Everway: City of a Thousand Moons

City of A Thousand Moons

Kat told us that there will be a 2nd edition of Everway, with a new magic system. I decided to test it by playing a mage, and was glad Kat was streamlining it.

Kat: They want me to use range? I don't use range for archery!

She told us to create spherewalkers using 3 of the illustrated cards, fewer than usual. This was because she planned to work 1 card from each player into the scenario. She also said that the PCs needed a reason to want to go to the City of A Thousand Moons. Some thought the City evil, cursed, or both. Some believed it blessed. Many agreed that anything one sought could be found in the City.

Brian created Cub, a young werewolf who had left home to find a cure for his lycanthropy. He had no idea why he'd suddenly become a werewolf; the rest of his family was normal. Cub hoped to find a cure for his problem in the City.

I created Earthtalker, a powerful mage, wise and a bit too sure of himself. As a young boy, he'd met the spherewalker Quickblade. Quickblade never mentioned why he was seeking the City, but Earthtalker had been intrigued. Now an old man, he wanted to find the City and learn about it.

Earthtalker and Cub had met in their journeys through many spheres, and Cub had mentally adopted Earthtalker as his packleader, which suited both of them. They traveled in Cub's boat, stopping at an inn in the village where the City was due to appear. The innkeeper confirmed this, and explained that the rest of the village would be in a cave in the mountains.

Cub: Is that where the City appears?

Innkeeper: No. If it did, no one would be in the mountains. Now, if you're planning to go to the City, you should know I'll be locking the doors after sundown, and I won't open them for anything, no matter how loud you scream. And I'll thank you for settling your bill now.

Undaunted, they did so and headed outside. Judging from the noises they heard, the Innkeeper not only locked the door, but also piled furniture against it.

The City appeared in the middle of the lake, so the men headed for Cub's boat. 3 other spherewalkers were waiting on the shore, and all of them got on the boat too, without asking. Earthtalker decided that it was only right to help their fellow spherewalkers reach the City. Cub growled, but decide that his pack leader had told him not to rip out the strangers' throats, at least not yet.

Two of the strangers were women, one a princess whose name I forget. The other was her amanuensis, Page, jotting down everything Princess told her to write. Princess planned to consult records in the City. This had something to do with her uncle's attempt to usurp her throne.

The third stranger did not identify himself or his goal.

Stranger (to Earthtalker): I suppose you are searching for youth.

Earthtalker (laughing): Why would I want that? Once was quite enough.

As they docked, Cub felt a sudden heaviness in his stomach that he thought had come from the strange man. A winged woman with a sword, one of the guardians of the City, flew over and asked what people sought. Cub wanted to be free of his curse, Princess wanted records, and Earthtalker wanted knowledge. The guardian said they could enter the City.

She refused entry to Page, claiming that the mousy woman sought death and destruction. Page was surprised, genuinely wishing only for Princess' restoration. Well, and the bloody death of the would-be usurper.

It was decided that Page would stay in the boat. Princess gave her a magical medallion. The guardian decided her work was done.

Earthtalker (pointing to the as-yet-unnamed man): What about him?

Guardian (indicating Cub): He may pass.

The stranger was already moving.

Princess, Earthtalker, and Cub approached the City, Princess first. As Kat now began to demonstrate, the City changes to reflect everyone's expectations. So, first she described what Princess expected, and hence, what we all saw, a large, impressive well-ordered City with white marble buildings, a prominent library, and --

And she turned to me. I added more details based on Earthtalker's expectation. And she turned to Brian, who added more based on Cub's expectations. If there were more players, each in turn would have added something. In a full group of 6, Princess could be left out of the adventure, making the City solely the creation of the players and their characters.

Cub wondered how to find out about lifting his curse.

Earthtalker: I imagine we talk to one of the many wise guides I am sure are about.

Kat: And as he says that, you do indeed see people who are answering questions.

Cub: Gee, I'm glad you thought of that. I would have run around in circles chasing my tail.

Earthtalker entered the library, where there were many scrolls and records. He asked a guide for help, as, wise though he was, he had never learned to read.

Cub (who is literate): Don't tell me -I- have to teach -you- how to read!

Guide: What do you wish to know?

Earthtalker asked every question which came into his head, starting with how the guardian of the City could have failed to see someone intending to enter the City. Cub, realizing that Earthtalker would be busy for some time went to find a guide of his own.

He found one. He also found a young woman named Fauna, fully human from the waist up, but goatlike from the waist down. She was able to change her shape at will, and, like Cub, had had a few narrow escapes from villagers with torches. She had been in the City for a while, waiting for her prince, a shapechanger like herself. He would be a hero.

