[Mist-Robed Gate] Edwardian Steampunk London

The Mutant Buddhas gamed again at Games and Gizmos in Redmond last Friday. Present were CS, CB, IL, GM, CM, CR, BB and myself. Since CS wanted a break from his Savage Worlds X-Men game that has been running the past 3 game sessions, I offered to "run" Mist-Robed Gate.

Since Mist-Robed Gate does not require a GM, we brainstormed on the game setting. We decided on Edwardian Steampunk/Magical London, with Cthulhuoid Horrors trying to break through. We went around the table and threw out some character concepts, like: Origami Magician, Glittery Vampire, British Officer, F'd-in-the-Head Doctor, Cultist, Steampunk Iron Man, Big Game Hunter, American Federal Agent, Skeleton Pirate Captain, Japanese Assassin, and a few more. We merged some of them together and each decided on what we'd run.

CS picked the F'd-in-the-Head Doctor, CB chose the Origami Magician/Assassin, GM took the American Federal Agent while CM picked the Steampunk Iron Man (and changed it into a Steampunk Giant Robot). CR wanted the Cultist and IL took the Skeleton Pirate Captain. The Big Game Hunter was played by BB and I, picking last, chose the Glittery Vampire. We chose a bunch of distinctive descriptors and I explained how Props and Sets worked.

I started the game off with the Pirate, the Doctor and my character at the London Cathedral (my Set), with my Vampire trying to get the bones of the Pirate, at the same time as the Doctor. We came into conflict pretty soon into the scene, with the blade being exposed and battle commencing. My character's stakes were that the Doctor leaves, while CS chose to win my Prop (the Final Stone required for the Gate filled with the Souls of the Damned that would allow the Cthulhuoid Horrors access to the World). We each took turns describing the scene with our descriptors, and everyone voted. I lost and the Doctor escaped with the Stone.

The next scene had the Iron Giant, the Origami Magician/Assassin and the Cultist meeting in the London Underground (CM's Set). The Iron Giant was powered by the burning souls of the dead and had murdered and eaten the soul of the Origami Magician/Assassin's brother. An epic battle erupted in the tunnels, with the Origami Magician chopping at the Iron Giant with her Katana and the Iron Giant smashing at her with his giant fists. The descriptors flew back and forth and CB won the match, killing the Iron Giant (who's last wish was that the souls he devoured were permanently damned into the Stone needed for the Gate).

The Iron Giant used a Soul Shard (CM's Prop) to burn the souls and, after the Iron Giant was destroyed, the American Federal Agent and the Cultist fought to get the Soul Shard for themselves. The fight resulted in the American Federal Agent shooting the Cultist with his Colt .45 (his Prop) and wining the Soul Shard. The Cultist was brought to the Doctor's Lab (CS's Set) where she was patched up, while the Doctor gave the Stone to the Federal Agent instead of fighting for it.

Another conflict between the Cultist and the Federal Agent resulted in the Federal Agent winning the Cthulhu Jewels (the Cultist's Prop). With the Stone, the Soul Shard and the Cthulhu Jewels in his possession, the Federal Agent was possessed to open the Gate and summon the Cthulhuoid Horrors into the World.

The game ended with the group assembled at the Gate, which turned out to be London Bridge. The Origami Magician/Assassin sought to destroy the Stone with her Prop (a magical do-hicky that would destroy the Stone) and prevent the Gate from opening. The Glittery Vampire wanted the magical do-hicky because it contained the soul of a dead Vampire and the Big Game Hunter wanted Cthulhu to arrive so he could shoot it! With this three way conflict, the descriptors flew and in the end my character, the Glittery Vampire, won! (The first time I've ever won a conflict in Mist-Robed Gate in the two games I've played). The Glittery Vampire took the dead vampire's soul and drank it, escaping in a flash of light as the Gate opened and the World Ended in Elder God Destruction!

The Pirate spent most of his time in every scene trying to get away and drink rum but ended up on the Doctor's slab to be experimented on until the End of the World (about 15 minutes later). And the Cultist was very happy because the world ended and her actions (and failures) brought it about even faster!

The group had a good time playing but it took a while for them to understand the no-dice-rolling describing-what-happened-a-piece-at-a-time process of the game. They all wanted to play it again, with a different setting, so that may happen in some future session.