Play Report 36.1 — Hiatus and The Cast

The thickets campaign is being paused due to a player’s schedule being thrown into turmoil by life events out of any of our control. I plan to return to it in the future.

For now, I decided to list down all characters who have appeared within and their status in the world, both for my own reference and to think about how a certain dynamic of writing the setting while running the game has played out: did they originate in my solo writing, are they from a module I’m pulling from, are they original to the campaign, were they invented for the campaign but added to setting material later? I find this sort of thing valuable for considering my own creative process.

The Party:

Akela Ayad (she/her) — fighter, wrestler, criminal, revolutionary muscle displaced in time by 50 years despite only being imprisoned for 5. From a former kingdom of law called Agados, name provided by her player. Displacement in time added by me from my own preliminary notes on the setting. Protector of a small dog named Rowan.

Burhanettin, or “Hant” (he/him) — Assassin of the Holy Mountain, religious fanatic, ruthless but adrift in a moment of faith-testing. Holy Mountain a part of the TNU text, reinterpreted by myself and Hant’s player into a shape they were interested in, which I then molded some of my prep around

Almuund (he/him) — cultist and snake oil salesman, ghost hunter, anthropomorphic cat from an extradimensional society of anthropomorphic cats who all are engaged in the running and staffing of an agency built around selling their services in sending souls to their final rest, thus supplanting any extant exorcists and psychopomps in the societies they encounter. Owner of a snake named Legs. The existence of this organization in the setting stems entirely from Almuund’s player. The existence of catboys in the setting in this manner is also from him but I will admit I would probably have gotten there eventually.

The Nanny (she/her) — a champion of Good and a faith healer from Catage. Her player dropped from the campaign long ago, but conversations I had with her about the character shaped many initial notes on the setting I made. Retired to the Thicket Collaboration.

Traveling Companions:

Yasmin (she/they) — A vagrant hireling, who’s loyalty was part of The Nanny’s starting possessions. Retired to the Thicket Collaboration.

Nougat (he/they) — Another cat from Almuund’s organization. An opportunistic cutthroat businesscat but not the best at it and a little frustrated. Currently operating in the Thicket Collaboration, running a branch. Afflicted with the nightmare curse Whispers of Doom.

Cleopatra of Hare House, or Cleo (she/her) — agent of hare house sent to follow Almuund, to figure out why he’s a catboy and if he can be hunted and eaten. Hired then fired by party but still stalking them. The idea of a Hare House stalker was in my notes, but the specific character was not.

Others in the World:

“Cyrus Fayette,” or Serafina (they/she) — an anarchist contact whose fake name was given to Akela. Now dead of old age. Partner to Amaya. Created as an idea I appended to Akela in the first session.

Rubello (he/him) — occult-futurist spy assigned to the crossroads at the bridge, who has had extensive contact with the party and suspects they would make good assets if broken to the occult-futurist cause. Now in the Valley Collaboration. Already existed in my writing before the party met him.

Innes (he/they) — a Fire Cult Assassin, pretending to be a jewelry seller in the Northmost Collaboration and the bridge crossroads. Measuring up Hant to try to recruit him. Written into my notes before the party met him based on a TNU monster manual entry, but that material ends up rewritten in a way inspired by thinking about Hant and assassin orders in the setting.

Elmas (he/him) — a communist exile looking for the fellow travelers he was seperated from. Traveled north from the bridge crossroads and was killed by rittersakes at their dam, out of party’s sight. In notes since the start, before any player intervention.

Leon (he/him) — carpenter who was briefly at the Bridge Crossroads, who saw a nightmare on the road. Has since not appeared, was made up in the moment.

“Hant’s Good Friend Jonas,” or Sirius (any pronouns) — a thief and con artist who Hant pretended to know when meeting Innes. Real name unknown to party. Concerned that the party’s fame will implicate them in things outside their control. Made up on the spot as part of some rolls in the bridge crossroads.

Runalt (he/him) — an old undead king trying to reassert control on his former holdings via enchanted paintings. Part of my notes from minute one of thinking about the campaign.

Coordinator Amaya (she/they) — an elderly volunteer in the Thicket Collaboration who tries to ensure the housing of new arrivals. Part of my notes from the start, reinterpreted as Serafina’s lover when Serafina was created.

Vashti of the Sandstone Stair (she/her) — communist cavalry officer from a rebel cell in the kingdoms of law who now runs a stable in the Thicket Collaboration. Came to Catage to spread her ideals and reruit. Wife of Farina. In my notes from the start.

