Swords Against Sorcery: On Wings of Night!

 

Last night, we continued the playtest of Swords Against Sorcery, the Bronze Age comic book Swords & Sorcery system I have been working on. Paul was out, but everyone else could make it, and we were joined by Tug from my Azurth group. The scroll of glory:

• Oriax the Red, Gladiator Champion (Aaron)
• Thunda, Barbarian Acolyte (Andrea)
• Korag, Primitive Warrior (Jason)
• Zanjar, Gallant Thief (Tug)

Having escaped Zaarzog the Demon and the imps of the tree with an armload of fruit, our heroes made it back through the portal to Yasheeng's sanctum. They give her the eye (as promised), and she tells them a bit more detail regarding their potential mounts. At the foot of the Vestari Hills there is a woodland of jagged karst formations, some of great size, known as the Nightfang Forest. Here dwell beast folk who make sacrifices to the giant bat-things that roost in the caves in the largest spires. 

The beast folk are generally known to be inimical to humans, but Korag has the Distinction "Raised by Beast Men," so he is feeling pretty prepared for this development.

Bats being nocturnal, our heroes waste no time in heading to the Nightfang Forest, only a short ride from the city's walls. They reach the edge of the forest as the moon is high in the sky. 

At the edge of the forest, they meet Zanjar who was contemplating entering himself. Zanjar is currently on the run, having robed a lackey of a certain wizard, earning him the wizard's enmity. He decides to join the party as the wizard threatening him is none other than Nazrnn Gath.

Making their way down the narrow trail, Korag's jungle-born senses detect that they are being observed. They also notice large shapes flying across the sky. Suddenly, there's a fearful human cry from the forest. Thunda is able to track it, and the group comes upon a bowl-shaped depression with a pole mounted in the middle. There, a fat merchant of Djadishar is tied as the beast folk, arrayed around the periphery, chant ominously. With a high-pitched cry, the bat creatures descend to take the sacrifice.

Korag speaks with the beast folk who are not of his tribe but speak the same prehuman tongue. The leader of the beast folk warns Korag not to interfere. Korag suggests the fruit will tempt the "bloodwings" as the beast folk call the bats. With a successful roll of Presence+Wild, the leader agrees to let him try.

With all eyes on Korag and the bats, Zanjar sidles up to the merchant and offers him his freedom for his gold. The blubbering merchant would agree to anything at this point. Zanjar deftly cuts the man's bonds and his purse with one stroke, catching a handful of gold in his palm.

Meanwhile, presenting the fruit and talking commandingly to the bats, proves to do the trick. After gorging on a fruit each, the bats allow the heroes to mount them. Korag with his rapport with beasts (Kinship with Beasts Talent, in fact) is able to guide his mount easier and the others merely follow is lead.

They fly over the hills and out into the desert of Urrd. Soon, the tower is in sight. It is an odd structure, with no decoration save that it is ringed at 3 places by a set of 3 evenly spaced, large eye reliefs. 

The group flew up close to the tower, looking for a way in. One of the rings with the eyes, began to turn, tracking them--and a last of energy came out of the eyes strafing them all! Most of the bats did evasive maneuvers to avoid it, but Zanjar wasn't so lucky and was forced to jump from his bat, aiming for Korag and his mount spiraling back. He succeeded (with some Momentum spent!) but the extra weight forced the two to jump for the angled roof of the tower.

Zanjar climbs down the closest ring to have a cautious look in one of the irises. It seems to have a window or lens. He shatters it with his dagger handle, and he and Korag tumble inside. The others follow them but have a bit more difficulty (losing some Luck in the process). 

They start down the central stairway, but at the next landing they discovered the Tower is no mundane structure: