Solo Tabletop RPG Review & Actual Play – Everspark Part Two

Read the first part of this actual play here.

I decided there were a lot of pieces generated in my last session, so I needed to sit down and flesh them out a little more to have a sense of what has happened so far and the kind of immediate situation I would be dropped into.

For our adventure I had generated this sentence:
Qazid Icebreath wants to conquer the Crown of Titans, located in the Whispering Mountains. I must explore The Goblin Kingdom of Murkspire for a solution, otherwise Icebreath will assume control of all the colossal beasts in the land.

I started to unpack each of those bold items as well as the Colossal Beasts, pulling out some other random tables, doing some rolling and in some cases re-rolling. What I ended up with were these bits of lore that I are bringing the world to life for me.

The Colossal Beasts 

The Fae came to the land of Eryndralis generations ago. Some welcomed them and let them take control of cities and leadership positions. Others were less eager and there was a war against the Fae. When the dust settled, the newcomers were fully in control. Life appeared to become better, for some. Then the same rifts that the Fae came through brought the reason they fled from their magical realms. Colossal beasts emerged and began wreaking havoc. They are in such numbers that the Fae became overwhelmed, they wielded even less magic in this realm than their old home. So the beasts have come to rule the land and everyone else attempts to find a place to survive.

Qazid Icebreath 

A legendary frost wyvern whose name is whispered with fear across the tundra. Born from the heart of an ancient glacier and imbued with primal magic, Qazid has lived for centuries, gathering power unmatched by most mortals. His crystalline scales shimmer with an eerie glow, and his frigid breath can freeze armies in their tracks. Unlike other beasts, Qazid possesses an unsettling intellect, crafting intricate plans. Rumors tell of the rare occasions he bargains with adventurers, offering fleeting alliances in exchange for priceless relics or knowledge. Beneath his calculating exterior lies a seething hatred for this land he had become trapped in, though he has plans to make it more accommodating…

The Crown of Titans

A relic forged in the tempestuous age of the First Colossi, an ancient era of Eryndralis when gargantuan creatures roamed freely, their power rivaling even the gods. Created by the enigmatic Forge-Kings of Aeltharion, a long-vanished race of master artisans, the crown was imbued with runes of dominance and bound with the essence of an Elder Titan—a god whose will could command the mightiest of beasts. Legends say the crown was crafted to end a war between the Forge-Kings and the Colossi, granting its wearer the power to subjugate the massive creatures and bend them to their will. Fearing its misuse, the Forge-Kings scattered the crown’s pieces across the world, hiding them within treacherous ruins and deep beneath the Whispering Mountains. 

Whispering Mountains

Jagged, snow-covered range infamous for the murmurs that echo through their peaks, said to be the voices of the dead. Long ago, they were the site of the Battle of the Tenfold Eclipse, a cataclysmic clash between the Colossi armies of the necromancer Zardek and the Forge-Kings of Aeltharion . In the final moments of their duel, Zardek unleashed the Void Chant, a spell so destructive it fractured the mountains themselves, creating the eerie chasms now known as the Echoing Wounds. The leader of the Forge-Kings, Lyssira Skydawn prevailed, though she shattered the Crown of Titans to ensure no one would be able to use it again. Now, the range is a perilous pilgrimage for fortune seekers searching for the Crown, treasure hunters drawn by tales of Zardek’s hoard, and exiles like Torvin Blackstone, a disgraced warlord who established a hidden stronghold among the peaks. Few return, the mountains’ whispers grow louder the deeper one ventures, some believe those who died during the Tenfold Eclipse will rise again.

The Goblin Kingdom of Murkspire

A sprawling labyrinth of jagged black towers, shanty warrens, and underground tunnels, hidden deep within the Shadowed Glens. Once a mere hive of scattered tribes, Murkspire was united under the cunning King Skragz the Ironfang, a goblin warlord who wears a crown of rusted steel and jagged bone. Skragz enforces loyalty through fear and the aid of his elite enforcers, the Fangguard. Despite his iron grip, Murkspire is always on the verge of collapse: the Blackrot Plague festers in the lower tunnels, threatening to decimate the kingdom’s population. An ambitious goblin shaman named Vexa the Ember-Eyed gathers a growing cult that seeks to overthrow Skragz, claiming that the colossal beasts will be driven away with new leadership

I came to an important question about this story.
Why does Cypress have to go to Murkspire instead of heading straight to the Whispering Mountains?

The Crown’s remnants radiate a magical resonance that draws colossal beasts to the Whispering Mountains. To mask this signal and prevent a catastrophic convergence, the adventurers need the Nightveil Stone, a rare artifact hoarded by King Skragz. Negotiating—or stealing—it from the goblin kingdom will require guile, diplomacy, or a daring heist.

I didn’t imagine Cypress would do this alone as a Scholar and Strategist so I rolled up two NPC companions we’ll get to know.

Demis, Bloomwalker/Acolyte/Slayer wielding a sunspear
Personality: Obsessive | Detail: Braided hair | Goal: Serve a faction

Hulde Gembasher, Gnome/Soldier/Swashbuckler wielding a thunder musket
Personality: Jealous | Detail: Twisted lip | Goal: Frighten city

This helped me envision the opening of the game. Cypress has found a spot in the hills outside of Murkspire to scan over the city with his telescope. Demis and Hulde are there with him, setting up a camp in the Shadowed Glens. Cypress doesn’t have very good schematics for Murkspire, only some crudely drawn maps done by a goblin captured & interrogated by the Imperial Army.

Read the first play session here