I will say that information was adapted from the fiction "The Story". I'll update whenever I get the chance to have another play session. Expect expository each time and I'd be glad to get some criticism or ideas from anyone.

Only have two players in the game travelling with an NPC:
~Mongrel Brawler (Ash'Kar of Blood Valley) - split personality based on collar: on - nice as can be, off - berserk frenzy. Wants to be the strongest fighter in the After and protect those around him.
~Gnomish Storyteller (Melefictioushun Fondue, Storyteller) - Ancestral Stream and historian, very old (150) and hugely sarcastic. Wants to protect the younger generations so the world can rebuild itself.
~Human Craftsman/Healer (NPC) (Vale) - plot hooks and information, but hard to pry. Mostly just helping other survive. Wants to dissolve the Circle of Dust and begin rebuilding the world.

Started my group off in Kar'Danan close to Oruskan border, where I have decided the Circle of Dust has placed it's citadel behind great stone walls. It happened on a rare Landfall for the Rovers and a group had been travelling the Broken Falls River that leads from the Eastern Coast through to Jherlind when they needed to resupply, stopping off in an unmapped region of Kar'Danan to do so. They just got caught up in the wrong-place at the wrong-time.

The players, who had been travelling (Gnome from Cair Dhurn, Mongrel from Oruskan), began in the Russet Feather Tavern where they were told that they could "tell a tale for a pitcher of ale". After the two players finished their stories (fairly interesting from the Gnome, not so much from the Mongrel). They watched a man shift towards the door in alarm. Listening in they could hear the sound of distant screams. Running outside, the group met with people screaming in the street as they were torn apart by dark tendrils of fire engulfing their bodies, their souls being devoured by the Weave. They then looked to the immense Citadel of Dust to see a white dome forming around the citadel, made entirely out of skeletons.

As they neared, the heavens tore apart and flames erupted from the ground as tornado-like pillars of flame formed in the city, tearing through the town ravenously. Screams and terrified shrieks could be heard all around. Bodies marked with the insignia of Kalen, the Grinning Brigade's skeletal grin, littered the streets as the players ran by before they reached the dome. Breaking through a thinner area of skeletons, the group took refuge inside and ushered others towards the dome for safety while preventing the skeletons from closing the hole they had made until the ground heaved around them and the sky went black. All that was left visible was a man standing atop the highest spire of the Citadel, clutching his flaming hand high into the sky and screaming in agony. He too

Hours later when the sun rose, blood, fire and ash fell from the sky, remnants of the fiery tornadoes that had engulfed the city in flames the night before. The group, now composed of 34 people, looked skyward as the sun crested in the sky. There were no smiles only tears.

The player group then separated for a bit, looking at the damage done. The Mongrel found that the river that had once been was no more, it appeared to have been "filled in" with earth, though a small tunnel with bright lights was visible. Upon swimming down the tunnel, the Mongrel was met with an underground cave where a small boat was found. Ambushed by a single Orc, the Mongrel tore him apart. Scavenging, he found a 2 bone daggers and a crude map along with a Rover silk bag. The Gnome investigated the Citadel against the advisement of the survivors. Finding nothing but 8 bodies and hallway guarded by a skeletal blockade some 50 feet thick.

The group, finding wagons, horses and gathering what supplies they could, decided to take to take the chance they had and get away from the accursed land that had oppressed them for so long, the players leading them and treating their wounded. They travel Southeast, towards what they hope to be better conditions in the Empire.

Excellent. Great to see The Story inspired a gaming session. It sounds like you had the right amount of horror. Love that a dome of skeletons looked like a safe place, and the characters were each able to use their skills. Looking forward to what comes next.

I'm likewise looking forward to reading more. Few have ever come that close to Kalen and escaped becoming part of the Grinning Brigade.

Most recent update, more to come soon. (We have long-detailed sessions if no one can figure that out by now. I take notes during the session for reminders of what occurred and piece it back together later. I used to do it for World of Darkness, now for Desolation.)

The characters left Kar,Danan behind and headed south into the Empire. Passing through the forest they met with nothing, no one, not a single soul. Finding where a great city stood, they found nothing, not even foundations, only a blank field. Only when going down a newfound river did they come across a village. The village had not experienced a single happening of the Night of Fire, now it had become home base for the survivors of Kar'Danan. The characters then travelled south to Ascondea... to find it in ruins, not a single building left standing and no apparent survivors. Scavenging the ruins they found little that was not broken, torn, shredded or still on fire. What they did find was far more invaluable to them: books, quills, ink wells and hides (about 200 lbs of 5' x 5' hide sections).

They left Ascondea behind and headed towards Sal Kalar where they found a group of refugees fleeing from the forest to the far south. Upon speaking with their leader, Mar, they informed the group to head towards the small village from earlier and wait there. The characters were also told that the refugees had been fleeing their home from gigantic worm-like creatures and that most had died. The refugees then informed them of an injured woman in the back of the wagon, on the brink of death. Ash'Kar (also a trained healer) left for the back to find the woman barely clinging to life with a huge section of her left side missing. He tried but failed, remembering the craftsman's success with medicine earlier he called Vale to the back. Upon seeing the body Vale ushered Ash'Kar from the tent and told him to let no one inside, including himself. Ash'Kar did so, only to see a section of trees wilt and die some 5 feet from the caravan almost 20 minutes after Vale entered. He emerged, sweating and announced that she would be fine, just get her to the village and let her rest.

The characters then left for Sal Kalar to find it in shambles, but with a group of survivors led by their leader, Trav (former guard captain). The group was mixed, having brought in the nearby elves and dwarves. All of the magic users had been killed in the city after they had went haywire and killed nearly 9/10 of the population, they magic coming forth uncontrollably. They were getting together everything they could find and placing it in wagons before heading to the next closest city to ask for refuge. The characters then told them of the situation, the village that was acting as the camp and the captain agreed to travel back with them.

