The Long Night Game Report: Sessions 1-2

I started the morning with bakery-fresh bagels & lox accompanied with a hot cup of coffee. Just the the aromas that filled the room were uplifting. I was also surrounded by family in the kitchen while Black Pumas played in the background and the sound of one of my kids declaring how he can do all kinds of things by himself. Good morning. Good life.

My current group now has three sessions of play under our belt in the new Long Night campaign. The composition of this playing group is different, and that adjustment contributed to delays in getting things rolling again. There were some player conflicts, scheduling nightmares, and other life issues that needed to be navigated. Then, of course, there was all the research and worldbuilding that needed to take place to bring a 6th-century Anglo-Saxon world to life. That process is ongoing, but enough prep work had been done to allow the game to get started.

The rest of this post will provide a recap of the first two sessions of play. I was originally going to include all three sessions, but the post got way too long. I’ll post the third session of play later. For a short overview explaining what has occurred just prior to the start of the game, see the beginning of this post.

[Update: Corrected one character’s name and made another minor correction.]

Day 1 of the Long Night Campaign (Sessions 1-2)

Date: 9 days since sighting the new moon in the Month of Three Milkings (Ðrimilce-monaþ). Equivalent to May 18th, 536 AD.

Players Present for Sessions 1-3:

• Wulfgar: Wolf-warrior class, background as farmer/herder
• Eardwulf: Wolf-warrior class, former slave, now free
• Osbeorn: Bear-warrior class, wandering warrior

Additional Information Provided to Players at Start of Session 1:

• A community feast is to be held in 3 days to celebrate the completion of the Seaxwulf’s meadhall. The previously harvested timber needed for the construction has been drying for the past year. The celebration is to coincide with the arrival of the full moon.
• The Family of Ecgred is planning to contribute a pig to the community feast.
• The month of Three Milkings is a traditional month of abundance and thanks accompanied by multiple milkings of livestock; although, that might not be possible for a family in reality.
• Ecgred expects the pigs to be attended to by the players (although, whether or not the players comply is up to them).
• The spring day’s weather is nice and clear. It’s early morning.
• Players were already provided some information regarding immediate landscape features of the newly established community. A river is located to the south of the steads, a massive forest to the north (the Weald), and a great marsh to the east. There is unknown open land to the west. They are also informed that after a year spent in the area establishing the community, they have heard about an old well just south of the community and some strange abandoned ruins to the east (situated just above the marsh). I shared various other rumors associated with both the forest and marsh, as well as the community.

Session 1

Wulgar, Eardwuf, and Osbeorn began the session by interacting with several members of the Ecgred family. The players talked among themselves as to what interested them most and what they wanted to do. They considered herding the swineherd north of the community to forage along the edge of the great forest. The forest interests them and they considered exploring it more deeply. However, they could not resist the lure of strange ruins to the east.

The players asked older members of the family questions about the ruins. They didn’t get much information from them other than replies like, “Why are you asking about that place?” “Abandoned places are abandoned for a reason. The webs of fate have determined it so.” “Shouldn’t you be seeing to those pigs?”

The players decided that if they were going to make a name for themselves, they were going to need to do great things and acquire wealth. They reasoned to themselves that perhaps something of value was left behind or buried in the ruins. Therefore, they decided to take the pigs out foraging while simultaneously herding them in the direction of the ruins. Based on other conversations, they determined it would probably take them 2-3 hours to get there with the pigs.

They arrived at the ruins late morning. They noted the strange construction that was comprised of stone and other hardened clay-like materials unfamiliar to them. The size of the dwelling was also different from anything their people typically built [note: it’s a ruined and abandoned Roman villa]. They cautiously explored the outside of the structure by circling around it and noting potential entry points and peaking in through openings from time to time. They then eventually entered through what appeared to be the front entrance.

They initially left the pigs outside to forage, but during their explorations they discovered an open courtyard with grass and oak trees centralized within the building. The ground still had some acorns from last season that had not sprouted. And so, they herded the pigs into the courtyard to forage close by as they continued their explorations.