Brian got the hint, but Cub did not.

Cub: Gee, I hope you find him. I've got to get my curse lifted.

And, after much running back and forth, he found an oracle in a cave. She instructed him to place his arm in the mouth of a giant snake and remove a jewel. The snake would bite him, and there would be great pain, but the curse would be lifted. Cub knew that she spoke the truth.

In a larger group, Kat would interweave the goals of the characters and just let the story play out. However, there were only two players, and one of them, me, had a character with the vague goal of gaining knowledge. Clearly, there had to be something else in order for there to be plot. And Kat had anticipated this, introducing the three strangers who accompanied Earthtalker and Cub to the City.

The third stranger, the man who had refused to give his name, was called Blood. He is one of Kat's recurring villains in her convention Everway scenario. She had given Cub and Earthtalker a chance to recognize him and when he entered the boat, but neither had. This made sense. Earthtalker was a bit pompous, had never met Blood, I decided, and anyway, had heard that Blood was dead. Blood had, in fact, been killed numerous times, but he always came back.

As Cub reached for the jewel in the snake's mouth, it vanished. He howled in frustration. The oracle was surprised; this was not supposed to happen. In the great library, valuable statues and books and records and scrolls vanished. Princess screamed in frustration. Earthtalker was intrigued and disturbed.

Cub, Princess, and Earthtalker got together and compared notes. Somehow, they figured out who Blood was. That he was behind the disappearing objects was obvious. And he would clearly be heading back to the boat. They headed there.

Page was nowhere to be seen. Blood was pulling items out of the bag and tossing them into a rift in space. Several of the City's winged guardians appeared. Cub managed to keep Blood of the boat, and the mage dropped the bag. Cub tugged at the bag. Four guardians attacked Blood with spears, but four more went after Cub.

Earthtalker: Drop the bag!

Cub did so at once, and Kat drew Earthtalker's virtue from the fortune deck. The old mage was correct in his assessment. The guardians left Cub alone. Blood was wounded, but managed to escape through his rift.

Princess was distraught at the loss of Page. Cub too felt some responsibility, for he had believed Page would be safe on his boat. Fauna came by, and Cub brought her up to date.

Cub: I hope you find your prince. I've got to go rescue lady who's been kidnapped by an evil mage, or there could be an awful war in another sphere. But let's get together again afterwards and talk.

The guardian would not let Cub back into the City, for he was bent on the murder of Blood. she explained to Earthtalker, looking like one of the female elders of his own people, that she could not countenance that kind of violence in her City. She was willing to let Earthtalker in, for although he was certainly willing to kill Blood, killing was not his top priority and he was willing to consider other solutions. Princess wanted to rescue Page.

Princess and Earthtalker search the City for items that might help them. However, Princess now doubted that the City had what she needed, while Earthtalker was not sure. Since the City reflected their beliefs, they found nothing of use. Princess explained that the City would appear the next night in another sphere. All of the stolen items would be in the City at that time. This confused Earthtalker, but Princess pointed out that when the City appeared anew, there would be those who were seeking and objects, and they knew those objects would be in the City. Since that was the case, those things would be in the City. The City, therefore, did not need protection. Page did.

Still confused, Earthtalker decided that one thing Blood was not likely to a stolen was a wise person. He went to find one, convinced such a person would live in a simple home, rather than in one of the elaborate marble buildings. A simple home, like... like the one he was passing right now.

He knocked on the door. It opened, and who should Earthtalker see but his old friend Quickblade? As Kat pointed out, she was working a card from each character's background into the story.

Quickblade explained that he'd come to the City to find his true love. He introduced her to Earthtalker. She was someone with a remarkably unforgettable face, yet, Quickblade said that when he first came to the City, he passed her by in the street without recognizing her. When Earthtalker expressed surprise at this, Quickblade explained that sometimes, when someone is extremely focused on their goal, it happens that they see it quickly, yet do not recognize it.

Brian: Gee, who do you supposed he could be talking about?

Quickblade and Earthtalker spoke of many things. Earthtalker learned that not only did the City change to reflect the beliefs of those seeking it, but its inhabitants changed as well.

Quickblade: Then there was the time I woke up with horns. You see, someone had come seeking Hell.

Earthtalker: How did this person get past the guardian?

Quickblade: He wasn't trying to harm anyone. He thought that he deserved Hell and wanted to make recompense.

Earthtalker had a marvelous time with his old friend, and started to consider settling down in the City once the whole unpleasantness with Blood had been settled. Cub howled to give Earthtalker warning when the sun started to rise. Earthtalker bade farewell to his friend and made his way to the boat. Fauna decided to come along as well.

