Solo Tabletop Gaming Appreciation Month: Monomyth structure - Session 6

(Click here for the previous session)

Situation: It's been a few weeks, and Eli is almost finished with restoring his late Grandpa's garden. He takes a breather and looks down the cobble stone street, outside the garden, and notices that almost all of the buildings are proudly displaying the flag of Hart Island. It's not so much a separatist feeling, as it is that Hart Island locals see themselves as different, in a special way, from the rest of the Empire [Mythic: Loyally-Lavish].


[What is the conflict? NPC Action: Agree-Friendship]: Brelward and his gang were trying to unsuccessfully recruit Thor, a new kid in town. Thor is a very big boy for his age, so it's a no brainer Brelward would want him in his gang. They very wisely move on after being rebuffed.


However, they see an irresistible target for their attention now: Eli. They happen to have a bunch of rotten eggs with them, which they were going to use to pelt Eli's dad, but what better target than Eli!


[I don't bother to roll against Brawn to see if they hit, because I happen to agree with where Mythic is taking this.]


Splat, crack, splat! Eli covers himself, so he at least avoids a hit on the face, but being covered with foul smelling yolk and egg whites all over.


[How does Thor intervene? "dangerously ugly"] Apparently, Thor doesn't quite know his own strength. With one swift punch to the top of the head, he knocks out cold one of Brelward's sidekicks.


Brelward is not quite scared yet, however, as four of his companions are still backing him up. They all try to gang up on Thor. Eli decides to try and help by tricking Brelward and his gang into thinking the guards are coming to break the fight up.


[This is clearly a conflict for the Brawn scale between Brelward, his gang, and Thor. Mythic decrees that Brelward's gang members are one Action Rank below him on Brawn. Their collective intent is to take Thor down, while Thor's intent is to take them down.


Eli's intent is to use his Brains to trick Brelward and his gang into running away from the supposed guards.


Sidekicks: Brain vs Brawn: Low
Brelward: Brain vs Brawn: Weak
Thor: Brain vs Brawn: Minuscule
Eli: Brain vs Brawn: Exceptional


The sidekicks roll: 2 sucesses
Brelward: 1 success
Thor: 3 successes
Eli: 2 successes


Mythic dictates that Thor will focus his anger on the sidekicks first. The sidekicks will successes are cancelled out by two of Thor's. Brelward's success is cancelled out by one of mine. That means both Thor and Eli succeed in their intents.]


Thor easily knocks two of the youths heads together and they're out cold. The two remaining ones each receive a blow that kocks them on their seats.


Eli, on his part, runs down to the nearby corner of the street, and yells to a non existent guard: "Right here officer! Brelward and his friends are ganging up on him!" This, along with the handful they just got in the form of Thor is enough to make those that remain conscious want run away with their tails between their legs, leaving their unconscious compadres behind.


Eli goes up to Thor: "Are you alright?"
Thor, opening and closing his hand: "I may have hurt my hand." Motioning with his head at one of the three kids just now starting to wake up, "That one with the big head probably did it."
Eli: "I think my mom keeps some ointment in her cabinet. Don't go anywhere!"
Thor nods, and Eli bolts towards the house.


Meanwhile, the remaining bullies apologize to Thor, and ask him if they can join his gang. "I don't want a gang," he says dismissively.


[NPC Action: Propose Failure]


They leave Thor alone to lick their wounds, but not before taunting him with: "That's right you're a loner and a fool! We'll get you!"


Eli comes back with the ointment, and a bandage. "That's it. Rub your hand with it, then wrap this around."


As Thor tends to his hand, Eli studies him closely. At first he thought he was an older kid, but his face looks about Eli's age-- maybe younger. "You know, that was just like Willow Morganthe"
Thor: "Willow who?"
Eli: "She was a warrior."
Thor, raising an eyebrow: "She?"
Eli stammers: "I-I-I didn't mean you look like a girl. You're just very fierce like a warrior."
Thor smiles, obviously liking the comparison. "My older brother was a warrior." Then the smiles fades into sadness for a brief moment and he says: "I have to go."
Eli: "Wait! Erm...Thanks for helping me."
Thor, a slight smile returning: "Well, thanks for scaring them with that ruse. I think I was outnumbered."
Eli, stretching his hand awkwardly: "My name's Eli."
"Thor," he says, shaking Eli's hand heartily.
Eli: "Say, if you're new to town, I can show you around tomorrow. I like to read a lot about the history here."
Not knowing many people, and already having made enemies, Thor doesn't see why not. "Sure. I'll meet you here. See ya!" Then he walks home.


Years later, when looking back at this moment, they would both wonder at how circumstance brought together two very different personalities and made them such good friends.


---------------------------
* Since Brelward and the gang of kids lost their intent, in theory, I should grant them one more feature (thus increasing their dice). One thing that might not be so good, though, is to have the features grow out of control.

Anyway, their new feature will be "Will abandon companions at the first sign of trouble"   

Edit: Click here for Session #7.