Village Necromancer - A Solo TTRPG Liveblog
Back when I was posting all of my journaling game playthroughs on Twitter, the first one I did was Village Witch by Eliot Silvarian. Today I'm playing a re-flavoring of that system called Village Necromancer by SmallTownCreepy. As a fresh-faced graduate of Atropos University, you are charged to set up a necromantic practice for your year-long residency. Will you succeed and find a place to call home? Or will you have to start anew next year? Only time will tell.
CW: This game has themes of death and dying.
How to Play
For this game, you'll need a d6 and a tarot deck.
The gameplay is divided into seasons, which each last 13 weeks. For each week, a tarot card is pulled from the deck for an event-based writing prompt. I will also be playing with the optional roll to roll a d6 to determine the outcome of the event (1-3: bad outcome, 4-6: good outcome). At the middle or end of the season, your necromancer can decide if they want to move villages or continue their practice where they are. Gameplay ends when you have gone through all 4 seasons, after which you move to the ending questions and decide whether or not your residency was a success.
Character Creation
Now it's time to build out our necromancer using some guiding prompts:
Name - Cordyceps, but he goes by Cordy
Pronouns - he/him
Appearance - he's just a little mushroom guy! Think of a mini-myconid from D&D or a mushroom veggieling if you're familiar with the Dragon Stew 5e supplement by Antonio Demico.
Clothing - Unlike what you would expect from a typical necromancer, Cordy likes to dress in warm colors like oranges, reds, and yellows.
Why a necromancer? - Being a necromancer runs in Cordy's mycelium. His family has always had an affinity for reanimating the dead, so Cordy is pursuing a family tradition.
What are your code of ethics? - Cordy does no harm to living creatures. He's a good boy who tries his best to help others.
What are your favorite necromantic spells? - Cordy loves to reanimate corpses with his own lil shroomy twist. You can tell which bodies he has revived based on the mushrooms sprouting on them.
World/Village/Residence Creation
Now time to flesh out our world! For the setting, I've chosen high fantasy.
After rolling a d6 to determine what kind of village we start out in, I got The Grasslands, where funeral pyres are common.
Now to answer some more prompts to define our residence within village. The prompts are kinda long, so I'll just bullet point my responses to the questions:
Cordy resides within the local cemetery, which is mostly made up of the graves of poor farmers.
Instead of having a traditional home, he likes to burrow into the soil to create a living space under the dirt (think of Rabbit's hole from Winnie the Pooh). He has spaced it a respectful distance away from the graves.
Cordy keeps a little garden of herbs and produce to share with the locals.
Meadowfield is your standard farming village. The houses are sparse among the rolling fields of crops, minus a small town center where your farmer's market takes place.
There is a dilapidated church not far from the cemetery that most of the villagers religiously attend.
Meadowfield is informally governed by a council of the farmers with the most land. The council is facilitated by the local priest, Rhys.
The villagers of Meadowfield, being a very religious and superstitious sort, are initially apprehensive towards Cordy's arrival.
The first person Cordy meets is Burke, and older gentleman who comes to the cemetary often to pay respects to his deceased wife, Mabel.
Season #1: Spring
More opening questions to start off the first season! The questions are once again a little too long to write them down word for word, but my responses will give you a general idea of the prompts:
Meadowfield has begun planting its spring crops, particularly potatoes, parsnips, green beans, cauliflower, and kale.
Meadowfield is made up of hardworking, dilligent people. Unfortunately this means they give themselves little time to celebrate the season of rebirth and renewal.
They're also so busy tending to their crops that they hardly ever take time to honor their dead. Most often, the deceased are cremated and their ashes are spread over the crops in hopes that they'll nuture the soil. You do, however, have some people that insist that their loved ones are buried in a traditional manner (much like Burke).
Cordy plans to show the people of Meadowfield that instead of working themselves to death while allowing themselves no pleasures, they should celebrate life while they still draw breath.
As far as the literal seeds he is planting, he is currently nurturing some strawberry and rhubarb plants for potential jams and pies.
Cordy is naive and stubborn enough to believe that he doesn't have to sacrifice anything in pursuit of his goals.
Now we can dive into the events for Spring! Let's hope we get some successful rolls!
Spring #1:
Event - A man cursed with immortality seeks your aid.
Dice result - 1 (fail)
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While there was no door to Cordy's residence, he could feel large footsteps rumbling through the ground. He emerged from the ground to find a large, ancient tree person hovering above his home.