They encountered no one and no creatures inside. However, they did discover during their rummaging throughout the building a number of items that represent significant wealth for them. They collected the following:

• a single gold coin (a Roman Solidus)
• a silver necklace
• a bronze candleholder
• 3 ceramic plates with strange designs
• an unbroken and sealed clay vase that still has some liquid in it (wine?)
• 3 silver spoons & 2 silver forks
• 1 iron candlestick
• a large iron caldron left behind in what looks to have been a food preparation area

With their exploration completed, they then began discussing how they would get the loot back to their home, and they were in the process of ripping down a door to construct a makeshift sled for the caldron when they heard the sound of approaching horses [note: This was the result of a random encounter check.]. This concluded session 1.

Session 2

The players snuck to the front the building and peaked out to see six horseman that were clearly not from their community, nor were they Saxons. They were dressed in woolen clothing and were all armed with spears and strange oblong shields. These shields differed from the round shields used by their Saxon community. The men wore no armor and no shoes. Besides a woolen blanket, they were riding bareback. One of the men was also in possession of a bow. Three of newcomers seemed to be middle-aged males. One male was an elderly man clearly past his prime. The remaining two appeared to be young boys, perhaps in their teens.

The players initially considered sneaking away without detection until they realized that would only be possible if they left behind the pigs. Since that would be devastating to the family, the players decided to head back to courtyard where they positioned themselves defensively; however, they wished to remain out in the open where they could be seen should the men enter. They made clear they did not want to look as if they were going to surprise the men. They expressed concern about the 2-1 odds.

A cautious encounter followed in which neither side defaulted to violence. Communication, however, was problematic since the players didn’t understand the language of the strangers. The strangers appeared to try another language, but the players didn’t understand that language either. Most of the session involved a prolonged negotiation involving gestures and creative ways to communicate. The players determined the following:

• The male doing the talking was named Eulas, and he was of the Regini tribe.
• The player’s people (i.e., the Saxons) have reportedly killed a lot of his people.
• Now, however, there were 6 Regini and only 3 Saxons. Not good for the Saxons this time.
• Eulas asked (demanded) what the players would gift to him to show goodwill. [note: one player determined that it was a “shake down”]

After some back and forth debating as to whether to fight, flee, refuse offering something, offer something, or demand a gift of their own, the players decided to try making an offer of friendship until they could learn more about the men and where they came from. With flattering body language, they first offered to drink some water with them. They then offered an iron striker used for making fires, along with the newly acquired wine and 3 ceramic plates, in friendship. They also prepared to attack should the Regini attempt to press for more. This offer was accepted and then the Regini departed. [note: this exchange and offering was handled using social encounter mechanics, as opposed to me, the DM, simply deciding myself whether or not the offer was accepted.] After the Regini departed, the players noted how the two boys were left stationed on a distant hill overlooking the ruins, as if to watch the players.

The players then returned home. Because of the exploring, extended negotiations, and the delay brought about by traveling with pigs and an iron cauldron, the players arrived back home just after sunset. The players shared their exploits with the family and sought consultation from the father and grandfather on how to handle some of the wealth and what to tell the other members of the community. The players decided they would boast of their adventure at the upcoming feast to increase their own honor and that of their family.

However, the players also desired more information about the Regini. So, they decided to seek out after the family had retired. They headed back to the location where they last saw the Regini on the hilltop (without pigs), picked up their tracks, and followed the tracks north through some gentle hills and finally into the great forest. On the edge of the forest, they discovered a well-used trail and followed it to the outskirts of a small village surrounded by a wall of timbers and wattle fencing. They observed lit watch fires and saw signs of village sentries. Most of the livestock appeared to have been secured within the walls of village, but the sounds of some livestock were heard in the distance deeper in the forest. The player’s decided any kind of raid would be too risky with just the three of them, and so they headed back home once again with the intent to recruit others from the community during the feast for a possible future raid.

They arrived back late to the farmstead, just prior to the night shifting into the early morning hours. They were greeted by Wulfgar’s youngest sister, Wulfrun, just outside the stead. She shared how she awoke and noticed that the players, along with the eldest sister, Eadgifu, were missing. Noticing that Eadgifu did not appear to be with the three of them, she asked the players if they knew where she might be. After some discussion and looking around outside, it was surmised that she must have gotten up and left earlier, perhaps due to one of the trances she was known to lapse into every so often. This concluded session 2.

Session 3 forthcoming. Peace.