After travelling back, the village was chaotic, too many people (113 total) unaccustomed to the new environment and situation, bickering over who should run the village, the nobles or the village mayor. Melifictioushun Fondue, Storyteller (henceforth Mel Fondue) interrupted the fight before it got any worse. He offered another solution, a vote. The group reluctantly agreed after a few minutes arguing over the neutral party when Vale stepped forward, removed his named from the ballot and held out sheets of parchment with quills. He then procured a box and informed them all to take a piece of parchment, write down a candidate's name and place it into the box. Beforehand, 3 candidates stepped forward, the Village Mayor (Pat), the refugee leader from the forest (Mar) and the captain of the Sal Kalar Guard (Trav). The votes were cast and Trav won, barely. He immediately asked the other two to join him as advisors as well as Mel Fondue, and together began mapping out living areas for the groups (placing the elves far from farmland), preparing defenses, deciding roles for the village and setting up patrols. After they were finished, they spent the next few days preparing fortifications for the city.

Ash'Kar decided to place posts into the ground at an angle, facing outward from the city. He to a group of 10 out to begin the process, which the leaders agreed with completely. The rest began making shelters, defining responsibilities and sharing information. The dwarves and Vale were on construction with a few people from the village and Mel was drawing lines for the placement of the wall, 2 guard towers, new homes and more (he had a list). During this process, a scout returned and announced there was trouble, a group of undead, skeletons, zombies and something he had never seen before, were headed directly for the city. Trav immediately climbed to the roof of a house and shouted "All able-bodied fighters, with me, we protect our home this day!" he then waited at the entrance as Ash'Kar, 4 of his men from Sal Kalar and Vale joined him. Mel stayed behind to develop a defense plan should they fail.

The group they encountered was no small force, 25 strong. Ash'Kar then had a brilliant idea, route them. He had seen a small pass wide enough for about 6-7 men as they neared the village the first time. If they could hold them there, they would only have to fight 1-2 apiece, but fight in waves until the last fell. The group agreed and laid in wait at the pass, watching as the horde moved closer. The impact was not substantial, not being able to breach the wall, the zombies were quickly dispatched with spears (guards), a hammer (Vale) and spiked fists (Ash'Kar). The skeletons proved more difficult, buffeted the warriors with swords, slowly knocking the guards down while Vale and Ash'Kar were barely able to hold them off. As the battle appeared lost when one guard fell Vale began, for the first time in front of others, to cast Necromancy. He took control of the skeletons (never been more proud of a dice roll in my life) and turned the 12 skeletons against the one remaining (a combined corpse). The killed the corpse and it stood again, again and again... Ash'Kar then lit a torch and burned it, hoping to kill it finally and it stopped moving. The skeletons then began digging a hole, placed the zombies and combined corpse inside of it. Vale then set the pit on fire.

The real problem then were the guards... Necromancy, magic, what had happened in Sal Kalar with the mages there.... If it hadn't been for Mel Fondue arriving just then, the day would have become much bloodier. He convinced them that Vale had only used magic to save their lives and he should be commended. Vale explained he will only use it for that purpose and only when necessary. He would save lives, not end them or use their deaths for personal gain. The guards reluctantly agreed for the time being, but they would be keeping a close eye on him. Everyone then headed back to camp as the snow started to fall.

Great recap. I like that the focus so far is on defense of a pocket of civilization. That's one of the things we've seen happen in Desolation -- where defense (or town takeovers) takes on a role equal to questing.

So we've seen the apocalypse, scavenging, government creation, town defense and battles with undead (loved seeing the combined corpse being used to good effect). What's next? A challenging aftershock/natural barrier created by the Night of Fire? Bandits on the road? Raiders from the west? Oruskans? An attempt on the necromancer's life?

Wow. Just wow.

I doff my hat in respect to you, sir. You are truly a master.

My teeth gnash in jealousy at your players. That I only had the opportunity to participate in such epic tales.

I give praise to you in the sacred tongue.

E're-way ot-nay orthy-way!
E're-way ot-nay orthy-way!
E're-way ot-nay orthy-way!

Thanks, I really do like the combined corpse, but by the time it got that point in the fight the majority of the militia that had been formed had nearly died and it was a very low chance for the Control Undead spell to work to that degree. The gnome had actually set up a second platoon of townsfolk to protect the village should they break through the initial force, but they were pretty bad. Most of them were fishermen and farmers. It would have been a fantastic battle, but then all but one of the combatants would have been an NPC unless I would have given the dead player the combined corpse to play

I plan on the next session being the Long Winter, surviving and learning all they can about how the world works and the politics in a single area before they set out into the rest of the world during the Thaw. I'm planning them meet quite a few people, mostly travelers and hear about the world around them. Ash'Kar wants to heard towards the Oruscan Wilderness where he is from and find refuge there, he'll be in for a surprise when he sees the glaciers, especially when he meets a troll. Mel Fondue wants to travel with Ash'Kar for protection, but he wants to learn as much as he can to help rebuild a new civilization for the survivors. Vale wants to go back to Kar'Danan and face down Kalen. As with anything in the After, things change. Nothing may be what it seems nor will things always be where they are supposed to be. Oh, and making the Story happen in this village they are in during the Long Winter will be oh so sweet

They've told me what they want to do, become the strongest, create a new world for the survivors, and destroy the Circle of Dust. I plan on each of these happening, even to a small degree or to give them some satisfaction that their motivations are happening, then rip it out from under them before letting them taste victory again, and repeat.