The arboreal creature entreated the small fungal necromancer for his aid. They had traveled from a faraway forest because they had heard rumors that there was a practitioner of death in Meadowfield. Their request perhaps went outside of the parameters of Cordy's usual practice: they had lived for far too long and wished to pass on and create a fertile environment for their little seedlings to grow.
Cordy was conflicted. While he had promised to never trifle with the living, the tree person's begging tugged on his heartstrings. The mushroom boy wanted nothing more than to help a troubled soul in need, so he agreed to lend a hand.
Cordy was initially stumped as how to carry out this plan, but then an idea popped into his head. While his spores normally reanimated the dead, why couldn't they also fulfill the mushroom's natural purpose to decompose?
Cordy drew from the power of the mycelium to channel his spell spores. With a puff, they drifted over towards the tree creature. Cordy's chest puffed up with pride as he watched the mushrooms began to sprout from the bark as the tree person let out a contented sigh. But suddenly, the sigh turned into an agonized yell.
"It burns," the wooden creature cried, attempting to peel their own bark off of themself.
Before Cordy could reverse the spell, it was already too late. His spores had turned into a painful infestation, spreading rapidly. There was nothing the fledgling necromancer could do.
The tree person contorted into a painful, angular position and let out once last pained moan, their face forever frozen in a grimace. Their body had rotted from the inside out. They would never be able to properly provide for their sprouts now.
Cordy's first instinct was to dispose of the body within flames. But he couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead, the poor creature's dark, twisted frame would hang over the entrance to Cordy's abode for days to come, reminding the necromancer of his failure and his re-commitment to his code of ethics.
Spring #2:
Event - You hear an unsettling rumor in the village. What is it? Who is involved? Is the rumor true?
Dice result - 6 (pass)
-----------------------
One day, as Cordy was walking around the farmer's market to grab supplies, he heard two spinsters gossiping loudly as he walked by.
"Well I heard that Silas is intending to buy out the graveyard to expand his farm"
"Oh heavens, what are they going to do with all of those bodies?"
"Dig them up, I suppose. Probably light the pyres, you know."
"Oh poor Burke, he'll be so heartbroken..."
As the two woman chattered on, Cordy felt his mycelium grow cold. There was no way that could be. Where would he live and practice? Worse, how would his friend Burke be able to visit Mabel if she was no longer resting there? He had to get to the bottom of this rumor to see if it was true.
It was easy to find Silas' farm, as it was the most expansive in Meadowfield. Cordy hurriedly made his way to the farmer's homestead and knocked on his door. As Silas came out to greet him, the little mushroom lad began to barrage him with questions and pleas to not tear the graveyard down. With a chuckle and a sympathetic smile, Silas assuaged the necromancer's fears.
"I can see why you're worried, but not to worry, kiddo. I would never disrespect those folks like that. Your cemetery is safe. Ya know, I'm actually thinkin' of buyin' a plot over yonder by..."
As Silas began to ramble about his plans to increase his fields, Cordy breathed an internal sigh of relief. That would be the last time he believed such wild gossip.
Spring #3:
Event - A day of stillness, quiet, and self care. Do you gain a new perspective?
Dice result - 5 (pass)
------------------------
Business was virtually nonexistent for the recent necromancer graduate. The villagers were still wary of Cordy and his "dark arts." It gave Cordy lots of time to tidy up his home and tend to his crops.
Eventually, he started running out of things to do. He had to find alternate ways to keep himself entertained. Sometimes, he would go through the cemetery and read the headstones, imagining what the lives of the deceased buried beneath must've been like. Sometimes, he would go into town just to people watch. Eventually, even these activities began to grow stale.
It was another slow day in the graveyard when Cordy decided to do something he had never done before: settle somewhere quiet and practice meditating. He sat under a nearby shady tree and closed his eyes, feeling the spring breeze rustle his mushroom caps. He tried to empty his mind of all thoughts, but he couldn't help but drift back to thinking about the denizens of Meadowfield.
He had spent so much time these past three weeks trying to advertise his services to the people of the village, but all he had been met with was polite declines or outright disdain. He had hit a wall. How could he ever win over the hearts of the people of Meadowfield?
A revelation came to him: he couldn't brute force his way into swaying the hearts and minds of the villagers. He would have to slowly ingratiate himself into their community. He had to meet them at their level. Perhaps he could win them over by sharing his crops and the fare he could create from them? He could set up at the farmers market and converse with the local farmers. If they were less afraid of him, maybe they would be more likely to come to him in the future.
