RiftWalker Campaign - Overview and Thoughts (Sessions 24-27) + Bonus Halloween One-Shot
These sessions, the group visited The Planar Elevator and visited a few locations to explore the legend of Esbara. It is to be noted that these adventures were pre-written by Nate Treme and adapted for RiftWalker. The descriptions of what transpired between the characters is not meant to infringe on his copyright, but a play-log of events. A special session was done between these, that did not feature our main heroes. This last Halloween, we played a Halloween One-Shot of RiftWalker. The premise is that many of the beloved characters of Sesame Street are dressing up for a night of Trick-or-Treating and they have to help the Count remove some unwanted “passed over” guests. This is not intended to infringe on any copyright, but instead a lighthearted story that is a play-log for enjoyment.
RiftWalker Halloween Special - A Spooky Trip to 123 Sesame Street
On this night the following friends come out to trick-or-treat:
Elmo dressed as David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust)
Big Bird as a witch
Oscar the Grouch as Frankenstein’s Monster and Slimey with a cute hat
Bert and Ernie as a 2-person donkey costume
The group visits friends to collect lollies and chocolates:
Mr Snuffleupagus - a big sheet over him - chocolate peanuts
Zoe - handmade hessian sack - Cinderella costume pre the fairy godmother - gives out lollies
Telly monster - has all tomb stones out front - he wears a spaceman mask - gives black strap liquorice
Cookie Monster - detective hat and magnifying glass - looking for cookies
They travel to the Count’s house, they need to help out a house full of friends who have passed over (1,2,3)- folks who are being mean - The count wants you to help him remove all them all with the power of friendship - he takes them inside to the grand staircase and trophy room. IT has some suits of armour and… There is a number puzzle in the trophy room - There are 5 spooky animated statues dancing in a room - on each of their chests is a number: 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 - The dance is all strange and out of sync. It’s like one of the statues doesn’t belong. Which is it and how might you make them belong, because everyone should be included! (9 becomes 19). The golems present them all with a bag of candy. An old picture room where you see all the pictures of the count on holidays, with friends - they find an old hand bone lying in the corner of the room. A Ghost is up in the main bedroom there is a cupboard and a bed- to go through her sadness for not being there in the master bedroom - she wants a hug but can’t get one - needs some love - 1 foot bone in cupboard - she is convinced by the group that she is still loved, and gets the Count to apologise to her for not being a good friend. A skeleton is found - they look for her 4 bones in the organ room can’t speak has 1 arm and 1 leg (pointing to bones cryptically). 1 arm bone in organ room - her bones are found throughout the house and delivered back to her and used to spell out “bones” on the floor. A Ghoul - is found with, it needs love and food, as it’s just hungry - the dining hall and kitchen (1 leg bone in here on one of the chairs). The count sings with them and they return to Sesame Street. They decide to share their candy with everyone. It was a wonderful session that made everyone laugh a lot.
Session 24: The Forgotten Shrine of the Slime Toad
The group travel to the Planar Elevator that is found about halfway up the Infinity Tower. Zadymka flies out with the party to land them in the elevator safely. Inside they see many buttons. They decide to hit the frog button. The elevator pushes and speeds off, finally settling and opening in a cold swap. They see a stone shrine with chiseled blue granite. Inside they find Ancient Toad Wraiths, who are collecting fish and small frogs for their master. Ralph talks to the fish to convince them to swim away, while Khazgan keeps the Wraiths occupied with conversation about their life. Esbara and Zadymka seek out a large blue gator and a big well, where through puzzle solving, find its golden egg that had gone missing. It is freed by them and it gives its eternal gratitude to the two of them. In the mean time, Ralph goes deeper into the temple to find the Toad Behemoth that lounges in a pile of purple mud. It excretes an ooze and is fed by the Wraiths. Ralph engages it in philosophical discussion, but realised the Behemoth is not as bright as it says so. They find a big shrine to a statue of an even larger frog inside. Surprised at this adventure, the group travels back to the elevator.
Session 25: Viridia’s Garden
The group hits a button in the elevator with a flower. There they see the entrance to a great garden, with flowers and hedges. A large tree and lake is seen in the near distance. An old woman seeks them to find her lost grandchildren. Agreeing, the party delves deeper. At the lake Ralph finds a new friend in a neon floral fish, which tells him to sum down to the lower entrance too. The underground garden. After waiting around a while the group ventures through the staircase hidden in the great tree. Below they meet up and find a pile of soil, a small cat made of plants sits with 2 bags of manure. It leads them to a seed bank with magical herbs and seeds that Esbara keeps. The group travels deeper to find a stable. There cave yaks are attended to by planting goblins. After a comedic interaction with them, Khazgan convinces them to act as hostages and come down to Viridian. They tell the group they are enslaved after they were turned into plants. Viridia is the great Lich of this garden and seeks children to offer to her great flower, and start playing music for her. Below negotiations go poorly and the group engages her and the Carnivorous Plants she summons. Zadymka freezes the plants and Ralph turns her into a chair. Esbara saves the children, while Khazgan destroys the great flower Viridian has spent years cultivating. Once she is taken out, the bubble holding the lake above pops and the group is forces to escape. Zadymka helps the others flee with his flying once more. Above, the children slowly begin to transform back and the grandmother pays the group well.
Session 26: Shrine of the Black Hound Part 1: The Houndmen Wake
The group hit the button with a black dog and arrive at a misty temple site. They can smell a swamp in the distance. They investigate outside by Khazgan using Smol to look through lock holes. Zadymka flies above to look through the chimney and the class windows above. Inside there is a pile of sleeping houndmen. They surround a bone alter with a black wooden dog statue with red eyes. It blasts smoke from its snarling mouth. Once inside the hallway, Esbara throws an arrow to distract the creatures. The group hears an ominous “ohming” coming from the west. They rustle into a side room where Ralph befriends a doom shadow lock in a polished onyx stone. It guides him to a secret room where a magical bow is found, and given to Khazgan. The group encounters a room with thumb and plenty of treasures, (a prayerbook is taken by Esbara). Inside the sarcophagus is found with an undead houndman. The creature is very difficult and wounds Khazgan (making him flee while invisible) and Esbara (who trues to beat it to death up close, and wraps it up but gets grappled. Ralph quickly knocks it out and Zadymka finishes it off. They find a hunter’s horn and Ralph blows it, turning day to night. In the distance the sound of the other creatures draw near.
Session 27: Shrine of the Black Hound Part 2: The Woodman is Revealed
Getting into battle formation in the dark, the group seeks the creators. Ralph spins and quickly slays two of the creatures. Esbara an Khazgan argue about the healing of the stubborn dwarf. He is in shock. A wood covered man comes from the side room with a smoking censer. Esbara understands he is trying to summon its deity. After sensing the stench of Chaos magic, Zadymka freezes him. The group makes the other houndman submit. They travel to the other side of the shrine to see the notes of the raving woodman. They see a blood ritual and sacrifice of a large white stag, a recognised demigod of nature. After Zadymka destroys the alter of bones, Esbara quickly kills the woodman to stop his evil. The evil of the creature is sucked into the corrupt bone staff of Zadymka. They travel back to Rift Plane Alpha for some rest and downtime.
