (I rolled d6 for this)? 5 … so super close. I decided against rolling for any kind of romantic involvement for now, if we ever get around to this we can find out then.
Is the military actively looking for him? No (maybe they think he is dead?)
Does the military believe him to be dead? Yes but … They aren’t sure so they are always keeping an eye out.
The Demon’s Door
The next morning the group rose and while Shiori checked in on Einar,3 the rest scoured the upstairs to find the secret door Einar told them about. After some searching, they found a trapdoor that led down into the darkness below the earth. At the bottom of a set of twisting stairs, they found a short corridor lit by a set of magical torches flanking a stout wooden door at the end of the corridor. Above the door, a horrible carving of a demon’s face leered at them across the room.
Einar had warned them of a guardian so Gol’shruk took the lead, and slowly made his way across the corridor. His caution was rewarded for just in front of the door he found a trapped plate expertly cut into the stone and was able to disarm it. With the floor no longer trapped they shifted their attention to the demon's face. Unfortunately with it being so high, it required that Strika climb onto Gol’shruk’s shoulders to inspect it. Inside the mouth, Stika found magical fire runes carved into the tongue and a small stone switch at the back of the throat.4 Deciding that fucking around with a demon’s mouth inscribed with fire runes was generally a bad idea, the group agree that the best course of action was for Gol’shruk to just pick the lock on the wooden door. But as he moved to do so the group heard the sound of soft footfalls echoing down the steps behind them…Someone, or something, had found them.
Things finally seem to be shaping up for the adventurers. They have a safe place that isn’t a cell, they have a plan to deal with the bandits, and as long as they don’t die in this hallway they might have some treasure that can help them.
I also had a recommendation from Eric that I apply the whole relationship mechanic I have going with Shiori and Gol’shruk with the rest of the group. I think Strika’s reveal probably qualifies but I’m not quite sure how to do that yet. I’ll think about it and maybe set something up in the future.
Oracle: Did Shiori’s Shadowdance illusion distract the spiders? Yes. I decided to roll this specifically since the illusion can’t physically interact with objects and the spiders may not be interested if it didn’t vibrate their webs.
Increases relationship by 1
Oracle (w/ Adv): Does having the bones keep Einar calm overnight? Yes
Oracle: Can Gol’shruck suppress his curiosity (Curious trait)? Yes