The 13th Age may be over, but the world thrives on. Plucky reporter Lyn gua Franka (Poorweather) finds surprising camaderie with a batch of all-but-randomly selected fellow sellswords Grub (Ikks), Explorer "Plora" Trib (Gnome), Guns of the Navarwndes (Nate), and Vardissa (Drakkel). Tasked by the surreal scientists Rituelle and Hollandaise to retrieve a cube of peculiar matter, the five are drawn into a bent dimension by unknowable minions of the Outsider. This is our final fond farewell to the Dragon Empire!
14th Age Icons Podchat
Ironicus and Gnome discuss the ins and outs of the 14th Age, a time formed mainly as consequence to the antics of a few rogue elements.
If you enjoyed 13th Age: The Rogue Elements, the sequel is in your hands! Take a look at the notes right here!
So that’s it! It sounds like y’all enjoyed the end. I would have to say it’s the best episode of LP13A we ever put out. So, now that the campaign is complete, let’s talk about it as a whole.
There are, broadly speaking, two kinds of adventure stories. There are stories where something threatens the status quo, and the hero must set things right. The Riddler goes on a murder spree, and Batman puts him back in jail. There are also stories where the status quo is unjust, and the hero must change it. Luke Skywalker must fight against the Evil Empire. (These roughly map to two kinds of adventure heroes: the iconic and dynamic heroes. When things get tough, Batman only gets Batman-ier and forces the world around him in line. Meanwhile, Luke isn’t the same person in any of his four films)
I wanted to break away from that binary. I wanted the status quo off the table, completely unattainable. So, I made it so the apocalypse had already happened, folks just hadn’t noticed yet. I don’t know if it counts as an innovation in story shape, but it was my square one, and the central point I wanted things to grow from. No matter what happened, the world of level one would not be the world of level 10.
A classic MacGuffin hunt seemed like the way to go. It was easy on me, would make clear jumping-on points for new listeners, and offered a lot of flexibility in how to acquire things (heist, dungeon delve, bargaining, etc). So I made sure the nature of the Keys reinforced the central plan. About half of them had to be very important things that held the world as it is in place. The point was never to punish the party for trying to do good, but to make it clear there’s no going back. The only way to set things right is to push on ahead, and forge something better for tomorrow.
This ties in with Great Gold Grampy’s scenes in sessions 86 and 87. Listen to the words, he’s all about rolling back the clock. Then he gets blindsided by a brand new icon that’s never existed before. That was intentional. When he wakes again it’s clear the world has changed and he has no place as an Icon in it. His work is in the background, out of mind. His final scene was a bit rushed as it was late in the night, and sticks out as one of my regrets; sorry.
But let’s talk themes! First, is that power corrupts. But I got tired of that after a while. It’s too trite, it wasn’t enough to carry a story this big. So I tried to get into why power corrupts, and how. Very few of the Icons were “good people”, at least not the ones the party interacted with in any major capacity. I wouldn’t say they were bad people either. They were people with goals and the means to achieve them.
The problem is, they had big goals, worthy goals, goals that take a great investment to achieve. So to achieve them, resources must be acquired. Essentially, in order to use power, one must cultivate power. Look at the Dwarf King. He only devoted himself to the world-saving cause because he lost the ability to do much else. He could have used his abilities as the Soul of Stone to insulate his people against The Fourfold Apocalypse while everyone else died, and his sacrifice was choosing the other path. But now, his people are in a crisis; a lack of leadership and lack of direction.
The Elf Queen is probably the best expression of this idea. She was certainly unethical, and engineered the deaths of anyone getting too close to the truth. But the work she was defending was for the benefit of all. She did it for so long she couldn't see outside the game she invented, but it worked for millennia. The Teen Emperor tried to play that game, but was garbage at it. When you delegate the cultivation and exercise of your power, sometimes you end up with a CREAM. The Priestess was a grade-AAA certified Good Person, though. Believe the hype. Y’all missed out.
That’s also why “capitalism as villain” popped up every once in a while. We already see people amassing power for other ends, which eventually feeds into a greater need for power until the original goal is only a vestigial justification.
Another theme I wanted to play with was about prophecy. Prophecies themselves are bunk, and the only ones that get fulfilled are the self-fulfilling. I think this one didn’t get enough play to land, but I like the few examples. Audrielle naming Margaret her new captain and refusing to take “no” for an answer is the big one. The village champion set to defeat Imugi the Three-headed is another. The ritual actually working, and the Gold Wyrm actually being helpful, were supposed to be a surprise; the lone exception. Again, I’m not sure that one shone through.