He would have to sacrifice his time and patience, yes. This would be the things he allowed to die to serve as compost for his plans. From this, he hoped something beautiful would grow.
Spring #4:
Event - Another Necromancer shows up in town and questions your skills
Dice result - 3 (fail)
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As Cordy was tending to his patch of crops, he was alerted by the appearance of arcane runes appearing on the ground nearby. He watched as a fiery portal opened up and a familiar figure emerged. It was Nespira, a red-skinned tiefling who also practiced the necromantic arts. Like Cordy, she was a recent graduate--top of the class, actually. What she was doing here, Cordy had no idea. It wasn't like they were particularly close.
"Ah, I had heard that their was another Atropos student who had set up a practice here," she said, her eyes sweeping the graveyard with a disdainful expression, "Meadowfield, huh? Hm. Certainly a choice."
As for Nespira, she explained that she had set up shop in Metropolia. The name was familiar to Cordy. He had never been, but he had heard it was the largest city in the land. According to Nespira, business had been booming for her.
"And what about you, Cordyceps? How many customers have you had so far?"
Cordy sheepishly held up a single finger, causing the tiefling necromancer to let out a haughty laugh.
"Oh that's a shame" Nespira said, feigning pity, "but I suppose it can't be helped. "
Her gaze then landed on the gnarled tree body that stood watch over Cordy's residence. She took a moment to study it before recognition spread across her face.
"So this must've been your only customer. A pity. Seems like you couldn't get the decomposition right. And such a simple spell too."
Nespira extended a single finger, necrotic energy swirling around it. Before Cordy could protest, a beam shot from her index finger. As it hit her target, the deceased tree creature slowly began to melt into a pile of black ichor. The mushroom boy's heart sank.
Nespira then chanted under her breath before another doorway of flames opened up before her. As she partially stepped through the portal, she turned and looked back at Cordy.
"Cheer up, Cordyceps. You can always try your residency again next year...if they don't call you back to the university, of course. You could certainly use the practice."
With a wink, the transportation spell closed behind her. All of the tears Cordy had been holding back began to spill onto his face. He would prove Nespira wrong. He had to.
Spring #5:
Event - You are visited by a village official. Is everything alright?
Dice result - 3 (fail)
----------------------
Cordy was in the process of backing a strawberry rhubarb pie to bring to the farmer's market when he felt a foot tapping gently near the opening to his home. Cordy tunneled up through the tunnel to find Rhys, the local priest of the old church.
"Hiya, Rhys!" Cordy said with a bow. "What can I do for ya? I got a pie in the oven if you wanna stay around for tea."
The clergyman's solemn expression did not shift. He bowed his head gently, his eyes looking at the ground rather than making contact with the mushroom lad's.
"Thank you for the kind gesture. However, I'm afraid I must decline. I am here strictly on business. The news is...not pleasant. I will keep it brief."
"The people of Meadowfield feel...uncomfortable with the presence of a necromancer in our community," Rhys continued. "The farmers put it to a vote and...well...I'm afraid I must ask you to leave our village."
Cordy felt like he had been hit in the chest with a ton of bricks. He tried to keep his composure, but he could feel his bottom lip quivering while holding back tears.
"I'm sorry for the short notice, but the villagers requested that you leave by tomorrow morning. If you will excuse me, I will give you time to gather up your belongings. Good luck on your journey, Cordy."
The priest departed, leaving Cordy alone. Cordy descended into his abode, sniffling as he began to pack up his things. As he was almost ready to depart, a timer dinged. His pie was ready. Cordy released the fire magic that was baking his dessert while he slowly removed it from its resting place, looking down at the lattice pattern he had placed on the crust with care.
Carefully, he wrapped up the baked good. Afterwards, he jotted a quick note. He emerged from his dirt hole and walked over to Mabel's headstone, setting the items down. He wanted to leave a gift and explanation for his departure to first and only friend in this town, Burke. He knew he would be by tomorrow to bring flowers to her grave, right on schedule.
With the last of his things packed, Cordy slung his bag over his shoulders and began walking down the dirt path. It was time to start over once again.
Village/Residence Creation #2
Because Cordy has been kicked out of Meadowfield after his unsuccessful tenure there, it's time to roll up and build out a new village. Here are the main points:
The village of Neverglades resides within a swamp, complete with bog mummies.
