The game has started to take on a life of its own, and has been a pleasure to DM. Given the chaotic situations that the party seem to continually find themselves in I have decided to name the campaign "Mishaps in Mechanéno."
Some brief accounts of the last few game sessions...
August 8, 2020.
Events took a turn for the interesting last game. The two leaders(?) of Mechaneno's street urchins were found to be alive and rescued. Some interesting intelligence was revealed
–it would seem that the Salarvyáni are meddling in the internal affairs of Pechano, again, and, maybe, with the help of locals; Lord Shemek seems to have other "agents," with access to powerful devices of the ancients, working on his behalf pursuing other threads of interest; and now, the party has decided to leave Mechanéno in pursuit of the Salarvyani that have apparently kidnapped a Pecháni princess from the East and are hoofing it to the border. Mayhem must surely ensue. The game's afoot!
August 22, 2020
So, last night was a bit of a roller coaster. The party went out of Mechanéno in hot pursuit of some kidnappers, and ran into the more mundane obstacles that one can find on the Sakbé Road. Everything from greedy custom agents, to large bodies of troops on deployment seemed to be impeding them. They did find the kidnapped Princess Ja'alitle, and her loyal Lady in Waiting Nomantla metres away from the Salarvyáni border, and after a brief struggle and some efficiently cast spells the cowardly Salarvyáni fled or were incapacitated. After a hasty retreat, and many coins later/lighter the party find themselves safely back in Mechanéno, or are they? Very interesting session from a DM's perspective, and even in a little nation like Pecháno the intrigue and machinations seem to be at the forefront.
Sept 7, 2020
Due to some unforeseen developments at work I was forced to delay the game a week, but I think that we made up for it last night. Although not an especially long game, it was a productive one. The Rekhmel compound was assaulted by a mob of Pecháni determined to free the poor Mechanani girl being held by the wretched easterners, and their Rekhmel lords. The party was not willing to relinquish the princess to these folk, and a most successful casting of The Hands of Krá the Mighty by the worthy Kotaru, a priest of Qón, rendered the hapless Pecháni rabble-rouser into a gooey mess (34 points of damage delivered, a failed saving throw, and he only had 3hp to begin with). Not surprisingly the mob's resolve started to waiver, and many slipped away not wanting any part of this any longer. Some clever taunts and misdirection by the party confused the mob even more, and kept them distracted long enough for the Pecháni City Guard, and some soldiers, to arrive and disperse them. Unfortunately, it would appear that more powerful agents may be involved, as in the party's moment of victory a fiery red light appeared, melting the front of the building on whose roof they were perched, incinerating the slave Lobi, and frying poor Kemek and horribly burning him. It was only the quick jump of Beshmu, bum leg and all, that saved his life and spared him from a similar fate. Kotaru came through again, casting a heal spell and saving Kemek's life. The party was immediately surrounded by Rekhmel retainers and escorted to safety inside their compound. While walking to compound the party noticed the Salarvyáni "giant" encountered a few days earlier in the foreigner's quarter slipping into a back alley. It would seem that he was responsible for the mob's attack. After a good night's sleep the party was rewarded by the grateful Rekhmel representative by each member being given a finely crafted steel dagger and ornate sheath emblazoned with the Rekhmel Clan symbol. Afterwards they were then escorted back to the Tsolyáni delegation's compound by armed guards, only to face the formidable Lady Jalessa hiViridame –the Major Domo of the Delegation. The party had much explaining to do…. Much mayhem was in abundance last night.
Sept 12, 2020
Last night's adventure was not as action packed as the previous week's was, but potentially significant things were begun by the group. The mysterious N'ek P'tek, an agent and friend of Lord Shemek, contacted the group and brought some troubling news.
It would seem that the kidnapping of the princess was part of a larger Salarvyani plan to destabilise Pecháno, and undo the alliance with Tsolyanu. N'ek P'tek, at the behest of Shemek, has been searching for some time to uncover the identity and location of the agents responsible. Both Lord Shemek and N'ek P'tek suspected that the princesses flight to Mechanéno was related to this operation, and had hoped that by thwarting it they would be able to put a face to the name of Gurrushégmesh, the apparent master mind and leader of the Salarvyáni, and flush him into the open. They did not achieve their goal, but the party has helped to identify some of the other players, a gang of Salarvyáni thugs operating out of the Foreign quarter, seemingly with the inexplicable ability to wander freely around the rest of Mechanéno, even after dark. N'ek P'tek feels that these thugs will be the surest way to Gurrushégmesh.
So, at the behest of the Lord Shemek, and perhaps the Imperium, N'ek P'tek has reminded the party of their duty to the Imperium, and "directed" our brave heroes, and heroine, back to the Foreigner's Quarter of Mechanéno. He then instructed them to discretely find out what these thugs are up to, and report back to him everything they discover. It would seem that the party has been given a new purpose not related to the Delegation's mission….