But, that’s just me. This was a team effort of a very large team. This game would not be nearly as queer, nearly as colorful, nearly as varied if I were left alone to hammer on my pet points. Ikks gave us a universe with pointless randomness and pointed ironies. Medibot made us grapple with the line between the rational and the irrational. Thanks to Eliza, it’s all grounded by a love story. We have a world roughly sculpted, and you can see all of our fingerprints in the clay.
It’s been four years. We’ve all had major transitions in our lives since we killed Zvegdar and submitted our playtest feedback. And while the person I am today is not the person I was in the fall of 2012, Nothing I’ve worked on contains as much of the both of us as Let’s Play the 13th Age. Thank you for enjoying my work, and I can’t wait to see what you think of the things to come.
When y'all met the Oracle in Cathedral, I'm pretty sure I remember they told Mint that everyone he'd been to the moon with was dead. Then you get to the moon and we find out they're not dead. Is there a plot reason behind that or did you just forget about the Oracle? (completely understandable if you did, it's a minor moment from years earlier. i only remember because I'm a genetic freak and I'm not normal)
Please choose the answer you prefer. Both are true.
IC: The Oracle (who they actually met in Axis, as part of the prize for winning the Gladiatorial Open) was not actually mystical. She was meant to be a Sherlock Holmes-type with a knack for cold reading. She read up on the party a bit, listened to their conversations from around the corner, and read their faces and body language. The deaths of everyone else in Silver Arrow was a pretty darn safe bet.
OOC: The needs of the story changed, so the details changed to suit it. I’ll go into the whole “unreliable prophecy” thing in a later post.
You’ve heard the endings of our PC’s stories, but what about everyone else? Here are how some of the Dragon Empire’s notable folks lived out their lives.
Audrielle: Sails as a privateer to this day, her own captain. Four of her last five missions were legal.
Grammy Flor: Flor returns to Eridu to help rebuild and renew the spirit of the locals. As things slowly return to normalcy Flor continues her role as the village elder for the dragonspawn, though obviously much happier now that her grandchildren are back in her life (especially when they visit). Many years after the defeat of the Lord of the Devils and having lived a long and fruitful life, Flor is the first Dragonspawn in history to die of old age.The book of her people how bears a dedication page.
Rose DeFlor: Still runs a thriving pottery business in the revitalized Eridu, thanks in part to being the sole supplier of pottery to her cousins Mage Academy.
OxFord: Though freshly spawned and new to the world, Oxford’s desire to come to the aid of her people pushes her to experiment with new methods of farming in the arid lands of the Red Wastes. Eventually; after years of struggle she pioneers new irrigation techniques that allow Eridu to become a sustainable city for generations.
The talking bear; voice of the High Druid: There was a town here. Death changed that. There is a glade now. The glade has nice berries. Nobody else comes here.
Claude Luminor: Claude awoke after the final battle; alone, and without his powers. He renewed his dedication to his craft. He created a new form of drama, emphasizing the artificiality of it all, something like Brecht’s Verfremdungseffekt crossed with Japanese Noh. (His old coach Violetta was outraged, and opened a studio to maintain the traditions of Naturalism and Classicism in the arts) The Occidental theater in Axis has been renamed The Luminor Center for the Performing Arts.
Barnold: Afraid, but never considering fleeing, Barnold stayed a stalwart defender in Horizon-- even as it shrunk to a village upon the coast as its constituent floating islands were leveled, lost, and abandoned permanently. To this day, Curios George hires up-and-coming young wizards to study and work in its tiny library, all that remains of the Horizon schools.
“Monster” Manuél: Many years later, Manuél finished his life’s work: a tome describing the biology and habits of every creature he had ever encountered. The mere content was finished while he was still young, but the calligraphy was never quite elaborate enough to satisfy him.
Battle Bob: Bob died during the four-fold apocalypse. He stabbed the new Crusader, the former Diabolist in disguise, when he crossed her path once more. The scar he left will prevent her ever pulling that trick again.
The Archmage: While his most loyal lieutenants preserved the walls around Horizon, The Archmage completed his final spell. He became one with the network of wards. His soul now travels the empire, knitting it together and providing for its people.
Gerald of the mountain: UNTA!
Small Rigby: The history of the Rogue Elements and the end of the Age is mixed with legend and rumor. The one thing the stories have in common, without exception, is that their adventure is tied to Rigby’s missing leg, even though the details always vary.
