“The wretched beast rotting in ya drains,
“Refuses to be stuck in chains like remains!
“You ought to wait and see
“When you’re cryin’ over spilt milk
“And all your goody-goody ilk!
“Sinkbeast heralds a curse wrought with ire
“And Sinkbeast hopes you’ll succumb to your greatest desire!”
I needn’t introduce myself, but it’s 🐟Sinkbeast anon🍷! A name that I have been referred to in a grocery store (as I ran into the Exile’s player). They’ve exchanged my person for Sinkbeastification (which I don’t mind; it is hilarious). The above is how I welcomed everyone into my place, and the tone setter for the adventure we would soon have. I was prepared this time for their desire for spoons, and I knew how to convince them to shake hands with the monkey’s paw…
My own deviousness aside (for now)! Please don’t fret about being slow to respond or feeling that you must respond. Knowing that it brought comfort on bad days is enough for me, and I’m happy to keep sending these in. It’s fun being able to share the joy! I appreciate the recommendation, and I’m hoping to pick it up in the future for myself (behold a sucker for fishing mini games). I’m always eager to expand my collection.
Words can’t articulate how fantastic it was to see them open up and engage so eagerly. It made for awesome times that continue to expand. I think it’s one of the best things we could’ve done as a friend group. We’ve played co-op games before, but nothing has netted an experience quite like this. Our group chat is overflowing. The night before our latest session, they spammed me with Sinkbeast quotes, chants, and doodles. It makes me feel like I’ve done well, and I thank you as well for your kind words.
It is a pity to hear that about Yazeba’s, but I think I can make it work with just a pdf. Like you said, the crew’s quite creative! Ever since I read your reply, I began thinking about what to do if we choose to go for it later. My best thought was using my iPad and screenshotting the pages, then allowing everyone to doctor them up as they pleased in Procreate. This would also allow us infinite drawing room and the ability to personally edit pages, plus I can print them out later if we decide we’d like a printed copy of our escapades. All future planning, of course, but it’s a fun idea!
Wanderhome is truly a gem. It’s interesting to look at actual play videos of Wanderhome now that I’ve embarked on a journey myself. I think a lot of people get caught up in imagining it like D&D and forgetting why you’re the leader of the crew like I did. You’re not meant to be the world’s entire voice. You’re its guide. You’re a presence that maintains providence, forbidding anyone from tipping the scales too far (which could lead to upset amongst players) and helping guide the conversation when it grows stale. You can help take the loose ideas they have and compile them into something greater.
On that note, I decided to give everyone the same choice the Veteran playbook can make: You can immediately kill the person in front of you, but you’ll no longer be able to play your character. The weight of violence is an interesting aspect of Wanderhome. We are not at war today and our fields look idyllic, but are they? When the kings still breathe and the overwhelming gods hide amongst grandeur, are we really in a pastoral fantasy? This was the truth we encountered today on a battlefield where we heard about the rebellion’s first battle, its cost, and how the fight had yet to end.
However, in true build up fashion, I’ve yet to conclude my pre-session monologue! If you were wondering, yes, I do go on tangents this long-winded with Sinkbeast. Sinkbeast steals your voice to speak more Sinkbeast into the world. It’s unfortunate.
The Guardian decided to take up after the Exile and bring a ridiculous item into my house: a taxidermy lynx inherited from their grandfather, which they left in my living room because quote, “Pops would shed a tear at my usage of it.” (I okayed it because it is hilarious, but I continuously forget it is there and get spooked by it. I wouldn’t really suggest drinking coffee with a taxidermy lynx staring at you.) His tokens changed into Excedrin (specifically for tension headaches). I actually had to “spend” one of his tokens during our downtime.
The Caretaker also brought a new trinket. She found an antique green teacup with flowers painted on it, so she decided to use it to store her tokens. It’s very pretty! The Vagabond’s poster collection has expanded too based on the ones created in the previous session. The Ragamuffin’s trinket and tokens got a remake too. Xe brought a wooden sword decorated with stickers as xyr trinket and miniature resin ducks as xyr tokens. Everyone got their own duck. Mine was thrown into my wine glass of fishy horrors.
The spoon acquisition system got an upgrade! I ordered a genuinely absurd amount of colorful tasting spoons and assigned each to a different Tarot card group. From there, I rolled 1d6 and had the player roll 1d6. The d6 I rolled corresponded to a Tarot card while the d6 the player rolled was the mission. I also ordered miniature stickers, which are small enough to fit onto the spoons. If they wanted a sticker (which they did), then they had to make a wish. If you can’t beat a goblin’s desire to hoard, then you have to join it.
Our session began with us leaving the town we were lodging in and meeting a fleeing family while on the road. This family had left the village we’re heading towards because the King of the Floating Mountain’s wrath had cracked down on them. The revolutionaries were engaged with the King’s army, but who could say how long they would hold out? Everyone knew that the King had a vendetta against this land as it was where the first real battle of the war began.
