All Shadows Lead to Gloomwrought, Session 3, “What would the best version of yourself do?”

In which the Sigil Six find an aborted city in a valley without hope and decide to save these people from the Shadowfell’s grasp.

Who are the Sigil 6 – Trundle, Helewynn, Bugwump, Kuru, Jusko and Failed Soldier?

Drew, who plays Jusko, posted his favorite moments in our FB group. These are posted with his permission.
Bugwump’s casual cruelty towards his apprentice hints at the life he led in his youth – we emulate what we know, in the begininng.
Kuru casting invisibility on Brin, the player realizing this is a pointless tactical act but saying “It’s the roleplay, it’s how he’s protecting her in the moment.” Playing to fail is awesome.
Trundle reporting what happened last game, Kuru’s fear .. and then outrage.. and then back to fear. Trundle utterly unphased by the events, doesn’t even roll his eyes.
Judd’s description of headless and armless angel statues was particularly creepy after having met an angel in Ravenloft.
Knight puns , all knight
Whatever the Ygoni knights are now sounds awful.
Judd remembering that Chesteropheles exists and playing him to the hilt as a corrupt sinister little f*ck.
Hellewyn the shining silver knight, getting heroic attention from locals. That’s what bling gets you.
he ‘are we doing this?’ conversation over coffee. Everyone signs on to this ludicrous mission for reasons of their own, but also because their comrades are doing this. It was a good conversation.

As a DM, I can draw up a map and daydream up a story of angel-blooded knights coming to the Shadowfell with swords of light, hoping to bring the shining hope of the Heavens to a hopeless place. The Ygoni Clan, chosen of the Heavens, came to this valley with big dreams. Their cathedral remains unfinished, still covered in decrepit scaffolding and statues of angels are incomplete, without heads or limbs.

Ygoni Knights Shadowfell holdings / May Our Swords Be Lights in the Shadow

I can write this stuff up but I never really know how the players will react to it. I made it clear that this was not Barovia, where killing one vampire would change the Land. The Shadowfell is a Plane of Shadow. Yes, the three siblings of the Ygoni clan became the Three Who Are One (a Skull Lord) and Lord Soth is in the area, recruiting this fell undead monster for the Death Knight’s Host. But that doesn’t mean killing either of those monsters would change the reality of the Shadowfell.

I had no idea what they would do with this situation, a city inhabited by the faithful who followed holy knights from the Gates of Heaven and the craftsfolk who came to build a Cathedral of Light in the Shadowfell. They talked it over and decided that they would lead the city of 2000 souls north to Gloomwrought and from there get them to the uninhabited lands Jusko’s family vacated.

I put them in an unwinnable situation and they shook their heads and said, “Fuck that.” They are going to try and find a win in an adventure that is going to be part Battlestar Galactica, part Oregon Trail with heavy dashes of Orcus and Undead Mobs and Lord Soth’s host in the mix.

I have no idea how this is going to turn out; I have no idea how this table will surprise me every week, only that they will and when they do think outside the box and surprise me – that it will be delightful.

DM’s Note: Usually I go over the most dramatic scenes and while this game did have a petulant apprentice, a Shadow Demon and an Orcus Cultist in a crow’s cage – the decision felt like the thing to write down and commemorate.

Next Game: The city of Chiaroscuro picks up and heads north.