View source for Romance in the Air at Dreamation 2015

2pm: Fate Core: Romance in the Air

GM: Bill White

This is a Fate game, looking at The Great Game, with players taking the roles of nations, and at the voyage of an airship, where the players took individual PCs.

The Great Game Set Up

*Me: Caliphate
*Danielle: Britannia
*Howard: Muscovite
*Yael: Watching, I think.

As with the previous time I'd played, the Great Game focused on a Small Caucasian Emirate Outpost, Caucasia Island, part of the Emirate of Azoria. The Emirate had large coal deposits and could become an important waystation for Britannia en route to India.

There was an Ambitious Potentate and His Marriageable Daughter. But, the Tsar regarded the area as part of the Muscovite sphere of influence. The Caliphate was wary.

Britannia's Response: Send some random third son to court the Potentate's Daughter.

Britannia had Diplomacy at +3 and rolled +1 on the dice for a total of +4.

The Muscovite Response: Espionage! Find dirt on the people involved. Convince people about this dirt, or plant evidence if there is none. The Tsar spies tried to discredit Britannia, planting evidence that the proposed groom was feeble minded.

The Muscovite Empire had Espionage at +4, but rolled 0 on the dice, for +4: a tie.

This meant Success at a cost for Britannia. The wedding was on! BUT, there were still persistent rumors of imbecility in the groom.

If I understand my notes correctly, the Caliphate's reaction was to try to arrange for the Sultan's Heir to wed the Potentate's Daughter instead.

The Caliphate had +5 in Diplomacy and rolled a +2 on the dice, getting an additional +1 because the Potentate was Ambitious, for a total of +8.

However, Britannia's third son of a Duke started with a +7, and the daughter met him. My notes indicate that there was a +1 for Egalitarian and for the daughter herself, netting a total of +9, resulting in the Potentate's Daughter and the Duke's Son falling truly in love. Ah, True Love!

So, the wedding was on. Indeed, the wedding had happened. The happy couple were now newlyweds.

GM: What does Russia do?

The Muscovite Empire: We give them a gift.

Britannia: Screw You.

GM: What kind of gift?

Obviously, the Muscovite Empire had planted assassins. My notes indicate that the Muscovite Empire had a total of 3 for Planting assassins. I think the empire and Britannia had a round of Espionage and Counterespionage, with Britannia getting a three, but the Muscovite Empire getting a 4 due a +1 for Conspirators. Assassins had been planted.

We now had two aspects with free tags:
*Assassin in the House
*Newlyweds

Other aspects included:
*Caliphate Is Wary
*Ambitious Potentate
*Persistent Rumors of Imbecility

The happy couple was preparing to take a leisurely cruise on the airship Pension Bellevue, heading from Jerusalem to Paris for a honeymoon. The PCs, we decided, were:

*Howard: Dr. Pascal Gravois, Secretly Loves Princess, personal physician to the lady
*Yael: Mlle. Talia Chandre, best friend of bride (are you also the assassin? [As it turned out, no.]), Discerning Confidante
*Danielle: Princess Adalyma, Political Fallout, Refusal: I am Well Aware of my Pawnhood
*Me: Dame Ada Desmaris, Groom's Mother

I have my character sheet and Danielle's.

My character sheet:

<pre>
Dame Ada Desmaris
I did a crude picture of her knitting, very rough, but evocative.

Aspects:
High Concept: Dowager Busybody
Refusal: Someone has to keep an eye on things.
Place Aboard: Mother of Groom at start. Later: Is anyone truly good enough for my son?
Place in society: A gentle hand firmly on the tiller.
Desire: Matchmaker

Stunts:
A Wonderful Correspondent (for Contacts)
I Saw It Quite Clearly -- Use Notice as Athletics in combat.

Skills:
Great (+4): Notice
Good (+3): Society, Converse
Fair (+2): Will, Provoke, Deceive
Average (+1): Empathy, with 3 more slots I didn't fill in.
</pre>

Danielle's character sheet:

<pre>
Princess Adalyma

Aspects:
High Concept: Blushing Newlywed
Refusal: Political Fallout
Place Aboard: Traveling Newlywed
Place in Society: Foreign Princess
Desire: A Good Marriage

Stunts:
Honored Stranger

Skills:
Great (+4): Converse
Good (+3): Society, Will
Fair (+2): Perform, Scholarship, Physique
Average (+1): Empathy, Investigation, Gamble, Deceive
</pre>

Talia's relationship with Princess Adalyma was not as serene as one might think. Talia wasn't happy being second best.