Olga, Mayor of Drakkenhall: After the changes that came to her city (more on that later) Olga traveled north to live among her people with her friend “12-Legs” Stacey, the gnomish chef. She serves as envoy to the Orc Lord, and travels the known world on his behalf.
Roth: As he ran north, Roth stumbled into an Orc war band. His story led to The Physical Challenge becoming the most popular adventure sport in Orc society.
Wanda Hiltpick: Wanda joined Corson’s Army and tracked her toward the Abyss following their defeat. She reached the site the day after the final battle, and found an ancient key. Nobody will ever be unjustly held again.
Cactus: After a long period of adventuring to do all he can to help the world during and after The Fourfold Apocalypse, Cactus returns to his garden. it takes a day for someone to point out to him that his garden was moved to the Elven palace grounds while he was gone, and another week for them to notice the neat boundaries of his little garden and assure him that yes, the acres of fresh fields and forests now surrounding it are for him, too.
The Competent Guard of Moonlaunch: After distinguished and prudent service in the defense of the Queen’s Wood, Moonlaunch’s guard has begun training Queen Bella’s elite honor guard.
Larette Stone: As Imperial Magical Adviser, Larette must navigate the tensions between the Empire and the Wizard Queen. It’s a thankless job, but if Larette has learned anything from the end of CREAM, it’s that doing the job properly requires setting aside your personal agendas.
Dire Ape: When Peppercorn needed a new Associate Director to fill his former position, there was only one name on his list.
The Axis Pie Shop: Imploded during a devil raid. The only trace left is a historical marker “On this spot, the Marquis de Necropolis developed a taste for pie”.
Gilder Goldenbrass: Nav promised Gilder that he would be resurrected, and eventually he was. His autobiography is the most widely-known, and least believed, version of events.
Mrs. Peppercorn: A renowned opera singer, she has sold out several shows at The Luminor Center for the Performing Arts.
Gareth and Igraine: As the Great Gold Worm has turned to the abyss, cutting itself off from the world, the Golden Order has collapsed. Gareth and Igraine began a new order, with new vows: Paladins of love. Romantic love, familial love, generosity, and compassion; what matters most is that it is selfless.
Wymbledon: A party of adventurers seeks a lost treasure in the Empire’s northwest. Their archer fires into a nest of territorial wyverns and is shocked to see one grab an arrow, and return it in a game of fetch.
Strawberry Gelato: Strawberry was in the middle of a particularly challenging needlepoint throughout The Fourfold Apocalypse. She remains vaguely aware her son did something important for a boy his age.
The “Mayor” of Beaston: With the Dwarf King gone, life in Forge continues. The Forgemaster and Brewmaster took to asking for the people’s input to decide the matters on which they could not agree. The leader of Beaston has done plenty of good for the people he represents by playing the two dwarf leaders against each other. His first move was to bring citizenship to the sewer dwellers.
Woody: Eventually everybody in CREAM’s bubble dimension lifeboat found their way out, except Woody. He hasn’t noticed they left yet.
Rimdark the Magnificent Fist: He joined Corson’s army when they called for recruits in Eridu, and was one of the very few survivors. Rimdark now serves as captain of the guard in the independent city-state of Eridu.
Bryde Wilestar: Bryde was born into court matters, and her experience and friendship have been a great aid to Bella. Her mother’s grave is now honored as the birthplace of the new unity.
S.U.S.A.N: After defending Equinox during the launch sequence, the Snakefolk’s debt to modernity is paid. Scale Under Star And Night holds domain over the Fangs. So many of her children’s souls still need bodies, and there are so many fun ways to acquire them.
Mako: Unfortunately for the Shark Princess her plans of conquering the land are put on indefinite hold as the world beneath the sea has become an unstable breeding ground for sea monsters formerly held back by the power of the Pearl. Mako is eventually forced to form an alliance with the Wizard Queen to help protect her kingdom in exchange for letting Scarlett build a Mages Academy on the island of Omen. While the Wizard Queen could form sufficient new wards herself; keeping Mako in check and on her side proves a more valuable resource. Mako, for her part, knows the Wizard Queen is screwing with her but for now will bide her time until the perfect opportunity comes to continue her conquest in full force.
Coloratura Canto: The resurgence of true elven magic demonstrated our understanding of the distant past is lacking, to say the least. Her pioneering work in field sites opened up during The Fourfold Apocalypse has done a great deal to fix that.