There is no official graveyard in Neverglades. The dead are given something akin to a Viking funeral: wrapped bodies are floated on a small boat and are torched by fire magic.
Instead, Cordy lives in a house on chicken feet stilts, much like the other denizens of Neverglades. The huts can travel across the murky marsh with ease, meaning neighbors can go directly to each other without ever touching the ground below.
Cordy's home is small and sparse, but he has a hammock he can hang from the tree branches so he can relax and enjoy some quiet time in the humid outdoors.
This place is more up Cordy's alley than Meadowfield. The villagers all have a quirky vibe that the budding necromancer can relate to. They are also not fearful of the dark arts.
The shops of Neverglades are run out usually more stationary huts by their residents. They are not in a centralized location, so one has to remember where each shop is and travel to them separately.
There is no unified body of worship. The denizens of Neverglades are more spiritual, preferring to commune with nature.
The village is ruled by an ancient hag known only as "The Mother"
Neverglades celebrates Cordy's arrival, as their last necromancer recently passed on.
The first person Cordy meets is actually The Mother, as she was the one to give him her blessing to move into the community.
Season #2: Summer
Opening questions answered to start the second season:
The citizens of Neverglades deal with the hot weather by taking frequent plunges into the water. It's not the most sanitary or safe, but it's the only way to beat the heat.
Neverglades hosts a huge celebration for the summer solstice.
Cordy is working hard this summer. Haunted by the failures of spring, he wants to prove that he has a place in his new community.
The cards for last season have been shuffled back into the deck. Let's see how summer plays out!
Summer #1:
Event - A villager hires you to reanimate their dying business
Dice result - 5 (pass)
----------------------
Cordy was unpacking the last of his belongings when he heard the creaking of another hut sidling up next to his. He scurried over to his front porch to spy a wild-haired, heavily pierced girl waving him down. She introduced herself as Chana and began to bemoan her plight.
She was the oldest creator and salesman of shrunken heads in Neverglades. What was perhaps an odd and even terrifying practice outside of the bog was commonplace here. As such, competition had begun to pop up, diluting the market. Chana expressed that if things didn't turn around soon for her, she would have to close up shop. She pleaded with the necromancer to help her get a leg up on her competitors any way he could.
Cordy pondered on how to help the girl. After all, he didn't possess any business acumen. But then, a quite literal idea popped into his head: why not reanimate a dying business by...well...reanimating the dead?
Cordy dug deep into his mycelium to create spell spores to overtake one of the shrunken heads. As mushrooms began to sprout through the eye sockets, the head gasped and cried out in a comically squeaky and indignant voice,
"Heya bud, what's the big idea?!"
Chana laughed long and hard. She asked if Cordy to create more of these, to which the necromancer agreed. Once he finished his task, Chana was beaming.
"Business is gonna be BOOMING after this! Thanks mister! I owe ya one!"
As she lept across the gap from Cordy's residence to her own, she waved heartily as her hut began to dislodge from the mire and trod away.
"If ya ever need anything, ya can rely on Chana! Ya hear that? Chana's got your back!"
At last, Cordy had successfully serviced his first customer.
Summer #2:
Event - You are woken by the sound of someone digging their own grave
Dice result - 3 (fail)
----------------------
It was shortly before sunrise before Cordy slowly awoke to a strange sound: the wet sloshing and slopping of mud. He sleepily stumbled out to his front porch to investigate the source.
Down in the swamp below, there was a giant, humanoid creature made of mud. They were digging through the water, tossing muck and mire behind them. Cordy hailed the mud mound.
"Lookin' for somethin'?" the tiny necromancer called down below, "How can I help ya?"
The creature of slop shook their head, pointing to the hole that was slowly filling in with mud once more.
"It is my time. I feel the earth calling me back. Please, leave me to my work."
"But wait!" Cordy cried out. "I can help you! Are you sick? Injured? I can help! If you pass on, I can bring you back!"
Once again, the humanoid shook their head, muck sloughing off the side of them as they did so.
"I have no need for your magics.," they rumbled. The earth....she beckons me. To her I must return. I beg of you, leave me to my duty."
Cordy began to stammer out protest, but the creature ignored it. Once they had cleared away a sizeable portion of the bottom of the bog, their body began to relax. They slowly began melting into the bog.
"Goodbye....goodbye....I am going home."
