Yo, forum peoples. I don't normally post on these things but I wanted to share my player's experience in our first session last week. It was memorable enough to think that it might be helpful to the creator and other people running/playing the game.
playtest
At the foundry pits where whores and priests are the same; four opportunistic Venusians seek their fortunes amongst the hopeless masses.
Torvald sits at a table with Cella Kora, a lady of once-repute, now on a fad diet of mummified bad carcass. It turns her lips black and eventually her body will be nothing more than a husk for her hungry spirit. Torvald is more interested in her coin purse atop the table ready to bet on Tyri; the champion Du Jour. His bag isn't full of coin. It's just a bag of sand and rocks.
Torvald hasn't assessed the situation well. Tyri is sick, he’s been drinking the heavy smoke. And losing himself on the the other worlds as a spirit on the solar wind. Neither Torvald no Cella notice his dulled senses. But Himal, a priestly outsider and foreigner to this city has sized up another gladiator, Neferti as the clear winner. He has faith in his convictions and lays his bet.
Lexicai is searching for her wealth too, but she’s directed less by coin and more for the drug that the bats feast on during the waxing months before the rain floods and the egg-shaped fruit rots on the vine. She keeps running into the junkies, and the more she talks the more she realizes she needs to try the drug.
Cella Kora’s son Ghi, a vain blond man taps his fingers nervously on the table. His nails are painted with the names of men and women. Torvald’s monogrammed bag is swept off the table by some coinrunner and his false bet is tallied before he can say otherwise.
Tyri lifts the half-moon spear above his head. He cries out to his ancestors to give him strength. He’s slowed by the weight of the drugs on his mind.
Lexicai sits between four junkies and inhales deeply the drug, eyes turn white.
Himal shouts a slur at the addled Tyri, who has the young Neferti bearing down on him.
Lexicai can see the sun glowing through the cracks in the stones of the foundry. She must slip through.
Neferti makes a wicked incision into the former champion’s leg Tyri.
Lexicai slips through, stands on a shelf of eternity. She can see the Solar System.
Torvald makes a quick excuse while the two dangerous looking men at the table eye him suspiciously. The Dame Cella Kora doesn’t bat an eye. Torvald slips out of the pit.
Cheers and shouts by those that bet on her, Neferti is tossed down a rope ladder to climb out of the bloody pit. Tyri lays bleeding out.
Lexicai pulls a long golden string behind her and travels through space to the planet of Saturn. She meets the long dead spirits of the people that once lived on that cold planet and learns of a city under the ground that could contain artifacts of great power and knowledge.
Neferti retires to the whore-temple to a much deserved reward of flesh, wine and comfort. Neria a whore-priestess takes up residence with Neferti in her new home overlooking the pits.
Analysis
Some confusion about the naming convention but my players pulled it off I think. A list of names might be helpful in future playtests. This could also be done by the GM in prep.
At one point in time we were trying to figure out how Torvald was to escape a social situation and we went with intrude rather than recover. The possible outcomes made more sense in context.
Unsure as what to do with dead NPCs, I'll figure it out this session.
How do we travel through space? Well, I'm going magical ziggurats (think Stargate maybe? I haven't actually watched much of that show.)