Princess was confident that she could use magic to find Page. All the spherewalkers had to do was find a wild gate that led between spheres but with no fixed location, and Princess knew that there was one in the middle of the lake. They used this, and came out on dry land. At this point, Brian asked if Cub's zero point power could be that his boat folded into a small box. He added that, for zero points, it couldn't be used to trap someone or perform any of the cute tricks that players come up with. Kat liked this idea.

Princess, Cub, and Earthtalker wound up on Princess's home sphere. They headed for the castle, and found a huge pen, guarded by three men, with many people cooped up inside it.

Cub hamstrung one of the guards bowled over another and landed on the chest of a third.

Brian: I wait for him to give a recognizable sign of submission.

Kat: His bladder lets go.

Brian: A perfectly acceptable sign for humans.

Meanwhile, Princess made a speech, and Fauna and Earthtalker released the prisoners. The guards were surprised to see Princess, for her uncle, whose name I also forget, had told them that she was dead.

The spherewalkers headed towards the castle, finding Page's pack en route. The mountain out of which the castle was hewn had what appeared to be a life-size carving of a dragon. Earthtalker realized that it was a real dragon, albeit a hibernating one. He asked Princess if she knew this, and she impatiently confirmed it, storming into the castle.

She found Page chained to the floor of the empty throne room, while Cub and Earthtalker found her uncle talking to Blood. The mage was lying on a stone slab, having his wounds tended to. Blood assured Uncle that the sphere he was holding would indeed call a dragon.

Earthtalker announced that Princess was back. Cub grabbed the sphere and ran for the throne room. Earthtalker made the slab Blood was on sink into the floor. Blood could not attack anyone, but he was again able to gate away.

Cub gave the sphere to Princess, and the guards backed her, keeping her uncle from the throne room. It turned out that Blood had promised Uncle help in return for the skull of a living dragon. Princess confirmed that the sphere could call a dragon, that it was her property, and that the rightful heir to the throne didn't -need- the sphere to call dragons.

Many of the items Blood stole were scattered around the throne room, including the gem Cub needed. Earthtalker mused philosophically at great length about the City of a Thousand Moons. Brian asked if this went on so long that the gem vanished as the moon rose, to reappear in the City. Kat said that the gem remained, although another might be in the City for someone else to find.

Cub looked into the gem. He saw a vision of himself as fully human. He also saw a vision of himself as a full shape shifter, like Fauna. And he understood that the choice was his.

Cub: Do you think -- Does this mean I'm Fauna's prince?

Earthtalker (slowly getting a clue of his own): That depends on you.

Cub: So, if I choose to be human --

Fauna: Then I will return to the City and wait.

Earthtalker: If you choose that, you will not be her prince.

Cub: But I -- If I -- (to Earthtalker): Tell me what to do!

Earthtalker: You must make up your own mind. I cannot help you.

Brian: It's going to be a long night, isn't it?

What Earthtalker -- and I -- had realized was that this was the real climax of the story. Cub was the hero of the tale, and Earthtalker, like Jack in the movie Big Trouble in Little China, was the sidekick. Earthtalker was there to advise and guide Cub until Cub was ready to face his destiny. In so doing, Earthtalker faced his own destiny, growing in wisdom and humility, and he probably returned to the City and settled down in a house next to the one Quickblade and his lady shared.

Cub, after much soul searching, decided to become a full shape shifter and Fauna's prince. Brian got a trophy as an award for being hero of the day. To my delight, I got a shrink wrapped fortune deck. I've long wanted a spare.

Kat explained that she'd run us through parts of 2 different adventures, City itself and the one with Princess and Blood. Discussing the game later, she talked more about how the City changed, how it became sinister and fearsome to those who thought it evil, and how the guardians might be circumvented. She talked about one player in a previous run who wanted a magical sword to claim vengeance. Using the sword exacts a price in blood and innocence, and it isn't the wielder who pays.

The guardian didn't want to let the PC into the City. The other PCs tried to insist.

Guardian (pointing to one of the PCs): If the price of your vengeance was that he died, would you still want this?

PC: Yes.

Others: Hm, maybe he shouldn't enter the City.

Guardian (pointing to two of the PCs): If the price of your vengeance was that both of them died, would you still want this?

PC: Yes.

The others decided the guardian was right. The excluded PC spent the rest of the session trying, unsuccessfully, to sneak in. I wonder what the player thought of this.

Josh commented that he'd like to play in one of Kat's adventures where Blood was, for once, not a villain. Kat decided this could be done. I think she plans to call the adventure "Blood Right".