Farina of the Sandstone Stair (she/her) — brewer of beers and meads from Catage, now in the Thicket Collaboration. Wife of Vashti. In my notes from the start.

Mr. Guyver (he/him) — a transcendentalist shit talker who badmouthed Hant. Lives in Northmost, but travels to Thicket Collaboration reasonably often. Created by a resentment roll.

The Horsemen (no pronoun preferences) — fucked up horse-human hybrid monster carrying out unknowable plans. Part of notes from the start of the campaign, and the idea has been in my head since even before then.

Cashew (he/him) — Almuund’s direct superior. Named and designed by Almuund’s player.

Captain Pyrhi (they/them) — a revenant commander in the nightmare within the Sunlit Redoubt. Now killed. Written into my notes before encountered, but after start of campaign.

“Hant’s Reflection,” or “Eser” (they/she but subject to change) – another assassin of the Holy Mountain, using Hant as part of their own crisis of faith. Has fled to Thicket Collaboration. I made them up as soon as Hant’s deal was explained to me in character creation.

Clancy (he/him) — an unnervingly polite Hare House hunter, made up on the spot when a Hare House hunting party was rolled as present at the bridge crossroads.

A Dead Witch — part of a hex I wrote at the start of the campaign.

Patience Rawbone (she/her) — the dead witches student. Grateful to the party for destroying the improper grave of the dead witch. Would assist them if asked. Deeply sad despite this. Was written long before encountered.

“Benjamin” (he/him) — a smuggler at the Smuggler’s Manse. Largely improvised from incomplete notes.

Parzival (he/him) — a member of the Salvagers Guild, immortal in the body of a late teen and searching for a way to stay immortal. Killed by Matilde. Invented as a result of an encounter roll + &treasure.

Miss Marlowe (she/her) — a Salvager’s Guild agent, who wants to turn it into a legitimate business. Was nearly assassinated by Matilde but managed to escape. Laying low and investigating the merchant-industrialist thaumaturgists, whom she suspects of hiring Matilde.

Constance (he/they) — ex-witch salvager. Improvised from a random encounter.

Ewan (he/him) — farmhand in exile, salvager. Improvised from a random encounter.

The Servant (he/him) — an agent of Mylan Carre, planted in the Thicket Collaboration to offer payment for valuable artifacts and otherwise compromise the settlement to serve Mylan’s ends. Existed partially in notes but only crystallized into a full entry after encountered by party.

Matilde (she/her) — anarchist assassin hireed by Amaya to kill Parzival. Now hiding with some bandits. Improvised by way of the TNU rules for generating hirelings and employees.

Ensi (they/them) — printing enthusiast in the Thicket Collaboration. Friendly with Hant. Improvised based on a research roll.

Dr. Platt (he/him) — an anarchist sympathizer doctor hired by Almuund to care for Nougat’s curse. Improvised from a roll to find employees.

Mr. Brunswick who Gets The Job Done (he/him) — a private investigator in the Thicket Collaboration. Discovered Parzival’s demise for Akela. Improvised from a roll to find employeed.

Thelma (she/her) — tent-hotel owner in the Northmost Collaboration. The tent hotel was in my notes, but I named her on the spot.

Mallow (they/he) — a poet and transcendentalist in the Northmost Collaboration. Improvised when Hant started talking to passers by.

Mylan Carre (he/him) — very wealthy merchant-industrialist with a taste for occult item collecting. Existed in my notes long before the party met his agent, but after start of campaign.

Lionel the Loyal (he/him) — royalist governer of the Valley Collaboration. Existed in my notes from before the party met him but after start of the campaign.

Ambassador Sala (he/him) — occult-futurist ambassador to the Valley Collaboration. Preexisted the party meeting him, but written after the start of the campaign.

Adhira (she/her) — former nightmare cultist, torn on whether to try to reclaim her position. A remnant of an ancient people of the wilds. Hired by party to provide medical services. Written before encountered as part of a dungeon, and revised a couple times.

Amand (he/him) — steward of a royalist sanitarium. Improvised when Hant was seeking medical care.

Luisa (she/her) — occult-futurist wizard and researcher, examining the Compass Rose. Created in session prep as the result of a chain of events set in motion by Akela lying to Rubello.

Bashir al-Barati (he/him) — a painter, once in Runalt’s employ, whose work has been the focus of much nightmare activity. Torn apart by aliens and assembled into a portal-maintaining device. Taken and significantly reinterpreted from Johnstone Metzger’s City of Poison.