The Final Devil: Is Still Dead
Umberto re-married. They met at Bella and Tran’s wedding reception.
Wylde Nyghtmäre: The years before the new Age reached an equilibrium were a time of upheaval, uncertainty, and ROCK! After a time as the Empire’s biggest act, the success dulled their edge and their egos tore them apart. Their lead singer still tours despite a legal battle over the right to use the band’s name.
Padraic: Deep into the 17th Age, a ruined foundation barely marks where a great manor once stood. In its center, a man of stone polishes the silver.
Kalin Poldalle: Deep in a cave, beneath a somber mountain, a forgotten god waits. With a new age comes new secrets, and his attendant is helping increase the supply.
Cootsen: A young dragonspawn that was saved by Cootsen’s generosity sought to honor the man’s memory. She traveled across the empire, looking for a record of a birth, baptism, employment; anything to learn about the man that saved her life. She found nothing. Desperate, she prayed for guidance in a forgotten cave shrine to a forgotten god. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see a familiar old coot behind her. As she blinked in disbelief, the man was gone again.
Here it is, the finale of Let’s Play the 13th Age. We started with a playtest doc, and we end with the support of the 13th Age community and library. We started with a pre-written adventure, and end with a world transformed by our actions. We started with distrustful strangers, and end with a family of misfits. Please enjoy: http://www.sixfeatsunder.com/episode/the-end/
In episode 83, the Heart of the Moon (known to the Elves and CREAM as the Star of the Midday Prayer) gives Bella the Queen's mystical connection to all elves, as demonstrated by revisiting formative scenes with several elves from her life with perfect clarity, and one half-elf in a fuzzy haze. All of Bella's spells are named for Metric songs, so I made each of them contain a Metric lyric. Here's a handy guide:
Coloratura's guidance is taken from Dreams So Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfJi9shVSso
The full lyric is "Have I ever really helped anybody but myself
To believe in the power of songs,
To believe in the power of girls?"
Mulberry's encouragement is from Cascades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuPRFDC3wCQ
Tran's confession is from Celebrate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLg9WUhhhAs
The compulsion she felt at the end of the previous session was described with some lines from The Shade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laVWyQnIicU
The queen's greeting is the opening line of Artificial Nocturne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmCHXDVkIhA
I went to a Metric concert in February and spent half the time making mental notes for this session.
Claude Luminor’s farewell performance needed an extra something to make the encounter match the story. Here’s the system I came up with:
Act 1: 0-10 drama points
Downsides: ED is locked at 1, characters focusing fire is at -4
Advantages: Exposition gets extra drama points and +/-2 to any roll that turn
Starmaker power: inciting action; allows an enemy reroll once in Act 1
Act 2: 11-20 drama points
Downsides: enemy attacks get +1 additional to ED
Advantages: recharges can be rolled now rather than at the end, referring to character arcs gets extra drama points
Starmaker power: intermission; ED drops by 1 as everyone gets a drink and checks their phones
Act 3: 21+ drama points
Downsides: Surprise return- a dead enemy can come back at 25% health
Advantages: callback-any character may reroll an attack that missed on an earlier turn including daily powers. The ED is set to 5 minimum and has no cap; it increases an extra 1 for every 5 Drama Points over 20
Starmaker power: Sequel hook; the Starmaker escapes into the crowd
The Escalation Die already makes a story shape; the heroes start on the back foot, then through struggle overcome and overwhelm their foes. The increasing bonus encourages players to use their best abilities later, as dramatic finishers. But, we’ve seen that dozens of times by now, and it’s not the shape I wanted for a stage performance.
I whipped up the above to encourage dramatic action and dramatic thinking. Earning drama points was a matter of building drama, and having new mechanical rewards at each stage made it a tactical necessity. On the other hand, I tried to keep the “Starmaker”’s abilities fiction-focused to keep the theme in mind, and give myself a bit of 4th-wall leeway. I fudged the drama point thresholds in play, so feel free to do the same if you adapt this to your own game. I also never made a strict list of ways to earn Drama Points, which is something you may wish to add.
13th Age 76-1: 76 Legally Distinct Brass Instruments
The Archmage is a very powerful, very busy man. It'd only take a minute to charge the Element's scavenged arcane battery, but wouldn't you know it, he just doesn't have the time! The experienced time-wasters of the party struggle to save it instead via favors, lectures, amplifications, and musical numbers.
Look for a scene change in the second part of the session, coming soon.
