Strata
A solo Cypher System game by bss, set in the fantasy world of Etravar.
Characters
- Cyne Valbrook is an intelligent and exiled spellsword [warrior flavored with magic] who wields an enchanted weapon.
- Vaelor Galanodel is an inquisitive high elf wizard [adept] who wields a vast magical grimoire.
Cycles
Vaelor Cycle
I run this game over IRC, since that is convenient to me from basically anywhere. As such, chapters will only be brought here as fiction when I have opportunity to provide a write-up.
Queen’s Reach
The campaign currently takes place in Queen’s Reach, a region on the eastern side of Trezuria.
- E11: Arrowhaven, a small village, home of Vaelor Galanodel.
- L7: Greenhook, one of the largest cities in Queen’s Reach.
Tools and Standards
Jotting down things I’m using for the campaign that haven’t yet become part of my “normal” process, such as it is, but might in the future.
Overland Travel
I am using a 3-mile hex in the “kingdom scale” maps. This is a break from where I was using 6-mile hexes, having been convinced by arguments such as Down With The 6 Mile Hex!.
| Hex | Unencumbered | Encumbered |
|---|---|---|
| Easy (plains, grasslands, etc.) | 1 hour | 2 hours |
| Rough (hills, forest, etc.) | 2 hours | 4 hours |
| Difficult (mountains, etc.) | 4 hours | 8 hours |
Unencumbered travel is travelling very light with little equipment; most adventurers with a normal amount of gear are encumbered for purposes of overland travel. Wagons, horses, and the like can make travel unencumbered if the transportation is suited for the terrain. An adventuring day is usually 8–12 hours of rest, 8 hours of overland travel, and the remaining left for adventuring.
Old Cycles
Cyne Cycle
I started this as a writing challenge for myself, so it’s a bit more “properly” written with narration and the like, but I quickly got too busy to keep up with it in this format, so I put it down for now. Maybe I’ll return to it at some later point.
Session Logs/Chapters
Some style notes, my plan is to alternate between two voices and formats.
Normally-formatted text, such as this paragraph, is written in present tense, as if I was narrating GM or player thoughts live in the course of play. Since I’m both, at the same time, there will probably be no meaningful distinction between these two roles in the narration. Present tense just feels more natural to me for this right now, but maybe that’ll shift over time.
Inset text, such as this, will be more about system decisions, dice rolls, asides and commentary, and so on. Probably far less structured here.
As such, the chapters will probably be a mix of session log and narrative prose.