A Metal Serpent, a Dead God, and Dangerous Dreams. Finishing up Ultraviolet Grasslands with the Tomato Trading Trust. Following on from Partway Scenes.
UVG solo - intro | start | partway | finish | all season 3 | all rolling solo
Disclosure - I'm a DriveThru RPG affiliate
Thoughts on Ultraviolet Grasslands
ultraviolet thoughts | solo tools | scenes | chars | threads & extras
Continuing on from last time's notes.
For me Ultraviolet Grasslands will be one of those games that needs a playthrough before you have any idea what's going on. Either playing with others who've played it before, listening to an actual play or doing a practice run solo.
It's quite far from most other RPGs out there. A guidebook and rpg and source of funky ideas in a fantasy/tech setting. I'm actually tempted to run it for my weekly group as a post-apocalyptic setting with some Mad Max style elements.
It was much easier to run with a grip of what's going on. Although my stubborn characters managed to avoid combat. I found a few more of the great tables, used the main Travel / Trade cycle a few times.
I did forget about Hero Dice most of the time, but it's not unusual to miss bits when playing solo.
Solo Tools - Chaos Solo Engine and Story Dice
ultraviolet thoughts | solo tools | scenes | chars | threads & extras
Building on previous Solo Tools Notes.
As well as my story dice and d20 oracle, I made a deck of odd fantasy art. I found some cheap postcards with various fantasy / D&D art and cut them up.
Looking something like below. I draw them for inspiration instead of using a words table. They fit the vibe of Ultraviolet Grasslands and I'll probably use them elsewhere.
Adventures of the Tomato Trading Trust
ultraviolet thoughts | solo tools | scenes | chars | threads & extras
Continuing from Previous Scenes.
The viewpoint character is Jai Ping-Noon.
Scene 7 - In the Shadow of the Grey Glow
I had more dreams of the great metal serpent I hunt. It was at a squarish keep of iron, with all kinds of metal objects stuck to it. The vech squirmed over the upper parts of the keep, but looked at me before I awoke. I think it senses me. Maybe it's time to tell the others more of the beast I hunt.
The Tomato Trading Trust wanted to avoid any risk of the Sisters, and made a detour to a place known as Grey Glow, on the edge of Three Stick Lake.
With no sign of the Sisterhood of the Swords, they watched the Grey Glow and the pale figures coming out of it.
Jai told the others of the beast she hunts and the dreams that guide her. It's somewhere near here.
To the surprise of the others, Ouestin reveals he's looking for all types of mushrooms, for a fermented wine he seeks to create. When working as s a surgeon, he proscribed some powerful mushrooms, and one dying patient told him of this special wine. So mushrooms is what he's here for. And socialising, wines and being part of something!
Both Muria and Ouestin agree to help Jai. Muria comments he'll prove to be a great warrior if she can defeat such a beast. And Ouestin because Jai is likely to help him, and has a focus that the vintner lacks.
Vomes emerge from the screen of the Grey Glow, but don't acknowledge the group.
Scene 8 - New Leads - Paradox of the Bridgekeeper
We made our way to Jade Boabab, a ragged village ruled by the Elders of Understanding. We won't give them any trouble as trading. No sign of the Sisters, so maybe they have other priorities. Eating up the fish. Too many fish...
Jade Boabab is a small village. The group rested.
(Event - an Extra is Involved - Blue Cult)
An azure cultist has a message for Muria. A gate nearby could provide clues into restoring the Dead God. A place known as the Paradox of the Bridgekeeper, that leads to a deadly place, possibly the Palace of the Dead God. Asking around, Muria discovers a possible place for it, on the edges of the lake on a barren beach.
Jai continues her trading education, managing to offload 2nd-hand pulp literature and fish. She also has a couple days laid up after eating something nasty. Ouestin forages and enjoys the village.
At one point they have a strange meeting with half-human nomads, unglued from time. Dressed differently, they show Muria where they appeared, confused. Maybe the gate she seeks is under the Lake?
While foraging, Ouestin finds tracks of a huge metal creature. Maybe like the once they saw at the Skybridge.
Scene 9 - The Great HISS
I dreamed of the great metal serpent I hunt again. On the edge of woods I recognise, by a river that feeds into Three Sticks Lake. Now we to go to hunt it,
Hiring two local guides, Belina and Desena, the TTT follow Jai's dreams to where the Red River meets the Cholan Woods.
There they find the creature they seek, sheltered in the river. A massive serpent of metal, coiled inside an open clam-shell, at least 20 metres across.
Jai realises that maybe she's not here to hunt the beast. For one it's not going anywhere, and secondly it's way too large for her or companions to defeat or capture it.
As she goes nearer, she sees some of the great serpent's tail is missing. Some light flickers off a creature in the water, a huge electric eel, maybe waiting for prey. The serpent vech doesn't stir when Jai approaches and the group decide to try something different.
Camping down, they light candles and Jai tries dreamwalking. He's hit by a vision of a 4-armed snake on a throne. It demands Jai brings it it's tail, showing a vision.
Event - Thread made harder, what's in the Pyramid.
His companions see Jai fall, and lose consciousness.
Scene 10 - Onto Pastures New
The metal serpent Great HISS showed me it's tail, a barbed whip of metal, shining with blue energy. It sat among preserved bodies, golden treasures, twisted creatures of strange metals, old machines and a menacing insectoid of iron and blood. They were in a vault like an inverted triangle, much like the place protected by the water creatures.
(all levelled to level 3, 5 days spare)
Back at Jade Boabab, Jai is ok after a rest and tells others what she saw. Muria wants to help Great HISS, as it may be the ally she needs to awake the Dead God. Ouestin is along for the ride so goes along with the other two.