That day, Cordy sat in solitude for a long time, attempting to process what had occurred in front of him. He left with this lesson: no matter how tragic, the wishes of the living in regards to their demise were something to be respected and honored.
Summer #3:
Event - A young couple of star-crossed lovers want to fake their deaths to escape their families.
Dice result - 5 (pass)
-----------------------
It was the dead of night when Cordy was awoken by the sound of someone calling out for him. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he stumbled towards the front porch to see what the fuss was about. The voice cried out once more, causing Cordy to turn his attention below. There he spotted a boat with a young man and woman inside, waving him down.
The couple introduced themselves as Julius and Ramona. They explained their plight: Julius was a noble and Ramona was a commoner from a kingdom not too far from Neverglades. After being told they could never be together, the lovers escaped and hatched a plan. They beseeched the necromancer for his aid: help them fake their deaths so they could slip away into anonymity. They left an obvious trail to the swamp so the search party would be able to find their decoys. Because of this, they didn't have much time and needed urgent assistance.
Cordy immediately got to work. He reached forth, calling forth mycelium to rapidly grow and expand into two roughly humanoid shapes. The gnarled forms looked almost like decayed corpses. Cordy explained that they should leave their top layer of clothing and possessions behind to aid the illusion before allowing the boat to float away. He offered to take them to the edge of the swamp via his movable home so they could make their escape. The couple gladly agreed, carrying out the next steps of the plan. Once the reached the clearing, they hurriedly thanked the necromancer before hopping off and running off into the distance hand-in hand.
Summer #4:
Event - You receive a bad omen. What form does it take? What do you think it’s warning you about? Does it come true?
Dice result - 5 (pass)
------------------------
The omen was so subtle at first that Cordy didn't notice it. While his chicken-footed home trekked its way through the bog one day, Cordy spied a large tree taken with rot. Although the main body of the plant was no longer alive, green baby branches still dotted the large branches. The mushroom lad thought nothing of it.
The second omen was more obvious. While laying in his hammock tied to the treetops the next day, he spotted a deceased bird, still shielding her eggs even in death. Feeling pity for the poor babies, the necromancer used his magic to revive the mother.
Bad luck comes in threes, and this was no exception. The day after, Cordy was sweeping his porch when he spotted a gruesome sight: a mother gator floating belly up in the water with her babies feasting upon her flesh. This time, Cordy couldn't bring himself to use his necromancy upon the corpse--they were already too far gone.
The puzzle pieces clicked together in Cordy's brain. All of these dead creatures had one thing in common: they were providers. Mothers.
The Mother.
She must be in danger.
Cordy quickly rushed through the mire to make it to The Mother's hut. When he arrived, he found her on her bed. She looked so sickly and frail--she was definitely nearing the end. Neverglades could not survive without her. Cordy had to act fast. He had no time to grab a medic.
The mushroom boy conjured up some healing spores and sprinkled them all over the dying leader. With a gasp, her eyes shot open. She slowly raised herself from the bed.
"My child," The Mother croaked, "You have done us a great service this day. We thank you. Neverglades thanks you."
Summer #5:
Event - A sleeping sickness strikes the village. Those suffering look like they have died but recover in a few days…if they haven’t been buried or cremated already.
Dice result - 1 (fail)
---------------------
Cordy was riding the high of last week's miracle. He was hailed a hero throughout the village and a celebration was held in his honor. He was so caught up in it all that the next tragedy flew under his radar.
It was only one or two people at first--a gentle snooze into a deep slumber, a deep slumber into nothing at all. Then it spread. Rapidly. Half of Neverglades was overtaken with what appeared a sleeping death. Chana, the shrunken head saleswoman who Cordy had become pals with, had been afflicted as well. The village made the difficult decision to dispose of the bodies before the plague spread to the remaining members.
Cordy pleaded with The Mother to try to let him perform his magic. He would be able to save these people. However, the hag could not be swayed.
"This is the only way to protect those we have left, my child."
Bodies were quickly being wrapped, placed on boats, and being prepared for the symbolic burnings. As people were distracted, Cordy nervously scuttled around to try and find Chana. If he could save her, perhaps the village would believe him.
His search took him some time, but at last, he was able to unwrap and find Chana. As he was preparing to perform a resurrection ritual, he heard her let out a yawn. Her eyes slowly blinked open, and she looked up at him with a confused expression.
"Oh hey little buddy, whatcha doin' here?"
Cordy's mycelium ran cold. These weren't deaths. These were victims of a sleeping sickness. A curable disease.
