Window of the Soul, a Dee Sanction Play Report

 A session of Window of the Soul, this is a Dee Sanction game, I believe number two in the book of adventures, which will ultimately be available in print.  

The Dee Sanction is a tabletop role-playing game about serving Queen and country in the late Tudor period. While kingdoms vie for power and the Church splinters under the pressure of reform, folklorish creatures emerge from enforced hiding seeking revenge against those who imprisoned them.  The Dee Sanction is from the brain of Mr Paul Baldowski and has incredible art by Evlyn Moreau

Technically this game was run using the Foundry VTT for maps, character sheets, die rolls, music and handouts and discord for voice and video.  We were testing out the system module by Chris Sharp, it's excellent!

Many thanks to Arjen, Scott, Ian and Gary for bringing the whole adventure to life!  And of course to Chris Sharp who put up with all my requests for new features, but the GM Matrix is ...so, so useful and very beautiful!

...Here Be Spoilers...

They are running amok...

...hell hath come to South Warke, people doth mightily protest, the food spoils, windows are smashed and the air of the place is one of unrest and anger.  The Dee Sanction must investigate, John Dee calls on both available and trusted members to seek out the disturbance, determine its root and pluck out the offending canker... For God!  For England!  For Queen Elizabeth I, long live the Queen!

South Warke 1572

It is early evening, 1572 and the agents of Dee are dispatched across London Bridge to the suburb of South Warke.  Two are ex-members of the city watch; Christopher Ballard, small of brain, fast of flail with a voracious appetite, his wooden spoon perched in his hat and Francis Abell, a man of words more than action but prides himself on his knowledge and intellect as opposed to his friends more agricultural tendencies.  Accompanying the muscle are Hugh Pyn, the head gardener of Layer Marney Tower, a lover of order and precision which often brings him into conflict with his masters.  The final member of this coterie is James Stockton, a Horse Trader and a dabbler in the supernatural, no deal too small that he can turn a penny on.

As the four men tramp across London Bridge, they spot a commotion ahead, a young family are being accosted by some locals who have just left The Gorgon Inn.  The husband is on the floor, two ruffians hold him down, whilst a third pulls at his hand, his screams cry out. A fourth brute attempts to climb up onto the families cart and snatch the baby from her, she kicks out at him, holding the babe above her head.

Christopher whirls his flail above his head and jogs forward.  James pauses as one of the attackers, looks up at him, his left eye glowing blue, "Did you see the mark on him, my friends?  What devilry is this?!"  Hugh has stopped and roots around in his gardening sack, he pulls out a pair of rusty shears, then eyes the four large men ahead of him, he gestures James and Francis to move forward.

Hugh's Shears

Christopher charges in and whips his flail over his head, dealing a severe blow to one of the combatants.

Christopher's Flail

Francis has reluctantly entered the fray, he faces his opponent, hands-on-hips he cries, "Fellow, see yonder man with the pointy ball on a stick, yield or suffer dire consequences!"  He points at Christopher, who grins and nods.  The fellow in front of Francis responds by cracking him over the head with a rock he'd picked up off the ground, Francis staggers and James catches him before he falls to the ground.

Hugh is edging behind the main fighting group, observing a rather paltry flower display as he tries to get behind the brute accosting the woman.  Christopher glances over, gesturing to Hugh to hurry.

Both Christopher and James avoid blows and manage to get in their ripostes, Christopher's quarry is crushed and collapses to the ground. Francis attempts to knife the fellow in front of him but is caught off guard as a third scoundrel hammers him over the head with a branch.

Hugh is now behind the man pulling at the woman, glancing around him, he whispers under his breath and scatters seeds into the air.  The man turns from the woman to face Hugh, his face a picture of confusion and bafflement, he tries to grab at the seeds as they float around his head.  Hugh looks nervously at his friends, how long this cantrip will last he is unsure.  The woman takes this opportunity to climb down the other side of the cart and escape.

Luckily for Hugh, a few more lusty blows from Christopher and James see off the remaining foes, three bodies lie in the mud of Tooley Street.

Calm is restored, a group of bystanders have called on the Watch, luckily, Jerimiah "Clam Gout " Blackfoot is first on the scene. Jerimiah is a friendly face to Christopher and James and proceeds to organise things, removing the bodies and taking statements.

"Lock him up!", this is the cry from Ralph Child, the man assaulted by the four, he lies on the street, his wife and babe comfort him. "Look what they did!", Ralph holds up a bloodied hand, a number of fingernails have been roughly extracted.  Jerimiah steps forward to talk with Ralph and his wife Jane.

Meanwhile, the Agents of Dee are having words with Charles Leeds, the brute who tried to take the babe.  Charles seems totally shocked as to what he and his fellow traders have done, he has no recollection of the incident and begs for forgiveness.  James extorts him to stay away from the guilds and Charles nods, seemingly agreeing to anything to save his miserable life.  Gradually a story unfolds, Charles and his friends were eating and drinking in the Gorgon after a long day's trading - next, they are here in the street, with no knowledge of what they have done.

The Agents all enter the Inn and are approached by a serving woman, they ask at which table the fellows who just left were sitting and proceed to a round table in the corner.  The table is still stacked with half-eaten pies and a large jug of ale, as the girl goes to clear this away, she is stopped by Francis.  Christopher asks for fresh ale and more turnip pies.  The woman frowns at them but nods.

The Gorgon Inn

James, Francis and Hugh all examine the ale and pies, they conclude the pies are most tasty, Christopher attests to this as he stuffs one after another into his mouth, spraying crumbs and pie entrails as he remarks on their quality but also the need to sample more to confirm this.  The ale seems strange, something has been tampered with, a herbal taint, with something altogether more esoteric.

Roger Wotton is at their table with a fresh jug and plate of pies, Christopher reaches for these.  "Gentleman, here for food and drink are we or something else?"  James makes a convoluted sign under the table, whispering a few words under his breath, almost at once a foul stench wafts up from the jugs of ale, as the rotting cantrip takes effect, "Sir, we believe you have been serving foul ale, perhaps we should retire to the back to discuss."

A worried-looking Wotton is trying to assure the agents that he has not touched the barrel of Hay's gold that is the source of the jugs of ale, the barrel came directly from The Beerhouse and the pies from Pelletoot's bakery.  Now the quartet has some leads they decide to make a sharp exit, as there are cries from the patrons in the Gorgon of more foul-smelling ale and rotting pies.  At the door, they bargain with Wotton to stop the purchase and selling of Hay's Gold and Pelletoot's Pies until they can get to the bottom of this.  

Hay's Gold and Pelletoot's Pies

After a heated debate about the guilt of  Charles Leeds, it is eventually agreed he should answer for his crimes.  Leeds is dropped off with Jerimiah and they then start to walk up Tooley Street eastwards to the Beerhouse.  They pass by the Tabbard Inn, the windows are all smashed and the sounds inside are raucous.  Hurrying on they spot the now-empty marketplace, a woman, covered in fruit, sits in the stocks.  They pause to question her, she'd been sipping on some Hay's Gold when by all accounts she attacked a barrow boy, tearing out his fingernails, she does not remember this.  Christopher pauses to pick up a discarded pie before noticing nails and other metal items sticking out of it, he throws it into the gutter.

Pelletoot's Bakery is halfway down Tooley Street and there is an angry crowd outside, a small balding old man pushes past Francis and James and slams a loaf onto the counter, "Shit!  Full of rat shit Roland, what are you doing man!?"  Roland Pelletoot sighs and exchanges the excrement ridden bread for a new one, fresh from the oven.  Eventually, the crowd disperse and the Agents approach Roland.

Ingredient X in the Manchet Loaf

Further questioning and Roland admits, after a works celebration and a few halves of Hay's Gold, he awoke the next day with all his ovens filled.  As the orders went out to delivery he was soon inundated with complaints, he feels he's been the victim of a jealous competitor.  Baking sabotage.  The investigators retire to the street, it is clear Hay's Gold is behind these disturbances and the Beerhouse is the source, they redouble their march, only briefly interrupted by a crowd of fellows rushing along, shouting, "Death to the traitors!  To the gallows with them!  Long live Queen Elizabeth I!!"

Eventually, Beerhouse No.1 is reached, a pretty mish-mash of buildings with an apple copse in front of it, standing proudly outside, directing the staff, is John Briskyn the owner.

Beerhouse No. 1

John is affronted when he is accused of selling tainted ale and in a bid to clear his name, he instructs one of his boys to bring forth the Hay's Gold, with cups for all!  The Agents decline a glass but John drinks long and deep, as moments pass, John's behaviour changes he becomes agitated and then launches out of the door, "Death to the traitors, to the gallows, hang them all!"  The Beerhouse staff are shocked but Christopher knows what to do, he chases behind John and swings his flail.  John collapses unconscious to the ground.