Talia: I want her life.

Princess Adalyma wanted her friends to be happy. Talia was not only her friend, but also her first cousin.

Someone said "I can always have affairs." I'm not sure if that was Princess Adalyma or Talia, and I'm fairly sure it was semi-out of character.

I believe the following may have been Aspects, or at least, things we considered as Aspects:

*Blushing Newlywed
*Foreign Newlywed
*Happy Marriage
*Political Fallout

I forget the context of these lines:

Oh, he's a doctor!

Oh, he's a _doctor_.

I do remember this:

GM: Anything anyone wants to do in Jerusalem?

Princess Adalyma: Let's get some souvenirs.

Dame Ada Desmaris: An excellent idea.

Talia: ...Of course.

The princess was having a wonderful time. She was married and in love with her husband, and one of the merchants handed her a fan and refused to accept payment for it.

Princess Adalyma: Everyone here is so nice! Can you believe this? (to Talia) Can you help me hold this stuff?

Aspect: Treasures Handed to You (Free Tag)

A young boy tugged on the Princess's sleeve.

Boy: I will show you the city.

Talia (I think): That's a street urchin!

Princess Adalyma: I give him some fruit.

Someone (possibly the doctor or Talia, possibly referring to the princess's hand): You may want to wash this.

The urchin also introduced folks to his uncle, and Dame Ada immediately added them to her list or correspondents.

But, where would the airship go next? Perhaps Alexandria!

Someone (possibly Dame Ada?): It's a wicked city -- we _must_ go there!

Talia: Wicked?

Princess Adalyma: We must go there!

Talia: Certainly, dear.

We rolled three fate dice to see what would happen en route to Alexandria, while In the Air. The dice came up two 0s and one +, which meant Crew Problems.

Tempers were flaring, as some folks felt they got more attention from the princess than others. The day shift saw her more than the night shift.

Dr. Gravois: I suspect it is her husband who is causing the issue.

The player rolled the doctor's Deceive skill vs +0 Empathy and succeeded in convincing the crew. What he said was _clearly_ true, and the crew was angry at the groom, aka Frederick.

The ship arrived at Alexandria, where folks bought wine and did some sightseeing along the Nile. I think the crew unloaded and loaded cargo.

Dame Ada decided to do something about the crew being angry at her son, aka the groom, aka Frederick. I tried to Overcome the Obstacle of the crew's anger, with the difficulty being the doctor's Deceit.

I rolled a 2 which tied with his 2, which meant Success with a Cost: The crew was now angry at Dame Ada, thinking she was trying to buy their loyalty.

Dame Ada: Better me than him.

Talia: A mother's work is never done.

Princess Adalyma found the Hanging Gardens of Alexandria absolutely sublime.

Princess Adalyma: This is the best trip of my life!

It was at this point that we actually named Frederick Desmaris.

Talia: And I notice the doctor.

Ada: Oh good!

Talia: What motivates him?

I think we were trying to figure out whether she used Empathy and decided that it was her Converse skill vs the doctor's Will.

I think Talia had a 3 and the doctor had a 4 which he then boosted to a 6.

Doctor: I know more than I'm letting on.

But, Talia was a Discerning Confidante, which boosted her total to a 5, and a Companion to Princess Adalyma, which boosted it to a 7.

My notes say:

<pre>
-> Concession -> let it go ->
Knows more -> He lets on
-> -she- <knows? illeg>
</pre>

I'm not sure what all of this boiled down to, but I think Talia figured out that that Dr. Pascal Gravois was in love with Princess Adalyma.

The doctor spoke to the skip's cook to warn him that Princess Adalyma Is Allergic to Blue Cheese.

I think this meant that the doctor was trying to set up an "accidental" poisoning of Frederick. Dame Ada tried to make sure that no one poisoned her son. My notes say that she was defending Frederick at +3 vs the doctor's Society, which was also +3.

