Wet Ladies and Foolish Knights

I've recently started an adventure inspired by Russian folklore. I blame a friend for giving me a copy of Nikolai Dante and myself for going over my photo album from my last trip to Russia. Also, I wrote the Russian chapter for ZSP's excellent Rituals from the Other Side: Spirit Magic. Also, I was born in Russia.

Not this Russia...

There's something about the pristine vastness of mythical Russia and the rawness of its villages, people and spirits that suits my current inclination as well as the gaming pace favored by this particular group. The closest Western folklore is probably Celtic, but whereas the Celtic forest is teeming with magic, passion, dance and song, the Russian forest is lyrical, sleepy and bittersweetly melancholic. Watch Petrov's Rusalka to see, or rather feel, what I mean.

But this Russia...

Coincidentally, the first encounter the kids had, after their shipped had crushed on my Russian planet, was with a Rusalka (in a wet bridal gown) who was very cold and allowed people to cross her river only in return for 50 hp worth of body warmth. Now, the group consists of eight 1st level characters (25 average hp). Thus, if anyone volunteered around 6 hp, all would be well. If the group, with its paladins and avengers, attacked the malignant spirit it would be well too. If the group found out what drove the poor girl to undeath and released her from the curse, it would be grand too. If the group decided crossing the river is not THAT important, it would be sensible too.

Instead, the strongest paladin selflessly jumped into the river. And we just finished rolling the bloody character two sessions ago!

*SIGH*

Anyway, if you're interested in a taste of proper Russian adventure I cannot recommend highly enough the wonderful folk tale of the warrior princess Marya Morevna. It's got a typical Russian heroes, male (lazy, stupid but well-meaning and lucky) and female (noble, wise and with a soft spot for idiots), helping animals and spirits and features two of the most iconic villains of Russian culture; Baba Yaga and Koschei the Deathless.

Also, it's very fun.

Who knows what dark secrets hide in this rustic village...? I do. None.

Teaching Hate #1

As you probably know, racism is a very funny and lighthearted subject. It is completely harmless and highly entertaining. Because of this, I had conducted a small social experiment last year I would now like to share with you.

I had picked several older groups that had a considerable dragonborn minority and placed them in a city where dragonborn were the largest racial group, but significantly smaller than all other groups combined. Most dragonborn were honest mercenaries or craftsmen, but being honest, they never came into the PCs' radars. Instead, the PCs got roughed up by dragonborn ruffians, injured in dragonborn terrorist attacks and witnessed a bloodbath in dragonborn street riots.

The dragonborn are an ancient race of honorable warriors - what right do these soft newcomers have to force their laws on us? Oh, it's their city and we're the newcomers? Well, screw them, we're stronger, we're the offspring of dragons, they're furless apes!

Dragonborn kids want to LARP too. Also, sexual harassment suit coming in 9,8,7...

A small but vicious group called "Sons of the Dragon" was sweeping the masses and dragging the whole city into hell. Meanwhile, angered, the dictator of the city took harsher and harsher steps against the dragonborn, culminating in the Massacre in Heroes' Square in which the PCs had the dubious honor of participating.

On any side they chose.

I did not express my personal opinion on the issue even once. Instead, I gave the players total freedom and watched how they dealt with this situation. The result was... curious.

Moral Dilemma #1

There’s a sticky situation.

The group just got a hold of an airship of their very own. Of course, they are jubilant and take their massive new toy for a ride, looking for trouble (i.e XP). Trouble is soon found – a cloud ray the size of a football field is terrorizing the peasants. It rains lightning from above, setting huts and barns on fire. With its massive “wings,” it creates gusts that hurl men and beasts hundreds of feet every which way to splatter against rocks and trees. On the face of it, it looks like a simple combat encounter to be resolved with sword and spell.

BUT.

The group loves animals. It’s obsessed with collecting pets and killing poachers and dreams of having truly powerful animal companions one day (so far they only got crows, squirrels and puppies). A cloud ray is pretty sweet, right? Let’s try to befriend it.

BUT.

A series of Nature checks reveal that cloud rays are ordinarily peaceful creatures (perhaps this is why they’re such an endangered species). The reason this one behaves so violently is because it’s sick. The disease won’t kill it, but it will make it increasingly aggressive and unreasonable.

A cloud ray being unreasonable.
Art by Ben Wootten (from Dark Sun Creature Catalog)

Can it be healed? You need a proper veterinarian to answer this question. Do we have time? No, innocents are dying on the ground even as we speak. An argument about the moral course of action erupts.

How did it end? You’ll know soon enough.

For now, kind readers, tell me – what would you have done?