As Cordy ran to report his findings, he discovered that he was too late to save some of the villagers. Bodies were already being burned. Even though he acted as fast as he could, it wasn't enough.
Upon learning the truth, the denizens of Neverglades began working on reviving the remaining victims. Children were reunited with parents. Lovers reunited with lovers. However, what should've been a joyous occasion was solemn and morose. The smoke hung heavy in the air.
Summer #6:
Event - You find roadkill/dead animal that is fresh enough to reanimate.
Dice result - 5 (pass)
------------------------
It was a quiet week. No one came by Cordy's residence, nor did Cordy reach out to anyone. He and Neverglades were still reeling from the recent losses.
The only thing Cordy did that week was revive a small animal that he found. It was basic necromantic practice--the very first thing he learned to do at the university. It wasn't much, but it was enough to remind him of her purpose. He was a necromancer. He could save lives.
Summer #7:
Event - You see or are informed that there is a ghost nearby. It's the specter of a highwayman. Do you investigate?
Dice result - 3 (fail)
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"Hey Corrrrrdy!"
The small mushroom boy heard a familiar cry outside of his hut. Across the way, he spied Chana, waving him down wildly. It was in the middle of the night--what could she possibly want at this hour?
"I saw a ghoooooost! You wanna come check it out?"
Normally, Cordy would excitedly agree to the proposition. He loved a good old-fashioned spooky adventure. However, he was still haunted by all of the deaths from two weeks ago. Ghosts only served to remind him of his failures.
It broke his heart to see Chana so crestfallen after he turned down his plans. As her home trudged away, Cordy crawled back into bed. Sleep did not come easily to him that night.
Summer #8:
Event - A messenger on a skeleton horse brings you a small package.
Dice result - 6 (pass)
-----------------------
A loud, mournful neigh was not what Cordy expected to hear in the middle of the swamp. It was accompanied by the sound of a splashing gallop. Cordy had to check out the ruckus.
Outside of his abode, he saw a skeletal horse pull up to a stop right next to his home.
"Delivery!" the messenger called out.
Cordy lowered the ladder for the deliveryman. After climbing up and handing off the package, the courier saddled back up and rode off.
Cordy recognized the handwriting on the outside of the package--his mother's. He excitedly tore into the mail. Inside was a heartwarming note congratulating him on being almost halfway through his residency. His family was so proud of him and couldn't wait for him to return to visit soon. Also attached was a bag of Cordy's favorite mushroom tea.
As he brewed and drank in the earthy, umami flavor of the tea, nostalgia rushed over him. It was nice to hear from family and be reminded of home. He hoped that he could continue to make them proud.
Summer #9:
Event - You catch kids sneaking around at night
Dice result - 2 (fail)
----------------------
Night had fallen, and Cordy was preparing for bed. Just as he was about to tuck in, he swore he heard the faintest hint of giggling. He grabbed a lantern and went outside to investigate the noise.
He scanned the horizon and couldn't find anything. But then, giggling once more. He peered down before and found what appeared to be three small figures playing in between the chicken legs of his residence.
Cordy excitedly waved down to them and asked them if they would like some tea. Startled, the children looked up at him with large eyes. They began screaming and running away.
Their fear was a painful reminder of what it was like living in Meadowfield.
Summer #10:
Event - There’s trouble in the village due to a misunderstanding. Do you get involved?
Dice result - 2 (fail)
----------------------
Despite calling Neverglades his home, Cordy lived on the outskirts of the tiny town. As such, gossip hardly ever made it to his doorstep. But this time, he heard the news of unrest in the village. From what he could gather, a disagreement had broken out between The Mother and another member of the village.
Although Cordy was normally the type to poke his nose into business that wasn't his, he did not feel his usual drive to help. He was still thinking about the burning bodies. The fearful children. How could he show his face in the village right now? Instead, he decided to continue to huddle up in his home. He would wait for all of this to blow over.
Summer #11:
Event - You find buried treasure. Is it the usual of gold or something more unusual?
Dice Result - 3 (fail)
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Cordy was foraging for cattails in the swamp--he had heard from one of the locals that the roots were particularly delicious this time of year. He was trudging through the muck when he felt his toe stub against something hard. After muttering some curses under his breath, Cordy began to dig through the mud to figure out what it was.
His eyes sparkled with delight as he pulled out what appeared to be a chest. Buried treasure! What secrets were hidden inside?
Cordy pried open the treasure chest and peeked inside. Nothing a couple of silvers and coppers. Boring. Cordy returned the chest to where it belonged and continued about his business.
Summer #12:
Event - You discover a berry hedge near your residence. Are they edible or poisonous? How do you know?
Dice result - 2 (fail)
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After collecting and cooking up cattails successfully, Cordy had developed a newfound appreciation for the art of foraging. He wanted to continue pursuing this new hobby. Besides, it gave him the excuse to stay out of the village. His guilt still prevented him from stepping foot there.
While exploring, Cordy discovered a berry bush near the edge of the swamp. The small mushroom's mouth watered at the thought of biting into one of the delicious, juicy fruits. Cordy happily plucked a few berries from the shrub. As he returned home, he thought of all the ways he could utilize them in his cooking before just deciding on eating them raw. Along his walk, he popped a couple into his mouth.
However, once he returned to his home, he felt his stomach churn. He began to feel lightheaded. Uh-oh. Perhaps he should've investigated the berries further before eating them. It seemed as though he had unwittingly poisoned himself.
Luckily, he could conjure up a few healing spores to cure his ailment, but he still spent the rest of the day sulking in bed.
Summer #13:
Event - You are challenged to a game of chance. Do you make a wager? Use your D6 to see how you do in three rounds.
Dice result - 1 (fail)
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As the end of the summer season drew near, Cordy pondered what his next move would be. He was officially halfway through his residency. Was Neverglades where he wanted to plant his roots? He felt his heart twinge. He didn't want to leave--this place had been so accepting towards him, and he felt like he did some good work here. However, he was still shaken by the sleeping sickness incident. Cordy was conflicted.
As he was wrestling with his thoughts, he once again heard the familar, chipper voice of Chana hailing him. Stepping out onto his porch, he found her and another individual who he hadn't met before.
Chana introduced the mysterious figure as Jack. According to her, Jack was an expert card player, so she figured they could all get together to play a game or two.
Although Cordy didn't want to participate, he felt bad for blowing Chana off for the past few weeks. Therefore, he agreed to play.
"So whatcha betting?" Jack asked with a sly smile.
Cordy was a little taken aback. He didn't realize they were playing with wagers.
"Oh...uh...I'll just play for fun," he offered with an embarrassed smile.
But in his mind, he decided to make a bet with himself: win this hand, and he'll stay in the Neverglades. Overcome the guilt he had been wrestling with and stay with his friends. Lose, and he'll pack up and start over. It was all or nothing.
As he pushed all of his makeshift tokens into the pot, Cordy bit his lip nervously. It all came down to this.
The card was flipped and revealed: total bust. Round lost.
Although Cordy was wracked with sadness at his lost, he knew the fates had spoken.
It was time for his tenure in the Neverglades to come to a close.
Village/Residence Creation #3
Although I'm heartbroken that Cordy will no longer continue living in the Neverglades, I feel like with the way the dice rolled this season, it makes sense for the story. So that means it's time to hit the drawing board and create another village. Here are the highlights of our new place of residence:
Sirensong is a stormy seaside town on a rocky cove, where water burials are common.
Cordy lives in an cave right on the shore, rumored to be a former thieves' hideout. Although it is not a graveyard, it is littered with bones from creatures and people alike.
The furnishments are minimal. No garden like he had in Meadowfield. No wraparound porch like he had in Neverglades.
Sirensong has a somber air about it. The mood of the villagers matches the dour weather and surroundings.
The buildings in Siresong are made from driftwood from ships that have crashed along its shores.
Because it is a port town, there is an open air bazaar with many traders selling wares from across the ocean. It is the most lively aspect of the town.
There is a temple on the highest point of the village overlooking the sea. Religion is not a joyous custom in Sirensong. The denizens worship the sea fearfully, appeasing it with gifts and sacrifices.
The mayor of the village is Robert Morrow, a stern retired sailor. Villagers whisper that he lost his whole crew at sea, turning him into the solemn man he is today.
The citizens are apathetic towards Cordy's arrival. Like the tide, visitors come and go, never staying for long. They are not optimistic that he will remain.
The first person Cordy meets is Marcus, one of the market vendors who tries to maintain an upbeat attitude in the overwhelmingly morose atmosphere of Sirensong.
Season #3: Fall
Here are the opening questions answered for this season:
The sea offers little in return this season. The villagers have no harvest to celebrate.