I tagged Assassins in the House and Blushing Newlyweds were tied, for a score of +7, as I think Dame Ada tried to warn the cook about Frederick's food allergies. But, Howard tagged Same Conversation, which meant the cook said, "Oh yes, the doctor already told us that" (which meant exactly what the doctor said and what the mother was trying to say weren't the same thing, but the cook didn't realize that, iirc), and the fact that the Crew Is Mad at Mother for a total of +7, which meant Success at a Cost.

Frederick was very sick, and Princess Adalyma pleaded with the doctor to save her husband.

Bill drew a diagram for the upcoming conflict:

<pre>
Sick Frederick

+     []           []     []        []
Alas   Breathing   Sick  Getting     Good as New
Poor                      Better
Frederick
RIP
</pre>

He was currently in the middle, at sick. "Alas Poor Frederick" was accompanied by a drawing of a tombstone.

The princess's player referred to Good as New as "Back to Boom Boom".

Dr. Gravois: We're Out of Medicine -- he'll take a turn for the worse.

Princess Adalyma: Are we?

After all, she had the free tag on Treasures Handed to Me!

So, the doctor prepared to treat Frederick, and Princess Adalyma was there, watching him.

Doctor: I'm to try to make him better -- but I've got the woman I love standing by my side. So, it's going to be a long, long treatment.

This led to Success at a Cost, and Princess Adalyma knew that the doctor was not doing all that he could. I think she tagged Blushing Newlywed to notice this. She spoke with Talia about the doctor.

Talia: Have you noticed he's tending to your every need?

Princess Adalyma: I'm noticing he's _not_ attending to my _husband's_ needs.

She confronted the doctor about this.

Doctor: You're right. I'm being selfish.

I think the princess may have figured out that he was in love with her, or perhaps he told her. But, she asked (possibly OOC), what price would her love be worth if it could be so easily won away from her husband as that?

The doctor has a -1 on his roll, and tagged Secretly In Love With the Princess. But, he was overcome by her tearful appeal to him and her obvious devotion to Frederick.

All Better Frederick: I can never thank you enough -- we will name our son's middle name after you. Doctor, I apologize -- I have known you only in a professional capacity. What is your first name?

Doctor: You can call me doctor?

Meanwhile, Talia went to work on the princess.

Talia: What are your thoughts concerning your mother-in-law?

Princess Adalyma: Oh she's wonderful!

Talia: Oh I'm not one to gossip...

The princess, naturally, pressed for more information.

Talia: She's a bit concerned.

Princess Adalyma: That I'm dumb as a box?

Talia: Oh I would never _say_ that...

Princess's Player: Should we roll?

Talia's Player: Whenever you're ready.

Talia did better.

Princess Adalyma: I thought she _liked_ me... What should I do?

Aspect: The Princess is Filled with Doubt

Princess Adalyma (possibly translated into the vernacular): You're my best friend -- thank you for making me hate myself. I was in this blimp of happiness. (possibly to the audience) There is only one thing I can do. I am an honest Disney Princess -- I must speak to my mother-in-law at once!

Naturally, I didn't take notes here. But, I do remember some of it.

Princess Adalyma: I know all! Talia told me everything!

Dame Ada: Oh good!

Dame Ada assumed that Talia had told her about Dame Ada's worries about assassins seeking her son's life. She hadn't wanted to worry her daughter-in-law, but now that the princess knew, there was another set of watchful eyes.

Of course, she didn't say this explicitly. In fact--

GM (to me): I'll give you this fate point if you don't explain what you mean!

Of course, I took it.

GM (to Danielle): I'll give you _this_ fate point if you don't ask for clarification!

Of course, Danielle took it.

Dame Ada (or, perhaps, her thought balloon): I'm so glad we had this talk. I feel _so_ much better! I think everything's going so well!

Princess Adalyma (her thought balloon): I think I am the worst wife ever!

Meanwhile, the doctor, with the best intentions in the world, wanting nothing other than Princess Adalyma's happiness, went to talk to Frederick.

Frederick Desmaris was noble of mien, clear-eyed, and, thanks to Pascal, healed of his illness.

Frederick: Doctor, marriage is a wonderful institution, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!

Sadly, Pascal was there to explain that, as Frederick was still recovering, it was necessary that he avoid _all_ strenuous activity. In other words, Frederick was to stop having sex as Adalyma was convinced she was a horrible wife.

The princess came to her husband.

Princess Adalyma: Tonight, I want to do _everything_ the way _you_ want it!

Frederick: We must be more sociable -- take a turn around the deck and introduce ourselves to the night crew.

Adalyma: _That's_ what you want to do tonight?

Frederick: That _is_ my wish as your husband.

Adalyma: Then -- I must. I want to do everything you say.

I think this became a short social conflict. Frederick was pitting his Society against Adalyma's Will, and my notes say both were 2 which meant a success, I think for Frederick. Adalyma tapped the Aspect A Good Marriage. My notes go on to say that this was "A blow -- but not an existential" and the GM tapped "Princess Doubts" on Frederick's behalf.

So, Frederick prevailed, and the not currently so very happy couple walked around the airship, socializing with the Night Crew.

Princess Adalyma / Danielle: All I want to do is have a happily f*cking ever after -- the hard part is supposed to be over! Can I just say my character arc has crumbled? Everyone wanted to give things to me -- or _be_ me.

Frederick was no happier. He went to Pascal.

Frederick: You sure, Doc? You sure? She told me she wanted to do anything -- I mean _any_ thing! And I told her I wanted to take a walk!

Alas, the doctor was sure.

The airship arrived in Athens, apparently without noteworthy incident, and moved on towards Naples. My notes say that the Pope had fled to South America. I suspect that this was just background material (or possibly a joke) that had no effect on the campaign.

Princess Adalyma / Danielle: Can I roll for pregnancy?

GM: You want to roll to get pregnant.

Indeed she did. But, she was not currently pregnant.

Someone (possibly the GM): I am sure there is something the doctor can do for you.

Someone (possibly Danielle): We're not there yet -- maybe a year from now.

Naples, my notes say, was Catholic, though again, I don't think this had any particular significance. Folks did sightseeing and shopping -- and prepared for a ball.

Princess Adalyma tried to Create an Advantage with Society, which she did by shopping. The Aspect was: Lovely New Dress. Alas, this did not magically solve her problems.

Princess Adalyma: And I was so happy! Remember Jerusalem?

Meanwhile, I think someone approached the crew about Frederick, who was now in the crew's good graces. This might have been the doctor or Talia.

Someone: I think you should thank him!

Crew: You're right -- we'll take him out drinking and show him a good time!

Someone (possibly me, doing the math): And he can't refuse.

After all, the social issues were very real, even when they were being used as excuses for other matters.

Frederick: Well, I guess one drink wouldn't hurt.

Someone (possibly Howard): Little does he know the crew are all Irish and Scots.

And this had a Consequence, specifically one Hungover Frederick. Additionally, there were still persistent Rumors of Idiocy.

Clearly, Princess Adalyma had to take action to protect Frederick from himself, given the less than sterling sight he made at the ball. This involved using _her_ Physique. With the dice, this came to a total of 0, but then, the player tagged the just-created Aspect of Lovely New Dress!

Meanwhile, Dame Ada was keeping a sharp eye out for potential assassins. I rolled Notice, getting a total of 7. Dame Ada noticed slender, dangerous-looking duelist types.

Me: I Courtesy them out the door.

That is, using nothing but her exquisite manners, Dame Ada approached the would-be assassins and spoke with them, leaving them no choice but to listen and to, in due course of time, and not that much time, leave the ball.

Mechanically, I think this was a +1 to the assassins' -1, but it was enough. However, Dame Ada did not notice that the princess was miserable. And then, Talia approached and began badmouthing the princess to her mother-in-law. Not, you know, that Talia would ever be one to spread gossip...

And, one social conflict later, Dame Ada began to have doubts. Her Aspect of Mother of the Groom changed to Is anyone truly good enough for my son?

Somewhere around here, I recalibrated my expectations. I had wanted to play a character like Sybil in Dorothy Dunnett's _The Game of Kings_, someone who was adept in all social situations, although not a physical powerhouse, and someone very intelligent.

But, this was clearly not the character I was playing. Despite stopping the assassins, Dame Ada was not the smartest person in the room. She had no idea what was going on with her daughter-in-law. She did not realize that she was being manipulated by Talia.

And... that was fine, actually. We weren't in a game centered on political intrigue and assassins. Sure, they were elements of the game we had set up, but that wasn't the focus of the game. The focus of the game was the crisis in the marriage of Adalyma and Frederick, and Dame Ada was an obstacle, not an ally. This was a comedy of manners that walked a very fine line between comedic and tragic, and as yet, we did not know where things would land.

This is exactly where one wants to be in a Powered by the Apocalypse game -- and it's an awesome space to be in for others games as well. It's feral, which means nothing is set in stone. We had to play to find out what was going to happen.

[Digression: This is NOT the only way to play, nor the only viable way to play. I have played games where everyone knew more or less how things would go, and that has often been fun. I have played games where not only did everything know what would happen OOC, but also knew IC and there was a certain metagame aspect to the play. As I explained about one of those games to someone who wasn't there and would have instantly punished the players for having the nerve to play that way (or so I interpreted what he wrote) by changing what was Really Going On, we were having fun and the game was fine.]

Princess Adalyma / Danielle: Can I pull a Stunt? I am an Honored Stranger. I'm not just a princess. I am THE Princess.

In other words, she was using the aspect: Everyone Wants to Be Me to try to influence Society's opinions. Pascal helpfully introduced the newlyweds to people, although these were professionals and intellectuals more than the movers and shakers of Society per se.

But, trouble was lurking in the form of an Italian Countess. She was lovely and exotic, in the way that Sophia Loren is. And, she was talking to Frederick in Sophia Loren's seductively languorous way.

So, Dame Ada took action. She asked Talia to dance with Frederick, intending merely to use the nearest weapon -- er, suitable person -- to distract her son from That Woman. Talia, of course, saw this as a tacit sign of approval from Dame Ada, an acknowledgement that, of course, Talia would make a better daughter-in-law than Princess Adalyma.

There was some roll that came up with three +s, possibly a role to seduce Frederick, not into doing anything improper, but into a quiet infatuation with Talia.

GM: And you know what? If you were sleeping with him, you'd be pregnant.

Talia: Who knows what will happen tonight?

No wedding vows were broken that night. Frederick was recovered enough by now to have sex with his wife. The airship traveled from Naples to Rome. And Princess Adalyma was still not pregnant.

She was, however, beginning to figure out that cousin Talia might not be as good a friend as she claimed to be.

The princess confronted her cousin.

Talia: Dear cousin -- I did that for _you_. That horrible, horrible countess was dancing with your husband, and I could not let her get her hooks into him!

And this led to a social conflict. Talia had a 5, and Adalyma had a 3, which became a 5. Then, Adalyma tapped Everyone Wants to Be Me for a 7.

Talia had known the princess from infancy, and she tapped Discerning Confidant, for a 7.

Adalyma tapped Foreign Princess.

Princess Adalyma / Danielle: I am used to being used! Just not by you.

And so, Princess Adalyma knew Talia's secret of "I want her life." She knew that her cousin had ulterior motives and was acting on them.

Princess Adalyma: You are in love with my husband! This isn't about Frederic -- it's about you and me!

And there was now a new Aspect: Adalyma Knows! It had a free tag. The blinds had been lifted.

Princess Adalyma: Did you think I was an idiot?

Talia: Not at all, dear cousin --

Princess Adalyma: Stop lying to me -- you liar!

Talia: You are so right.

Talia apologized in an attempt to mollify the princess.

Princess Adalyma: Why didn't you just _tell_ me?

Talia attempted to placate the princess, but had 4 to the princess's 5. Princess Adalyma was still angry.

Princess Adalyma: You are no longer a part of my entourage!

This was represented by the Aspect: Talk to the Hand.

GM: So... that was Rome....

And my notes say "(Papal America)". I've no idea what that means, but it probably had to do with Italy's ties to the church, and it wasn't especially relevant.

