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Dan Maruschak
United States
Eugene
Oregon
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Michael, Simon, and I got together on Skype on October 23, 2009 for a 2 hour game of Spirit of the Century (Erik couldn't make it due to a family emergency). Michael was the GM, Simon is playing Jack Reefton (Heir to Captian Nemo), and I am playing Art Black (Stage Magician and Supernatural Debunker). We had two drops from the Skype session, one for inexplicable network issues and one because the Skype iPhone app makes it a little too easy to accidentally end the call.
Last time, our heroes had been rendered unconscious by the nefarious Atlantean Conspiracy at the site of their Egyptian archaeological dig, which supposedly has hieroglyphics that will explain a ritual that will allow someone to restore magic to the world. As the session begins, Art and Jack come around, but Doc was apparently whacked extra hard and doesn't regain consciousness (to account for Erik not being able to make the session). Art, being an accomplished escape artist, wriggles out of his bonds with a Burglary roll. He frees Jack, and they discuss what the next step should be. Jack is concerned about leaving Doc behind since anyone who looks in the tent will see that the two of them have escaped. Art, master of illusions that he is, suggests building some crude dummies out of their clothes by filling them with sand. Jack is skeptical until Art explains that people see what they expect to see, and that Jack should trust Art, since this is his area of expertise. Normally building convincing dummies would be a Deceit roll, but the GM will allow Art to use Sleight of Hand if he spends a Fate point on “Misdirection has many uses,” which he does.
With Doc safely flanked by dummies, Jack and Art now have the small problem of needing some new clothes. Most of the workers are away from camp at the dig site, so Jack and Art make their way into an empty tent to steal some of the workers' clothes. Jack slips into some and picks up a long-handled shovel to use as a weapon, but Art (compelled by “I hope my tuxedo doesn't get dirty”) refuses to be seen in such filthy apparel, and they make their way to the Europeans' tent, where Art is able to change into Alex West's best khaki explorer's outfit, complete with pith helmet. All of this sneaking around has used up a lot of time, though, and the midday break is upon them. Jack and Art consider trying to jump the Atlanteans from behind, but then Art gets the idea that the workers, being a superstitious and cowardly lot, could be scared away by a sufficiently spectacular illusion. Jack and Art think that scaring the workers away will significantly tilt the odds in their favor, so they sneak out of the tent's rear entrance to find some supplies.
They decide to make their way over to the dig site, which ought to be deserted while the workers wait out the midday sun. Jack uses a Deceit role to pretend to be a worker as he wanders over, and Art uses Stealth. At the dig site, they discover that further blasting has opened up a passage deeper into the ruins from the room that was unearthed last time. Figuring that they may as well explore it while they're there, Jack and Art head into the passage. They eventually get to a large stone slab door. It's a Might roll to open it (which the GM lets us complement with Engineering, since we're using Jack's shovel as a lever). Jack inches the door open and they head deeper into the ruins.
Past the door, they discover another passage which leads to a chamber with elaborate hieroglyphics ringing the walls. Since they are both mediocre at Mysteries, neither Jack nor Art have any idea of their significance, but Art's average Art lets him recognize them as genuine, museum-quality stuff. Even though they don't understand the hieroglyphics, they do seem to be sequential and telling a story, so their attention is drawn to the final section. A Science roll from Art lets him discover that the section they are looking at isn't solid stone, but is a thin panel with a hollow space behind it. After some discussion, Jack and Art decide that the plan was always to destroy these hieroglyphics anyway, so Jack starts smashing them with his shovel to get to the space behind them (catching a scent of sea air in the process). Art, fearing that he may be recruited into the physical labor, decides to gather some supplies for his illusion: a tentacled monster that the workers will believe has been unleashed from the tomb.