They speculate that the serpent's tail could be in the vault of the cold vomes at the side of the lake.
In Jade Boabab they prepare for the next part of their journey, trading, finding where they can sell the beetles. Ouestin carouses with villages, waking up with a cart of bannas and an intelligent ape named 'Ananas'.
There's a delay of a religious festival, there's inhabitants from Red Bear Village seeking advice from Ouestin and then they're finally ready to travel on. Onto Glass Bridge and Moon-Facing Ford to sell beetles and equip themselves to liberate a tail from the underwater vault of cold vomes...
Epilogue.
On the road again, the future of the Tomato Trading Trust looked more assured than a month ago.
Jai and Muria sought to restore the tail of the Great HISS and gain it as an ally. For trading and restoring the Dead God. And Ouestin was happy to aid them, sampling new wines, partying, supporting and maybe looking out for some strange mushrooms.
They even could be debt free, if the beetle witch had told the truth.
Somewhere out there, rivals, the Chromatic Cabal, the Sisterhood of the Swordmaidens, cold vomes and others await.
But tomorrow was just one more day on the road for the Tomato Trading Trust...
Character and Notes
ultraviolet thoughts | solo tools | scenes | chars | threads & extras
Updated from previous Character Notes.
Jai Ping-Noon
A tall hunter from a powerful family, driven to find the creature that haunts her dreams.
Exiled bluelander noble big game hunter (f) - compulsion after meeting a seer. Nemesis - Ranalo Xerive
STR 0, END 0, AGI 3, CHA 2, AUR 0, THO 2, Life 16, level 3 (1600 xp), DEF 15/17
Skills - Dream-walking +3, leadership +3, shooting +6, trading +3
Gear - €11, ivory set of Zu Complex ignition tables, ballistic linen suit (AR 2, light), steplander composite bow (d8, medium+ range), spear (1d6/1d8), shield.
Muria per Cupa
A determined healer who bears the sign of the Shield. She and her cult seek allies for a revolution...
Secret azure cult bio-mechanic (f), seeking allies for a revolution, bears a sign of the Fast Stars - A Shield that glows when exposed to radiation.
STR 1, END 2, AGI 1, CHA 0, AUR 2, THO 1, Life 16, level 3 (1775 xp), DEF 11
Skills - healing +6, melee +3, stir up a crowd +3
Gear - €270, yellow cape of pure steel silk, medikit, knife (1d4)
Ouestin Haus
An opportunist from old money who studied surgery at a famous college. Attracts people but cares little for them, instead seeking gratification and fortune.
Redland vintner aristocrat surgeon (m), sheer industrial greed, loyal friend (taciturn mechanic who fixes nearly anything)
STR 0, END 0, AGI 1, CHA 3, AUR 1, THO 2, Life 16, level 3 (1750 xp), DEF 14
Skills - carousing +6, morale +3, surgeon +3, wines +3.
Gear - €0, four brassy cogs from a soul mill, pro-hiker kit, crossbow (1d8, reload 20), scale shirt
Caravan (Tomato Trading Trust)
- 4 two-wheeled carts
- 2 donkeys (Greeny - begs for food, Ruby - red-tailed donkey), 2 mules (Reddy - can bark like a dog, Bluey - has a rag doll), 1 goatelope (Jet - longbearded goatelope), 1 loper bird (Puce - loves apples)
- 8 sacks of supplies ()
- Trade goods - sacks (2) of marrow-beets (100€), sack of strange beetles (500€) , sacks(8) of bananas (50€), sacks (2) of radiothermal fuel (500€)
- Symbol of three tomatoes.
- Float of €20
Threads and Extras
ultraviolet thoughts | solo tools | scenes | chars | threads & extras
Updated from original thread and extras.
Threads
- Avoid Ranalo Xerive
- What is the revolution Muria seeks allies for?
- Help Ouestin find special mushrooms for wine
- Verify if Banner is dead (and if debt free)
- Sell sack of beetles give by Violet
- What is in the Water people pyramid vault - maybe tail of Great Hills
- Find the Paradox of the Bridgekeeper, a gate on edge of Three Sticks Lake on barren beach.
- Retrieve tail of Great Hiss, maybe in pyramid of cold vomes.
Extras
- Azure Cult - Muria is a member - tries to restore the Dead God
- Banner (dead?) - patron of TTT caravan. Academic high priest, wants to create a dynasty, part of a collective temple hive, opposed by occultist imperialists, turns into a felinoid in sunlight. Actually backed by Oranjist biomantic-pharmaceutical conglomerate hoping to benefit from useful and efficient food sources, who can send along help.
- Cold Vomes - water people of Three Sticks Lake, protect underwater pyramid by an island
- Chromatic Cabal - Occultist Imperialists, foes of Banner,
- Ranalo Xerive - nemesis of Jai, very talented musician - absolute ass
- Sisterhood of the Sword Maidens - Eager to meet Violet,
- Torron Valpin (mechanic) friend of Ouestin, fixes nearly anything, taciturn
- The Clan of Public Relations of Red Bear Village - adopted Ouestin.
- Violet - Old beetle witch, part of Chromatic Cabal, wants to use Sun Candle for something
- Belina and Desana. Guides (L1) from Jade Boabab, driven by remorse and regrets. Rebels get on with TTT
- Great HISS. Giant metal serpent vech (L5, Hp 110), sent dreams to Jai, semi-dormant, missing tail and asked Jai to retreive it.
- Ananas - Intelligent ape (L1, Accountant) serving Oustin but a mystery why.
Finishing Up
And that's UVG for the moment...
Happy Gaming!