I passed out candy to everyone and told them that they could eat it or save it. The Exile, Vagabond, and Ragamuffin chose to eat theirs while the Guardian and Caretaker decided not to. I gave the trio who indulged in greed a sticker each and allowed them to pick out the aesthetic elements and folklore (minus what I had already set) of the place. Then I took the duo out of the room and asked them who or what they wanted to protect. The Guardian answered that he wanted to protect the kids, and the Caretaker answered that she wanted to shelter the small and trampled on gods. I gave them each a token for their answers before asking if they’d like to convert the scene into a mirage.
They said yes. Everything we were about to see had already happened and been slain, including those on board with us. They chose to embellish the memories of the battle that occurred here, make the village walls glow and tower, and tell the story of the day the King of the Floating Mountain lost his morality. We kept this a secret, but through the inconsistencies, the Exile began to question what was going on. It came to a head during an interaction between the Ragamuffin, a ghost child, a heroic figment of history, and a daemon spoon.
One of the Ragamuffin’s rejected life lessons was that heroes will always let you down. Xe believed in heroism and its greater good. Why would a hero, the embodiment of good, lead to such destruction? I asked the Ragamuffin if xe wanted to be the hero of this place instead. If so, xe must unsheathe the Heavenblade and spend all of xyr tokens. I handed everyone 1d20, including one for myself, and told them to roll. The fate of the Ragamuffin’s heroic choice would be determined like any good heroic game: with dice and a master.
The mirage was broken and its people were laid to rest, forever unable to escape the decimation of their village. No king died today. No glory was achieved, but the Heavenblade buzzed with the power of the soldiers (unnamed, forgotten, and of both sides) who died here. However, we were able to learn of the past. I told the Guardian and Caretaker to tell us about the history of this place and the folklore we’ll leave behind. The true price of heroism was not how much blood your hands were warmed by, but knowing what that blood belonged to.
We sat and listened to the story of a virtuous knight who retired from the army and left with her child in tow. She wanted to pave the way to a better life for her child. She unwittingly settled in the rebellion’s stronghold, and she had no desire to expose the King of the Floating Mountain’s secrets. However, her vows and dutiful years of service weren’t enough of a promise that she would keep her mouth shut. The King was paranoid due to previous betrayals and refused to experience a loss again, especially when the answer was as trivial as killing one woman…
I returned a spoon to the Ragamuffin with a sticker on it when the story concluded. The token was used up, but it sat there as I described how the Heavenblade exists for one purpose in this world: to be a lethal slayer. However, if it was discarded now, who knew what hero would wield it next? You, who believed in heroes and righteousness, could handle its weight… probably.
The second half of the session (we had an interlude to watch Spirited Away) was a lot more lighthearted, full of daemonic pranks as they spent their spoons on silly wishes. Being that it had shifted from Bloommeadow to Devildays, the kids were overwhelmed by the heat and complained to the Guardian and Exile about it. So, through a spoon, the Exile wished for water balloons to fight with… unaware that these water balloons actually had cooling slimes inside. It was a nightmare to clean, but shockingly not at all toxic. (Sinkbeast might know what affection is. Unconfirmed, but maybe?)
We held a vote for if we’d like to do the Sun Parade or an alternative holiday, and the result was that we headed to a metropolis hosting Callaleah! With drinks and games aplenty, we cracked out some dusty boardgames to play (with prizes from Sinkbeast, which were literally spoons with goldfish stickers). There was development between the Exile and the Vagabond, with the Exile spending a token to reassure the Vagabond through a gift. The Vagabond chose not to cause a scene here, though he did play various pranks.
With that, our session came to a close and Breathe is on our horizon. I have several plans for the next session, but I haven’t had a lot of time to finalize. Thankfully, I can juice everyone else’s minds while pretending to be a mastermind. I definitely want to bring back the gluttonous decisions, though maybe I’ll switch it up for drawing lots since they’re wary of me after the twist. (They did give me props for the idea!)
I hope your week has been alright! If not, I hope I can provide a bit of cheer through our escapades.
Hello Sinkbeast Anon!! Thank you for gracing my inbox <3
Sooooo much juicy stuff you’ve wrought upon your players… the horrors of war! The value of restraint! Whether to shape the present now or live to define its past! Aaaack!!! The fact that your world is set while the rebellion is ongoing is such a perfect, poignant twist to an otherwise whimsical/cozy/pastoral game. Love a setting that can do both!
Please tell your players they have excellent taste in trinkets, and please tell YOURSELF that you have excellent taste in mischievous poetry! As always, it’s such a delight to secondhand experience the joys of your campaign—TTRPGs are such an ephemeral thing, so having it written & shared is an honor I don’t take lightly.
I know you said I needn’t apologize for slow/late replies, but still, sorry for the two week delay 😅 I actually had a particularly nasty Menty B that’s landed me in a (temporary) residential facility, so thank you for the shimmer of light. I also bring this up because they don’t have much in the way of art supplies save for a shit ton of pony beads & string, so I’ve been teaching myself a new craft… and made a little fanart!
Hopefully this offering pleases the great Sinkbeast. Wishing you and your motley crew a pleasant August and happy adventures ahead! 💖