Whilst staff rush to the assistance of John Briskyn, our team enter and head up to the offices and personal quarters of Briskyn.  Here they find evidence of contact between Briskyn and a certain Peter Crisp, the Tower of London jailor.  Crisp sent a cask of Rhenish wine to Briskyn, with instructions to share this with her majesty.

Worried, everyone heads down to the cellars and find the latest batch of Hay's Gold, in the last barrel, Hugh spots a string coming out of the stopper, pulling on it they uncover a small poultice.  James is convinced this has some magical elements to it, the group deduct that Crisp has sent the poultice to Briskyn in the wine cask.  Awakening Briskyn, he fills in the rest, he stole the poultice and used it to create Hay's Gold, such honeyed flavours were irresistible to the customers.

Francis holds up another piece of paper, on it is a list of the taverns that Hay's Gold has been delivered to, The Gorgon Inn, The Tabbard and... the Queen's household!

In panic the group contact Dr John Dee using their Black Seal amulets, they tell Dee what they know, imploring him to intercept the firkin of tainted ale.  Dee assures them he will head to court immediately but asks that they carry on with their investigation, the perpetrators must be found and swift justice executed.

The Black Seal

The Agents of Dee have through judicious use of their contacts secured a letter of introduction to Peter Crisp from William Cecil and stand now awaiting entrance to the jail.  The guards of the tower inform them to leave all their weapons behind, which, with some reluctance from Christopher, they do.

They discuss the letter sent to Briskyn with Crisp, he admits to it, but says it was a gift, there is nothing untoward about the wine and points to the devious nature of Briskyn.  If anyone is behind any wrongdoing, it is Briskyn, he is forever looking for a deal to make himself richer.

As the conversation continues, Crisp absentmindedly mentions that there is only one person of note into the cells, a certain Thomas Howard, if anyone had a mind to make trouble with the Queen, it is he.  Intrigued the group request to speak with Howard and they are led down to the deepest, darkest, dankest of cells.

The Duke's Repose

As Crisp opens the cell door, Howard, who seems to have been asleep slowly rises and stands, Crisp stumbles and then looks up at the Agents, he seems fearful and confused.  "You... you must be the one's Cecil asked me to talk to, what are we... we are... you wish to speak with Thomas Howard I suppose?" 

 

Some of the group stay with Howard, but Christopher and James accompany Crisp back to his offices, it is clear he is bewildered and James suspects ensorceled.  The two quiz Crisp further, and discover he's been working hard, must be, as he's dozed off on occasion and has had dreams of being locked up in a cell, probably an occupational hazard.

Calling Hugh and Francis back from Howard's cell, they all confer; Hugh mentions that Howard seems desperate to bring forward his execution and end it all.  It is now clear Howard has the sorcerous power to swap bodies with Crisp, potentially to avoid execution?  The group are split into two camps; One wants to recruit him, the other to knock him out to make sure he cannot escape the noose.

They consult again with Dee, using the amulet.  Dee informs them that he was too late, the queen has supped from the ale and is demanding that all traitors be marched to Tower Hill and put to death, she has sent a retinue of troops to the Tower of London, they have but moments.

Dee implores the group to resolve the matter, but to hurry and make their own judgement, he cannot protect them if they are caught.  Eventually, it is deemed that Howard is too dangerous to allow to live and Christopher will enter the cell and knock him senseless.  Christopher performs the deed and not before time.  The troops arrive and throw the party out of the jail, the troops carry the unconscious Howard, closely followed by Crisp.

Finally, the Agents gather at the foot of Tower Hill, Howard is brought up on to the platform, when suddenly, Crisp orders, "Wait, he must not escape his fate, wake him."  A bucket of water is thrown over Howard and slowly he rouses himself and his eyes, lit with a blue flame, open.  As the noose is put around his neck, the fire in his eyes disappears and a look of horror overcomes him, "No!  No!  You've got the wrong man! Stop!!  Sto...." the trapdoor opens and a loud crack is heard.  The body sways, the rope creaks.  After Crisp inspects it, he turns to the crowd, "Death to all traitors!", he shouts, a playful grin on his face a twinkle in his bright, blue eyes.

Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk