Journaling TTRPG Actual Play: Pilgrimage of the Sun Guard

[healyg]

Pilgrimage of the Sun Guard (by Amanda P.) is a short, solo-journaling RPG where you play as a knight who goes on a pilgrimage to bring glory back to his order. I kept getting a weird vibe off of it; for better or worse, it's very much an OSR-flavored game. I had a fairly short playthrough, about most of an afternoon, with most of my time taken up by writing up responses to the game's prompts. Character creation is simple, and I was able to write mine up on a small index card. For a solo journaling game, the prompts were very structured; it might work best as a beginner's introduction to the genre, as it was for me, but it also seems like you'd eventually end up repeating yourself on replays.

Aisling (soon to be titled “the Generous”) is an orphan adopted by a monastic order of the Sun Guard, a cult of swordsaints that was once grand and far-reaching but has now shrunken to a single monastery. There he learned to live under the rules and strictures of the Sun Guard’s religion. One of the lessons he took most to heart is to always live honorably and therefore set a good example of the Sun Guard to unbelievers. Daunted by their dwindling numbers, the monks of the Sun Guard monastery entreat Aisling to go on a Quest to discover the long-forgotten Sun Guard shrine, where the Eternal High Priestess may be found.

He has always been eager to learn more about the world about him, and views his upcoming Quest as a chance to see what the world outside the gates of his monastery is like. He takes on his quest a worn, handmade book of prayers, which he consults each night before sleeping. Aisling places a high value on acting honorably, but he has neglected his training and is a little naive. (Represented in-game by his beginning stats, called resources here, being Might 1, Guile 1, and Honor 3.) He is nervous about leaving home, but excited to go on grand adventures to glorify the Order.

Aisling begins his journey by trekking across the wide, wide desert, sand and rock as far as the eye can see. His first major stop is a small village constructed among the bones of a great beast. What luck! He meets a swordsman who teaches him how to better wield his sword in exchange for a prayer from his book. (+1 Might. I think technically my beginning resources might have been my maximum but it's my game and I'll play how I want.)

After moving on from the village, Aisling realizes that he has been followed by a pack of hungry coyotes. Feeling sorry for the poor creatures, he gives them some of his rations, hoping that by feeding them they will go on their way. Miraculously, despite giving up about a day’s rations, his pack of food is no less full than it had been. Aisling remembers at his knighting there had been signs about something like this… (Marked Sign “Tenderness” (which I got at character creation) instead of spending resource; gained deed “The Miracle of the Bread.” Now that I think about it I’m pretty sure “tenderness” here is meant to be read as a strictly romantic thing, but eh.) In thanks, the coyotes lead him from the desert and into the forest, where he wanders for some time.

Just as Aisling begins to wonder if there will ever be an end to the forest, he comes across a grand feast spread out in a grove. It is a fairy feast, of course, meant to trick the unwary into staying and becoming thralls to the fey. Aisling thinks back to his lessons at the monastery, and, by reciting the Order’s Prayer Against Temptation over and over (and a little cunning), he manages to escape the fairy trap. (Spent resource 1 Honor and 1 Guile; gained deed “Escaping the Fey Through Prayer and Trickery.”)

Furious at losing such a fine prize as a Knight of the Sun Guard, the fey start their Wild Hunt against Aisling. The fairy hunt chases him across the pines and willows of the forests until, cornered by a brook, he manages to unseat the leader of the Hunt and beat him in a fair duel. Instead of killing the leader when he had him at his mercy, though, Aisling sheathes his sword and lends the fey knight a hand. “It would not be right, as a member of the Sun Guard, to harm a defenseless opponent, even a member of the Fair Folk such as yourself. Besides, I did hurt your pride by tricking you at the banquet.” Struck by the Good Aisling’s forgiveness and generosity, the leader of the Hunt decides to let him go, and even leads him downstream out of the forest. (Spent 1 Might and marked Sign “Forgiveness”; gained deed “Friendship with the Fey Through Noble Duel.”)

While following the river, Aisling comes across a great tournament, with knights from every kingdom and order he had ever heard of (and more than a few he hadn’t) represented in the lists. Despite this, there is no champion of the Sun Guard among them! Wishing to rectify this, he signs up for a joust and is lent a horse. Unused to the particulars of mounted combat, he is easily unhorsed, but accepts the ill-fated result with good humor and congratulates his opponent on his victory. His opponent, the good knight Ser Hawk, emerges as the victor of the jousting side of the tourney, with Aisling cheering from the galleys. “By my faith, it is your good cheer and help that has brought me this cup,” Ser Hawk says to him. “You knights of the Sun Guard are among the most honorable I have ever seen.” (Spent resource 1 Honor and gained deed “Acted with Honor Despite Losing at the Joust.”)

