The Tree, the Serpent, and the Cursed Envelope - Session 3

 

This Thursday, we had the third session of HMTW, and it was the best one so far. Using some doors, the players improvised a couple of rafts to cross the lake and headed southeast through cold hallways covered in snow. Along the way, thanks to the Meatgrinder encounter table, they found small leaves from a blue velvet tree, a sign that they were close to their goal. The tree was located in a dungeon module where intrusive thoughts dominate the mind.

Exploration and Encounters

The first room led them to a marble balcony suspended over an infinite void, with a starry sky stretching beyond their sight. As they peered down, a voice in their heads invited them to jump into the abyss, but they resisted the temptation and stepped back.

The second door led them to a restaurant kitchen filled with sharp objects. Since rations were scarce, they decided to explore, but soon felt the urge to test the knives on their own skin. Not everyone was lucky: several failed their wands checks and suffered multiple wounds before fleeing.

Back on the main street, they spotted six hooded figures approaching. Not wanting to find out their intentions, they took refuge in a room to the north. In this room, the dirt floor was filled with burrows. The sorceress used a spell to shrink the orc, making him stealthier, and sent him to explore the burrows. However, he critically failed and fell into one, awakening the Mindtwisters: small creatures with a large red eye, insect-like legs, and tentacles covered in spines. Six of them emerged from other burrows, initiating combat.

Combat and Survival

The Mindtwisters used their special "threatening gaze" ability, forcing players to discard cards. Depending on the suit of the card, they suffered additional effects: the warrior dropped his weapons, the rogue panicked, and the others were forced to move forward. Taking advantage of their teammates' defense and strategic javelin attacks, they managed to fight their way to a door where the floor was covered in velvet leaves. The tree had to be nearby.

Upon opening another door, an encounter card indicated that the room detached from the material plane for a few hours, floating in the void. Seizing the opportunity, they set up camp, healed their wounds, and used the bonding action. We tested the book's conversation topic table, and the result was unexpected: "Would you rather give up cheese or oral sex?" There was a pause as they tried to interpret if "cheese" had some hidden meaning, leading to a weird but funny moment.

The Tree and the Mysterious Envelopes

After resting, they continued and finally found the tree, majestic and imposing. In front of it was a golden mailbox with three envelopes, each with a different symbol. The dark elf used her racial ability to ask the GM "yes" or "no" questions, determining that one envelope was dangerous, another doubtful, and the last one safe. She chose to open the safe one, and upon doing so, the Great Worm appeared in his mind, offering her its blessing. Without hesitation, she agreed to serve it, gaining an extra point of Resolve permanently. The creature tasked her with finding a hidden traitor with vital information.

However, two bored players decided to open the other envelopes. One was cursed with a blue beam of light, making him a perfect target for monsters. The last envelope unleashed a swarm of creatures from the tree's heart, triggering an intense battle. The marked player nearly died, but the mage created an illusion to distract the enemies, allowing them to escape.

With their mission accomplished and some treasures in hand, they decided to return to the surface. In the next session, we will test the City Phase.

Session Highlights

  • Combat was more dynamic and engaging. To increase pressure, the number of enemies proved more effective than their quality. The Mindtwisters' ability to make them discard cards forced players to play low initiatives, increasing tension. This time, players used more defensive and tactical actions instead of just attacking.

  • The sorceress unlocked her potential. She is a novice player who usually chooses warriors for a simpler experience, but in this session, she experimented with spells creatively and had fun.

  • Card counting was crucial. In this session, the jester remained at the bottom of the deck, preventing reshuffling. Noticing that high-value cards had already been played, the players panicked and decided to return to the surface before failing completely.

The next report will cover the City Phase, which has yet to be tested. Over the next two weeks, I will prepare NPCs and develop the syndicate houses in the city.

See you next time!

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