This is the fourth session of my solo Through Sunken Lands and Other Adventures game featuring the characters Tilly, (a Licenced Rogue and native of Jundarr, the impossible city), and her friend Moonwane, (The Cosmic Champion, from a great city state somewhere in the Western Lands).
Finding themselves in Jundarr, Tilly and Moonwane have fallen foul of a Haughty Merchant, Tilly was given poisonous flowers from a mysterious person and a mirror of the cosmos, Moonwane met an even more mysterious woman called Dithea and her small child, a girl of about three years.

Spending the night in a temple, Tilly used her mirror to speak to a spirit called Taurins, trapped in the temple they were attacked by skeletons, Dithea was killed, the temple set on fire and Tilly, Moonwane and the child only just managed to escape. They are now taking the child to a place of safety, being shown the way by a spirit butterfly.
Oh, and Moonwane has winged cat called Whiskers

You can read the first session here https://solorpg.co.uk/through-sunken-lands-part-1-jundarr/
I have no idea whats going to happen as I type this session up, if you would like to find out with me read on.

Toolbox

I am using a minimal set for this game
Through Sunken Lands RPG
MUNE GM emulator
Randomlists.com for when I need a random verb or prompt
650 City Encounters by Johnn Four Roleplaying Tips if I get stuck for a plot or an encounter.
Finally, I have used Nightcafe Studio AI art program to generate the pictures for this post.

Threads.

Main thread. Who is the child, where is the butterfly spirit leading her and why is she in so much danger.

Secondary threads. – Why was Tilly given poisonous flowers and who sent them.
– Who are the trader and his wife and why are they so keen to help Tilly.
– Does the haughty merchant still have a part to play in all this, whatever this turns out to be.

Possible NPC’s

1. Haughty Merchant (the PC’s have already had a run in with this one, has Intelligence 12).
2. The Master Thief
3. Petty Eldritch Noble
4. Priest
5. Trader and his wife (the PC’s have already encountered these two NPC’s)
6. Shadowy Sorcerer (just because I like the sound of it)

Possible Monsters

1. City Guards
2. Skeletons
3. Gargoyles
4. Ghouls
5. Slithering Terror (may be found in the city sewers)
6. Giant Rats
7. Bats (the temple district must have some bats in the belfry)
8. Dog (feral or guard dog)

Crystalline Butterfly Spirit
Sent to lead the PC’s to a place of hiding for the child they have found themselves helping.
Hit Dice 1d8 (5hp)
AC 10
Attack +1 to hit, 1d6 damage (claw like attack)
Alignment Neutral
XP 35
Notes Amorphous (can change shape at will but prefers butterfly shape). Powers (This spirit may become invisible to human sight at will). True Name(this spirit has a true name which gives their enemies powers over them if the enemy knows it).

Magic Items.

Tilly’s mirror of the cosmos smashed but it is possible that Tilly may unknowingly still have a piece of the mirror which would allow her to commune with one spirit from another realm once per day. Such conversations may only last for 15 minutes. The user must make an Intelligence check to contact a known spirit; failure means they will be talking to an unknown entity.

The ship of ghosts. A small sailing ship that sails the high seas yet has no crew to sail it. It always seem to know where its passengers need to go to even if that is not the same place as they actually want to go to.

Scene 7 – following a butterfly through Jundarr.

(Intervention points 0)

Tilly and Moonwane (Moon for short), have escaped the temple and are now following a butterfly spirit towards the harbour district. Their mood is sombre, quiet. Moon looks behind him and sees the temple he served in and his past life in Jundarr going up in flames, Tilly looks at the child on Moons shoulders and a wave of anger washes through her, why should she risk her neck to keep the child safe, once again she feels an unwilling victim of events she has no control over.

Oracle Question. Does anything unusual happen on the way to the harbour district? Yes, and… (+1 intervention point).
Random verbs, found, fill, cure.

The spirit butterfly leads Tilly and Moon to Etisbay Wharf and to a strange sailing vessel. A stranger in robes, certainly not a sailor, stands in front of the gang plank blocking access to the ship. The little butterfly flies past the man and on to the ship but Tilly and Moon are stopped from passing.

Tilly and Moon must both make Wisdom rolls, Tilly needs 12 or less, she rolls 11, Moon needs 9 or less and rolls 8.

The man looks at the little child on Moons shoulders “I can tell the child is sick, you have a long voyage to make, the girl will not survive without help, I know a way she can be healed if you will trust me”.
He hands Tilly a map, it shows part of Jundarr’s underground sewer, “This map shows the way through the sewer to beneath the great gladiatorial arena, there seek the well of healing, it is used by the gladiators after combat. Fill a vail with its water and bring it back, the water will heal the child. I cannot leave the ship but I will look after the girl until you return”.

Oracle Question. Is the man telling the truth? No.
As both Tilly and Moon passed their wisdom checks, nether believe the man is telling the truth.
I roll on Possible NPC table to see who the man is and get 6. Shadowy Sorcerer. This fits, I take it he was the one who sent the four skeletons to attack, magically sealed the doors and then caused the fire in temple.

