dungeon world campaign journal

SESSION 0

“Crone's Cleric Luthgard.”

Yeah, that still feels weird.

For one thing, nobody around here remembers a time when great-great-grandma Aramintha wasn't the Crone Cleric Luthgard. Hardly anyone manages to live that long.

For another, nobody but dwarves give one sliver of a fuck about the Crone Cleric, and none of my friends are dwarves.

For another still, it's not like I had my whole life to get ready for this responsibility. We all knew it might happen to us, but there are, what, thirty of us eligible? And usually we have more time. Usually, the Cleric should be not such a stubborn ass and wait so long to tell us she's dying. Usually, the acting Cleric ought not to wade into battle with their nose in a book because they haven't finished learning their incantations yet. Usually. But hey, in most families, having thousands of bees swarm through your open window to cover you in glowing light is not considered an auspicious portent, either.

Old Nana Minty was the closest I think a person could ever be to having the very mind of the Blessed Crone Herself. A brick shithouse til the day she dropped. I definitely inherited her physique, but I'm not so sure about the personality. Maybe it comes. Maybe it wasn't ever her who was like that. Maybe that's the Crone. Who could recall?

Anyway, I'm tired, but it sounds like none of my siblings have yet gotten over the novelty of being finally allowed to drink. My confirmation has been a great occasion for months of partying. I, on the other hand, am glad to find the smell of mead unappealing, as I imagine much misery would result from holding the alternative view in a situation like mine. Alas, the honeywine from my flask goes only to the earth.

Tomorrow, I'm going to something called a “poker game”, which is apparently some sort of human gambling that's used as an excuse for bonding. I'm not sure why humans need excuses for bonding. Or complicated rules for gambling. But hey. I'm only 29. I'm practically a child still. What do I know? “Be among the people,” that's what they tell me. So I'm gonna.

“Every Cleric keeps a chronicle,” that's another thing they tell me. So I guess I'm really going to act my young age and write in a diary. Good night.

SESSION 0.5

Wow, some of those people were so drunk that I even felt it.

That was fun though. I do now understand why humans have these rituals — it's nothing like anything we have in dwarven culture because dwarven culture is not about opening up to other cultures. Either you fit in here or you don't. Humans might be the first ones dead of curiosity in a slasher play, but you couldn't ever accuse them of not living their short lives to the fullest. We like to rag on them for it, but it's at times like these when they really shine. Always the life of the party. I've never seen energy like that in a mead hall.

I learned how to bluff! I can't believe it. I, Sigrid Luthgard, managed to fool somebody and take their money. They got me back the next round. But that was fun. It's kind of like acting.

I met some really cool people too. There was a big talking dog! I know there are a lot of different types of folk in the Hub, but I don't get out of the house much. I had not yet met a talking dog before. He's very nice. There were a lot of humans there, a couple of them were with the dog and they said they were all mercenaries together. One had a cool floating lantern. Another one had hair a color that I don't even know the name of. They were really nice too. Two of them weren't drinking but one of them got very drunk and told me about something I think they weren't supposed to.

There's another gate!!! There's a ninth gate under the Hub. And it isn't closed. And it goes to different places. And these people work for an organization that supervises it. AND THEY OFFERED ME A JOB.

Well, they sort of had to, I think, because they told me by accident. But it's perfect! What better way to “Be among the people” than by going to different worlds? At first they thought maybe I wasn't strong enough. So I showed them I was by healing someone there who had their arm in a cast. That made me really tired but they thought it was cool and offered me a job. So that was worth it. I'm going tomorrow to see the gate!

I'm really nervous. But I think it'll be fun.

SESSION 1

Holy shit!! Holy compost pile horse manure!!! It's really hard to write down everything that happens when things are happening!

I started that new job they offered me. It's not a very often thing, but when we go, we go.

WE WENT THROUGH A PORTAL AND STOLE A MAGIC STATUE FROM A GIANT SNAKE. AND THE GIANT SNAKE TRIED TO EAT ME BUT I BLOCKED IT WITH MY MACE. We escaped on this rad vine that the alchemist made sprout out of the ground instantly, it just sort of grew up out of the pit with us riding on it??? The snake messed up the statue though, it used to be able to prevent all injury in its vicinity apparently but now it just makes it less. That's really cool. We're gonna use it to protect the Hub.

I feel really weird about taking the statue away from another place where people were probably using it. I don't like that. But we do need to protect our home too. I just hope nobody comes looking for it.

All of that was a while ago. We got paid for doing that job and I had a shield inlaid to match my mace and embossed with the Crone's flowers. Nobody's come for the statue yet.

I started back up again doing work at the poverty clinic, like I was before I got selected. I have time again now that my studies have tapered off. And now, I have help from my new colleagues! Luke has started bringing me deliveries of medicines from Pipette's atelier. I'm still a little spooked after seeing what some of these vials can do, but now I've seen the medicines' potency as well, and I'm so grateful. The improved turnaround time on pneumonia cases alone is astounding, and the zinc salve I've been giving out for boot rash has every mercenary in town at my door. I've been hard at work too, building a garden of herbs in each windowbox of the clinic so we don't have to send to market for as many things. One of the children comes through to water them daily when I'm out on a job, usually Ardwin or Melisend.

I hope this is the beginning of greater friendship between the dwarven quarter and the rest of the Hub. We could really use it, all of us.

ALIGNMENT: Good — I will endanger myself to aid others.

NEW BONDS:

  • The Hub is my home. I will protect it as is my family's duty.
  • Luke is a dependable colleague, who I hope will come to see me as a friend.
  • Pipette is very smart, but seems as much in danger from their own magic as from outside threats. I must watch out for their welfare especially closely.

RESOLVED BONDS:

None