PTFO Stonetop: Act 1 Recap
PTFO Stonetop: Act 1 Recap
New here? Need a refresh? Here's the story we told in the first four sessions.
Welcome to PTFO!
PTFO stands for play to find out, and that’s what we do here. On this site, you will find novel and novella-length fantasy and science fiction stories, created through the solo play of indie RPGs. The result is a hybrid between an RPG Actual Play (a la Critical Role) and a traditional piece of written fiction. Our first (and only, for now) campaign is Stonetop.
As the story unfolds, we’ll look at how the game helps create that story from the perspective of the GM and the players — my aim is to deliver a tale of high adventure along with some of my thoughts on the techniques of good GMing and playership in an RPG setting.
Below, you’ll find something of a recap — a high-level look at the setting and our heroes, as well as a session-by-session overview of the first act of our story. If you’re a returning reader, this is (I hope!) a good post to share with any friends you think would dig this to get them caught up.
Stonetop, our home.
Our current campaign is Stonetop, an awesome, flavorful Hearth Fantasy RPG by Jeremy Strandberg. It’s brilliant, and if you have the means, I entreat you to pre-order it on Kickstarter. The foundational worldbuilding of this story is his, and I’m building on his amazing work with characters and action.
Our story centers on the village of Stonetop — an isolated community near the edge of the known world. It’s home to around 300 folks -- a tight-knit place, where people look out for one another. It is quite poor; not a trade hub or a cultural center. Food in the winter is often scarce. You can learn more about the village and its neighbors in the introductory Session Zero post right here — n.b., there will be some overlap between that Session Zero post and the content in this update, so don’t be afraid to skim a bit.
Our Heroes
Our story follows three members of the Stonetop community:
Anwen is a young warrior, on the cusp of her initiation into adulthood. Though she was born in Stonetop, her mother was a refugee from the nearby village of Marshedge. Four years ago, her mother returned to her old home under mysterious circumstances, leaving Anwen behind with her foster family, with whom she has recently been at odds. Learn more about Anwen.
Padrig was born in Stonetop and left shortly after his initiation to travel the world. There, he fell into life as a mercenary, and then as a bandit. He has returned to Stonetop, along with a handful of bandits under his command, to try to put his bloodstained past behind him. The details of Padrig’s past are unknown in Stonetop, but that state of affairs can only last so long. Learn More about Padrig.
Vahid is a traveling antiquarian from faraway Lygos. He has come to Stonetop in pursuit of knowledge of the Makers — an ancient precursor race that ruled this region, with incredible magic at their disposal. Vahid has access to some of this magical power himself — he wields an ancient Maker artifact known as the Azure Hand, which can control elemental energy, and he has pondered the mysteries of an arcane key that has given him the power to open his mind’s third eye and read the thoughts of others. Learn more about Vahid.
The Story So Far (spoilers!)
Session 1: A wedding between one of Padrig’s bandits and a villager is interrupted when Blodwen, a young woman of Stonetop, goes missing in the Great Wood. The party, accompanied by Padrig’s men, seek her out and find her at an ancient ruin of the Green Lords, one of the Maker factions that ruled the Wood before their fall. While Vahid studies the ruins below, searching for Blodwen, Anwen and Padrig are attacked by crinwin — twisted little goblin creatures that lair in the forest. After a battle, they return home, reuniting Blodwen with her family.
Session 2: Vahid confronts Padrig about his past, and proposes that they work together to help improve the village, as proof of their good intentions — Vahid sees this as an opportunity to prove himself as an outsider while exploring the Maker ruins that Stonetop is built upon. Padrig agrees, and they plan to visit the neighboring town of Marshedge to acquire supplies. In the process, Padrig learns that Brennan, the leader of his old bandit crew, has infiltrated Marshedge and secured an appointment as the town’s Marshal. As the party is about to set off, Anwen insists on joining them, so that she can find her mother.
Session 3: The party makes the eight-day trek to Marshedge. Along the way, they face two dangers. First, the Nosgolau — strange, supernatural witch-lights that haunt the ancient Makers’ Roads, and that call to Padrig with the voices of the dead. Second, a band of Hillfolk riders, who are searching for Vahid on behalf of a sorcerer seeking to claim the Azure Hand for himself. After contending with these dangers, the party arrives in Marshedge, where they begin to learn the extent to which Brennan and his crew of bandits have ensconced themselves in Marshedge.
Session 4: The party splits up in Marshedge to pursue their own aims. Vahid negotiates with a powerful merchant to secure the money needed to begin excavating Stonetop’s Maker ruins and building improvements to the village’s cistern. Anwen learns that her mother has been imprisoned in Marshedge, thanks to a dark family secret, and makes an oath to free her. Padrig confronts his old bandit chief, and is ambushed and imprisoned as well. Vahid and Anwen, along with Padrig’s lieutenant Ozbeg, effect a rescue and free Padrig from his captivity, escaping Marshedge and returning home.
Coming Soon…
Can Padrig carve out a place in Stonetop for himself and his crew? What will Vahid find under the village? How will Anwen pass her initiation challenge and prepare herself to fulfill her oath and free her mother? We’ll play to find out!
If you’re new, thanks for reading the recap — check out the Table of Contents to see the latest episodes!