Tilly and Moon look at the map, Moon has some knowledge of the sewers and Tilly some knowledge of the Gladiatorial arenas, neither believe the map shows what the sorcerer says it does.
Moon answers first, “the child is tired, she needs rest thats all”
The Sorcerer answers by starting a cantrip. Tilly draws her dagger ready for a fight.

Combat. Tilly has the highest initiative and attacks with her dagger, she rolls 13 with +1 BAB she hits and does 2 damage.
The sorcerer cannot finish his cantrip but draws his hand axe, he rolls 2 and misses Tilly.
Moon can do very little, he decides to risk running at the sorcerer to see if he can knock him in the sea but with the little girl still on his shoulders I decided his balance is a little off, so he get a -2 to his strength check,, needing 13 or less he rolls 9. knocking the sorcerer into the sea.
Moon makes a dexterity check to see if he kept his balance, he rolls a 1, success.
Tilly makes a dexterity check as well, to make sure she was not pushed into the sea by Moons charge as well, she needs 14 or less and rolls 14, only just a success.

In one move Moon charges at the Sorcerer, knocking him into the sea, Moon carrys on over the gangplank and safely onto the little ship but knocking in to Tilly on his way. Tilly is just able to regain her balance and avoid falling into the harbour herself. She also makes it onto the ship.
Tilly turns and makes to pull up the gangplank but it has already been pulled aboard the ship and the ship is now sailing out of Jundarr.

Oracle Question. Does the Sorcerer get out of the sea? Yes, and… (+1 intervention point, now at 2 intervention points)

In the gloom Tilly sees the Sorcerer swimming to the side of the harbour and a second person help him out of the water. The little ship is moving swiftly away from Jundarr, much faster than a ship normally would. Tilly knows that there is no danger now from the sorcerer but is worried about what dangers are yet to come.

Scene 8 – leaving Jundarr.

(intervention points : 2)

Tilly walks around the ship. The one thing obvious to her is that the only people on board are the child, Moon and herself. There are no crew onboard, the ship is sailing itself.

At the stern of the ship is a cabin. Moon takes the little girl there. Inside he finds two bunks and a cot. The cot in particular looks very comfortable. In the centre of the cabin is a table on which is laid out a feast, food, water and wine, enough to feed them all for two or three days easily. Moon pops the child in the cot, gives her water and offers her some food. Soon the little girls is asleep. Tilly enters the cabin and Moon pours them both some wine.

Moon feels responsible for the child, he thinks he failed her mother, he was to slow to cut down the skeleton that killed her. “The child is somehow important Tilly, I can feel that. I have to follow this quest through and get her to wherever it is we are being led”.

Tilly is still unhappy, “wherever that is. Your cat Whisker seems to have made itself at home in the crows nest, I think I will join him, see if I can work out the direction this self sailing ship is taking us in”. Tilly finishes her wine and goes back on deck. Moon takes a closer look around the cabin to see if he can find anything else of use here.

Oracle Question. Is there anything else of use to them here. Yes, but…
Random verbs, sign, tease, describe

Underneath the cot, Moonwane finds a box but he is unable to open it. Inscribed on its lid in Common Jundarr is a riddle.

Never ahead, ever behind,
Yet flying swiftly past;
For a child I last forever,
For adults I’m gone too fast.

Moonwane makes an intelligence roll to see if he can solve the riddle, he needs 12 or less but rolls 16, a fail.

Moon scratches his head, he is tired and unable to work out how to open the box or what the riddle means, he sets it on the table and decided to get some rest. He removes his chailmail armour, never good to wear armour at sea, and settles down on one of the bunks.

Tilly climbs up to the crows nest where Whiskers the little black and white winged cat has taken residence, Tilly hopes she can work out which direction the ship is travelling in by looking at the stars and where the ship is in relation to Jundarr as it leaves the harbour.

Tilly is a Gifted Climber so I assume the climb to the crows nest is easy for her but I do get her to make an intelligence roll to see if she can work out the direction the ship is heading in, she needs 13 or less and rolls 11, success.
Oracle Question. Can Tilly see the stars and see Jundarr? No, but…
Oracle Question. Is there another way for Tilly to work out the direction they are travelling in? Yes.

There are too many clouds for Tilly to see enough stars to work out the direction they are travelling but she can see the sun starting to rise on the horizon, from that she works out the direction they are heading in.

Roll d8, 1 = North, 3 = West, 5 = South, 7 = West. Roll is 2, North West.

Tilly works out from the position of the rising sun that the must be heading in a North Westerly direction. From Jundarr that would take them to the Islands known as The Dogs or maybe Alonia or the even the barbarian lands of fur and steel. With nothing to be done but sit out the long voyage, she goes back to the cabin where she finds Moonwane and the child both sleeping. Climbing into a vacant bunk, she tries to get some rest herself, its been a long night.

Next post, the sea voyage continues.

NPC Stats
I am giving a more detailed description of the Shadowy Sorcerer here. I suspect he will have a further part to play in this adventure.

Name : Elias the Sorcerer
Hit Dice : 4d6 (hp 14)
AC : 12
Attack : +2 to hit. 1d6 damage (hand axe)
Alignment : Chaos
Spells : Bar the Way, Elements Command, Reanimation.
Cantrips : Hand of Will, Hexing.
Rituals : Summoning (level 2), Binding (Level 3)