Neithernor RPG: Stony Harbor Coven – Episode 1

[darkmimic]

And here’s the full recap!

For the opening session of Neithernor: Stony Harbor, the players and I (the Narrator) began by doing a little setting creation. Though much of Stony Harbor had been created during playtest sessions, everyone used the “fresh start” to add some new and interesting elements to the environment in which they would be playing.

Stony Harbor is a small seaside community somewhere in a fictional New England. Maine, perhaps. Its primary economic engine is tourism in the warmer months when visitors flock to the coastal town to sample incredible seafood and enjoy the local festivals.

The central dock and adjacent business center have several restaurants and shops that attract tourists, the most well-known being the Pier Gent, a permanently docked frigate that serves as a restaurant and bar as well as a museum showcasing Stony Harbor’s humble beginnings. City Hall used to be an old fort built during the Revolutionary War and serves several public functions, from housing the local court and jail and being the nearest DMV.

Since crabbing has been the most significant source of income for the small town since its inception, Crabs adorn many aspects of Stony Harbor. “Pinchers” is the mascot of the local high school, and most businesses have worked a crab into their logos. During the fall festival, the town hosts a parade where one person is crowned the “Crab Queen,” and every float must have a nautical motif. There is also the local legend of a group of ingenious high school seniors who found a way to fill the entire swimming pool with crabs.

Other places of note in and around Stony Harbor are the abandoned library, the research vessel Eratosthenes anchored half a mile off-shore, and the lighthouse at Pont d’Ivoire about a mile up the rocky coast.

Outside the places that focus on tourism, there are many establishments that cater to the locals, most notably Spirits Bar, a Halloween-themed tavern.

In addition to the town itself, there are several people who make Stony Harbor even more interesting. Grandma Lorraine has lived in Stony Harbor for as long as anyone can remember. Some believe she’s almost 120 years old, though she doesn’t look much past fifty. There is also the dockmaster who keeps the dock running efficiently despite tourists constantly getting in the way. The town’s one doctor has been the only doctor anyone can remember, though, in reality, the current doctor is one of a long line of doctors in the family. Each generation serves as Stony Harbor’s lone physician until the next generation is ready to take over. Thus the reason the town’s doctor has had the same name for the past 75 years. Everyone has just assumed that it’s always been the same person (even though both men and women have been in the role).

But the people in Stony Harbor that we are most interested in are the player characters themselves. We have Caroline Ashburn, Noelani “Lani” Douglas, Rhiannon “Rhian” Evans, Cassidy “Cass” Fairhurst, Luke McCallion, Thea Moran, Erik Olsen, and Alexander Vale.

Most of these characters had already been introduced to the magimystic in some way, though perhaps not recognizing that that was what they were experiencing. However, one morning they all heard a knock at a nearby door and, upon investigating, discovered their Coven Hall beyond. Inside the Coven Hall was their Coven Tome, a book that encouraged them to make a pact with one another and form a coven (the Coven Tome is also an excellent tool for the Narrator to introduce the forces of the magimystic into their world). The players then had a chance to explore and shape their Coven Hall to their liking and get to know one another a bit better.

After the characters had some time to get (mostly) comfortable with what was happening, they heard a knock at the door. Someone from the Neithercourier Service had arrived with a package for the Stony Harbor Coven. Inside the package, the characters found a letter which read:

“Congratulations on the formation of your coven. Lorraine told me that it would be happening soon, and I’m so glad my team and I are no longer the only ones exploring the magimystic side of Stony Harbor. Perhaps we could share our observations and discoveries with one another. In the interest of that endeavor, I would like to share some items that my team and I came across recently. See what your coven can make of them. My team and I are at a loss. And if you’re amenable, come and let me know what you discover. My cabin is always open.

Darleanna Vance, Captain of the Eratosthenes”

In addition to the letter, there was also an old iron key and several scraps of old and brittle parchment inside the package. The key itself was rusted and pitted from age, but the characters could still see numbers embossed upon its side: 41 2 5.

As for the pieces of parchment, there were eight, each with a single word written upon it in faded calligraphy.

wicchinge

þæ

castlelet

apprille

houre

byniðan

þritti

ivorien

The characters were able to determine that the words were Middle English but still had yet to discover their exact meaning or why they might be important.