Swords Without Master – Gauntlet Con 2017

Gauntlet Con 2017 – One Shot

This game was run during Gauntlet Con in October 2017

Cast

Aldrais



Elanne



Haeron



Les

Synopsis

The rogues find themselves individually caged on top of plateau decorated with three massive swords.  At the center of the plateau, a hooded figure chants around fire that grows in intensity as the figure continues to chant.  Les convinces a captor that he is part of the ritual and is released. While Aldrais slips out the cage in shadow form.  Haeron focuses on the chanting and all of a sudden ends up outside the cage. Elanne becomes insubstantial as an effect of the chanting and is able to walk through the bars of the cage, but the smoke of the fire is drawn to her, engulfing and choking her. The fire in the center of the plateau then erupts in blinding light.

The hooded figures are gone while the rogues gather their senses.  A growl signals a beast climbing up the side of the plateau.  A giant, wild cat with an exposed rib cage is approaching.  Haeron knows this a creature of everyone’s nightmares, a distorted facade of humanity and that it’s not necessarily there to harm them.  The creature doesn’t attack because Elanne has been marked and must be killed alone.  Aldrais recognizes the creature as a karroth and that Elanne must show cruelty to the beast.  Les knows that the karroth was unbound because it died in extreme suffering.  The karroth died because it was abandoned by its pride due to its weakness.  Elanne knows why she is targeted because some time ago she hunted a pride of mountain lions chose to kill the weakest member of the pack.  The karroth is waiting to attack because it wants the thrill of hunting Elanne to prove its worth.

The karroth snarls and prowls towards Elanne.  Les tries to distract the creature but is batted aside.  Aldrais gives pursuit to the beast but is too slow in shadow form.  Haeron is listening to the voices in the shadow but cannot make sense of their crazy talk.

The karroth bites down on Elanne, severing her foot in the process.  She manages to bound away but falls over the side of the plateau.  The karroth turns and darts towards Haeron.  Haeron knows the karroth can hear the voices as well.  Haeron begins to speak but a voice that is not his own echoes out and the beast stops in its tracks.

Later on, the rogues find themselves on the road below the plateau.  The beast is friendly now and is beckoning the group towards the hills away from the road.  A darkness builds in the distance, laughter is heard,  and Aldrais tells the group that although the hills are safer, darkness is coming to kill the world and no one is safe. Les tells Haeron he knows the laugh as that of his sister and begins moving toward the hills in hopes the karroth will protect him.  Haeron also begins to head toward the hills.  The karroth recognizes that Elanne is not leaving the road and grabs her in its jaws and tosses her in the direction of the hills.  Aldrais remains still on the road as the laughter gets louder and the darkness begins to envelope the scene.

The beast, now frightened, leaves the rogues and moves ahead towards the hills.  Elanne, overcome with emotion and pain, cries.  Sensing the weakness that resides in itself, the karroth returns closer to protect Elanne.  The crying Elanne reminds Les of his sister at a younger age and he sits down next to her and begins to cry as well.  Meanwhile, Aldrais stands within the darkness and see the shadows coalesce into a form of Olenna, Les’ sister.  The shadow dissipates as Aldrais removes its shadowy head. The shadows speak in voices such that Haeron is familiar.  They tell him the only way to be safe from the Darkness is to become one with it.

Tendrils of shadow burst from the darkness, wrapping around the necks of Hearon and Aldrais.  Haeron begins speaking again in that strange voice, telling everyone that life is a merciless path.  Suddenly he buries his dagger into his own neck.  He rips open his own skin revealing a shadow version of himself.  The shadow of Haeron walks into the darkness to join it.  The tendrils grab Aldrais, dragging him towards the darkness.  Aldrais rips off the tendrils, telling the darkness it is time for vengeance.  In doing so, the tendrils race off to take vengeance for all the ills of the world but the process consumes Aldrais, turning him to darkness as well.  Les and Elanne are on the back of the karroth, racing towards the hills away from the darkness. The tendrils quickly pursue and wrap around the necks of them, including the karroth, reeling them towards the darkness.  The karroth breaks free, runs to Elanne and breaks the tendrils from her.  The karroth mercifully kills Elanne to save her from the darkness.

Everyone Les knows has just died.  For the rest of his short life, Les runs from the darkness.