Leaving the fake monster behind them to be triggered with a tripwire, Jack and Art go through the hole they smashed, through another long passage, and discover a huge cavern. Inside are buildings built on a huge scale, as if the people that lived in them were three times normal size. They also appear to have gutters with waterspouts shaped like carved animal heads. Jack follows his nose down to the water, while Art pokes his head into the buildings to either side of the street, hoping to find something interesting. Eventually, they see what appears to be a large saltwater lake which extends out of view deeper into the cavern, and Jack detects a breeze which seems to indicate that the cavern somehow joints up with the Mediterranean somewhere. Large public buildings line the waterfront, and several normal-scale boats are tied up at the docks. Before they can decide what to do, a square shaft of light shines up from one of the buildings to the roof of the cavern, as if a powerful searchlight had been turned on. It disappears as quickly as it appeared.
As they approach the building they discover tracks that lead between it and the boats at the dock, both footprints and signs that something heavy has been dragged, although it isn't clear whether the tracks going in or out are fresher. They decide to investigate the building first, since it was the source of the light. Eventually the find a trap door, and make another Might-modified-by-Engineering roll to open it. They don't do well, but Art spends a Fate point because “Houdini taught [him] a thing or two” about trap doors, and they gain entry. The mysterious light, as bright as daylight, shines up through the trap door. Art and Jack climb down to investigate.
At the end of another long tunnel, they discover a vast cavern with a strangely glowing ceiling. It's hot and humid there, with jungle visible in the distance. Art laments not bringing a camera with them, since a discovery like this is definitely front-page material. As they discuss it, they see five individuals running toward them. They are green and scaly, with snakelike heads, and are wielding bronze-age style spears. Both of them miss another Mysteries check to recognize them. The shock of such unusual creatures requires a Resolve roll (a sanity check, basically). Jack easily makes it, but Art is mildly upset by this development (a hit to his first composure stress box). The snakemen are clearly aggressive, and combat begins!
Jack notes that Art doesn't have his usual complement of throwing knives, so he does a Weapons maneuver to disarm one of the snakemen in order to provide a weapon for him. Art, however, replies, “Thanks, Jack, but I can take care of myself,” and does a Sleight of Hand maneuver to flashily snatch the spear out of another one's hands. The group of five splits up, and two of them go for Art, but both miss. The three attacking Jack miss, too. Jack swings his shovel at his group of three, but they dodge out of the way. Art, using his recently acquired spear, runs one of them through! The snakemen attack Art and Jack again, but miss. Jack swings at them with his shovel, and tags “Unconventional Tactics” for a reroll that ends up worse then his original roll, so they easily see through his feint. Art attacks again, also rolling poorly, so he tags “I won't stand for phonies and charlatans” since he is incensed that people would dress up in ridiculous masks like this to attack them. His reroll doesn't do any better than Jack's, though. Jack, realizing that his current tactics aren't working, throws his shovel at the snakemen while picking up the spear he knocked out of their hands earlier. Unfortunately, they are able to dodge the thrown shovel just as easily as when he was trying to whack them with it. Art lunges with his spear, taking a second one down, and the GM offers the concession of the other three fleeing, which we accept. With the fight over, Art tries to remove the masks of his slain assailants, and is mildly disturbed by the fact that they appear to be genuine reptile people. He quickly covers by talking about discovering a new species.
We discuss what we want to do, and both of us seem interested in exploring this area further before heading back to the surface. That's where we'll pick up next time, presumably joined by Doc (who may get some periodic flashback scenes to tell us what he had to get through to get down there).
I spent the most Fate points, so I got the right to add a new world aspect. Riffing off of the fun we had blundering through the scenario without any of the Academics or Mysteries skills that would have given us insight into what was going on, I added the aspect “Archaeology is actually pretty easy”.
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Timothy Pinkham
United States
La Palma
California
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Very nice writeup. I think one thing that would make me like it even more is if you inserted little notes to explain how the mechanics work out for various parts. This would be useful for people who aren't as familiar with the system.
For instance, there was a great example of a compel in your scenario when the dude didn't want to be seen in the stolen clothes because of his obsession with looking dapper in his tux. Compels are one of the great uses of Aspects in SotC. This kind of thing drives the game.
It would also be cool to have you note significant rolls, skill applications, and most of all, significant aspect uses.
Still, it's a great writeup as is. 
Thanks for taking time to post! I know it's a lot of work to recap these sessions.
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Posted Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:04 pm