After the tournament, Aisling continues on his quest, but it is not long before he hears a cry for help: a simple farmer, caught in a bear trap. He hefts them over his shoulders, despite how much his shoulders already ache from the day at the tourney, and carries them to their village home, where a doctor may attend to them. The farmer, grateful to Aisling for saving their life, promises to pray for him and his journey. (Spent 1 Might, gained deed “Saving the Farmer.”)

Journeying onward, Aisling finds he must climb a cold, steep mountain in order to reach his destination. While climbing he comes across a merchant, a cousin of the farmer he saved before. As way of thanks, the merchant lets Aisling drink from their selection of hot drinks. It reminds him of the brew the monks used to make for him after his morning exercises... (Regained 1 Might.)

By chance, the merchant was also cousin to a hermit who lived on this mountain, and could direct Aisling to her. The hermit had taken an oath of poverty and generosity, and had only wished for a tale from his journey. After much deliberation, he decides to tell her of the village in the desert made from the bones of a strange, large beast. The hermit takes great interest in the part where he traded a day’s training with the swordsman for a chance to read and copy off one of his prayers. “You know, I am not familiar with the prayers of the Sun Guard,” she says. “I have heard that they are as beautiful and poetic as they are pious.” They both spend the rest of the evening reading from his handmade book of prayers. Aisling realizes he hasn’t done this in a while and chastises himself for neglecting his spiritual duties. (Regained 1 Honor.)

All good things must come to an end, and Aisling must leave the hermit’s spot of respite far sooner than he would like. He comes across a large, confusing cavern, which he somehow manages to navigate without getting lost. (Easier said than done!) When he finds the way out, he also discovers a fierce griffon along with it.

“Whoa, there, good man!” shouts the griffon. “I only let the most Honorable sort past these caverns, you know. Knights in shining armor and all that rot.”

Aisling thinks for a good, long while. “I have no shining armor, nor a mighty steed,” he answers honestly. “But I have striven to always act honorably as a Knight of the Order of the Sun Guard.”

“Right, right, so what have you done? Out with it.”

“Well, I’ve lent my prayerbook to a swordsman, and also a hermit. I have given some of my food to a pack of coyotes, and left with my ration pack just as full. I forgave a fey warrior for chasing after me when I tricked him, and I cheered on a knight who bested me at the joust. I also carried a wounded farmer miles to their hometown, despite knowing that it would sore my muscles most grievously.”

“Well, now, that’s awfully generous of you, innit? In fact, why don’t I give that to you as your new title? So-and-so the Generous, or something of that sort,” says the griffon.

“It’s Aisling, sir.”

“Right, right, off you go,” the griffon replies, waving him off. With that interlude out of the way, Aisling leaves the caverns and reaches the mountain summit. The legendary Shrine of the Sun Guard is in clear view. (Spent 1 Honor; gained the deed “Received the Title ‘Generous’ from a Griffon.” Note that I did not really “get” this area, an endless staircase to the mountain's summit. I think my knight was supposed to get past an order of evil knights somehow?)

As Aisling enters the Shrine, he is struck by how grand the place is, despite the cracks in the walls and all the weathering of the ages it has suffered through. He enters the Great Hall and meets the High Priestess, a young girl who looks to be about 17.

“Well met, young traveler,” she greets him. “Tell me of your marvelous deeds, that the Order may record them and spread them far and wide, so that all might know of the honorable conduct of the Sun Guard.”

So Aisling tells the young Priestess of his journey of grand deeds.

He tells her of the time he gave his food to coyotes, and the Miracle of the Bread that occurred there.

He tells her of the fairy banquet in the forest, and how he Escaped the Fey Through Prayer and Trickery.

He then tells her the story of how the fey hunted him in their fury, and how he gained Friendship with the Fey Through a Noble Duel and Forgiveness.

He tells her of the tournament at the river, how he entered and how he lost, and how, despite everything, he Acted With Honor Despite Losing at the Joust.

He tells her of how he rescued a farmer from a bear trap, how his shoulders and back ached as he carried them home, but how good he felt when the farmer’s family met them with hugs and tears in their eyes; how, in short, he Saved the Farmer Through Pain and Sweat.

Finally, he tells her how all these deeds and more Gained him the Title “Generous” from a Griffon.

“Thank you, Ser Aisling,” says the High Priestess. “You may now take your rest.”

So he does.