The airship flew from Rome to Florence.

GM: The birds ain't tweeting so loud, are they, Princess?

Princess Adalyma / Danielle: We're still having sex.

GM: But she's not willing to do _anything_.

Princess Adalyma / Danielle: That ship has sailed. It sailed in Athens!

Talia decided to bring Princess a gift to get back into her good graces. She got a 1 with a Society roll to find a gift, a painted fan which had the Aspect of The Perfect Gift, one showing that Talia knew the princess.

Meanwhile, the princess confided in the doctor. Now thoroughly on her side, Pascal wanted to help Adalyma reignite the flame of her marriage.

Pascal: Sometimes, men, if they get bored, they start to stray. We need to remind him.

He got a 6 as he studied Frederick to see what it was about the Countess and Talia that drew the man.

GM: An air of mystery.

Pascal reported back to the princess.

Adalyma: But I am his wife! How am I supposed to be mysterious?

Pascal: Let us go shopping.

He explained that, basically, Adalyma was offering herself to her husband like a present.

Pascal: We're going to wrap the present.

Yes, the focus of the game was now on lingerie shopping in steampunk Britannica! Well, steampunk Florence.

Danielle: Meanwhile, it's not like they're not doing it.

Yes, the not-so-happy couple was having sex, but there was definitely an air of Martyrdom about it, at least on the princess's side.

But, now, she had a new corset, which created a new Aspect: A Corset with Sprockets and Lace!

GM: We may just want to cut to the climax, as it were...

Talia presented the princess with the Painted Fan. Dame Ada had considered how she might help Princess Adalyma.

Dame Ada: I think a manual.

She had written a manual about all the things that she felt her daughter-in-law should know about being a wife to the third son of a British duke.

Someone (I think the GM): Oh no! You're trying to make Adalyma into his mother!

Okay, clearly Dame Ada's manual was more about what someone taking care of her son needed to know (at least in Dame Ada's opinion) than about what a society wife needed to know about British society. I was good with that.

GM: Let's think about Poor Frederick.

He drew another diagram for the upcoming social conflict:

<pre>
Frederick is torn.
[]       []         []       []           []
I must   OMG       Torn    She's been    She's definitely
take a   She's my            so             the one!
mistress!  mother           wonderful
</pre>

He started in the middle, at Torn.

Frederick (possibly after a roll): My love for her is true.

Pascal (or his thought balloon): _My_ love for her is true -- I'm just an idiot!

The princess made her play in their room, with her new corset.

Frederick: Why darling -- what is that you're wearing?

Adalyma: Look at it spin!

She had a 5, and she tagged the corset's Aspect, also called Air of Mystery.

Time passed during the challenge, and Dame Ada helpfully gave her daughter-in-law the manual she had written.

Princess Adalyma countered with Gifts Freely Given to her along their journey.

Adalyma: Oh, it's okay -- I have a manual on a thousand ways to serve tea!

Dame Ada was left speechless, and perhaps a bit impressed.

Pascal, I think, said a few words to Frederick intended to draw his attention to his wife and her love for him.

Frederick: Thanks, Old Bean!

And Talia walked by, mysterious, with a fluttering veil and a seductive scent of perfume.

Frederick: Hm... (to Pascal) What were you saying?

As the airship flew on to the sky cities of Venice, Talia took a more aggressive stance.

Talia: Frederick.

Frederick: Yes, Talia?

Talia: I want you to know that I am a patient woman.

Frederick: I know you're a very fine woman with many fine virtues.

Talia: But above all, patience. And I always get what I want.

The princess countered this with her disfavor: Talk to the Hand. She also used Out with the Boys. After all, Talia didn't know Frederick the way Adalyma did. Frederick occasionally did foolish things like, oh, going out with the airship crew and getting drunk and hung over.

Adalyma: And _I_'ve been okay with that.

If I understand my final notes on the session:

Dame Ada kept her Firm Hand on Tiller, finally smoothing away all of the nasty rumors about her son that Britannia's enemies were using in their attempt to poison Society. Princess Adalyma successfully seduced her husband and brought him to bed with her, whispering something in his ear.

GM: And that's a win.