In an effort to quell the ocean's displeasure, the people of Sirensong give up what little possessions they have to the waves. Even the dead are offered up, with the people hoping that providing the wildlife nourishment will increase nature's bounty.
Much like Sirensong, Cordy's harvest is nonexistent. He has sacrificed a place he loved and called home to move to this gloomy town.
Time to reshuffle and start the events for this season!
Fall #1:
Event - You are offered a new path in life by a strange hooded figure. Do you take them up on it?
Dice result - 4 (success)
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Cordy had not expected to receive any visitors yet. He had yet to advertise his services, as he was still in the process of unpacking and setting up shop. However, a visitor came to him unannounced. Cordy only spotted them out of the periphery of his vision. Their footsteps made no sound and they said nothing to reveal their presence. Cordy was also silent in response, eying the nondescript person up and down. Who was this? What did they want with him?
The cloaked figure extended a bony hand and called out in a raspy voice.
"Young necromancer, I offer you a new path. The true path. Give up your foolish magicks. Offer yourself to the sea. She will reward you generously in her depths. Come, take my hand. I will show you the way to enlightment."
But Cordy stood his ground and shook his head. He knew his purpose in life, and it was not sacrifice himself to the waves. He still had so much to give this village--to show them the joy of life.
Although he could not read the visitor's face, Cordy felt their aura darken. The hand retracted coldly.
"Very well...you will see the truth soon enough."
Cordy blinked and the figure vanished. A chill ran down the necromancer's spine. A foreboding welcome to Sirensong--hopefully this would not set the tone for his time here.
Fall #2:
Event - You have a dream of the location of a magical artifact. What is it? Where is it? Do you retrieve it?
Result - 1 (fail)
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As sleep took Cordy this evening, he received a dream. More accurately, a vision. Swirling out of the fog of his mind was the image of an amulet with a glowing, azure-tinted jewel. The vision flashed again and he saw a grotto containing piles upon piles of abandoned treasure, the necklace laying in its midst.
He felt himself awake, although not entirely. He felt himself rise from bed as he felt a tug towards the back of the cavern. His mind was no longer control of his body--he was sleepwalking.
He lurched along, entering unexplored reaches of his cavernous home. After walking what felt like hours through the labyrinthine passages, he arrived at the destination he saw in his dream. Although there was mountains of untold riches--enough for Cordy to live comfortably for the rest of the days--he ignored them entirely. His purpose was singular: find the amulet. He kneeled at the pile of treasure and began to dig methodically through the gold and trinkets until the necklace was in his clutches.
Another compulsion overtook him: he must place the necklace around his neck. As he did so, he pulled the jeweled centerpiece close to his ear. His mind was filled again--this time with quiet, muffled singing.
Oh, how the song was so beautiful--but oh so distant. Too distant. The enthralled mushroom boy simply had to get closer.
He began to make his way back from whence he came--that's where the enchanting tune seemed to be coming from. As he did so, the melody began to gradually grow louder. He exited the mouth of the cave, and the singing swelled into a crescendo. But still, it was not enough. He needed to be even nearer. And there was only one way to do so: go into the sea.
And so, he walked. The waves lapped around his ankles. Then, his knees were submerged. He continued, the water now coming up to his waist. Although logic pleaded with him to turn back, the cries were drowned out by the enrapturing melody. The saltwater now came up his chin. Forward. Forward. He must press forward. Finally, the top of his head descended into the deep.
The night passes silently. Dawn approaches, but Cordy does not emerge. The poor boy had succumbed to the Jewel of the Siren's Song.
The tide comes and goes in Sirensong, and life continues on.
Ending
While we haven't reached the end of the seasons, I feel like I should cut the game here. Although I am sad for Cordy's misfortune--the dice and cards seemed to be working against him the whole game--it feels narratively appropriately for his story to end here. However, endings are only temporary for necromancers, right?
The game does have some wrap-up questions, however, I am opting to skip them for this conclusion. Curious about what they are? Looks like you'll have to check out the game for yourself ;)
Final Thoughts
I was worried that this game would have been too similar to my experience playing Village Witch, however, the flavor was unique enough to separate the two games. I'm glad I opted to use the dice roll rule--it really helped me shape how I answered each prompt. Next time I play, I'll try not to be so morbid and make it through all of the seasons (because yes, I'll definitely want to play this game again).
I know this is a long one, but thanks for reading! I hope to be back soon with another solo game to explore.
