A Rough Night in Roundstone

By Guy Jobbins

Contents
Synopsis P. 2
A Word of Introduction P. 2
The Sambari P. 3
Roundstone P. 3
Narrator Characters P. 4
Notes on the Heroes P. 5
Scenes 1 to 6 P. 6
Advice on Play P. 9
Pre-Generated Heroes P. 10
 A Rough Night in Roundstone
By Guy Jobbins
A narrative adventure for two to six players
Setting: Gloranthan, amongst the Heortling Sambari tribe
Time: 3 hours
Synopsis
The Sambari King, Roganvarth Loud-Laugh, is about to betroth his beautiful daughter, Jela,
to Enfrew, a noble of the Orlundi clan. However, Roganvarth’s trickster, Bogor, is madly in
love with Jela and is convinced that if only he can see off Enfrew, he has a stab at her himself.
To this end he has set in place a bizarre and unlikely plot to see off Enfrew and win Jela for
himself…
A word of introduction
This scenario was written for the Snowball variant of The Pool rules (links to these rules are
given in the box below). The Pool is a very simple system with the feature of handing much
narrative responsibility to the players. When they succeed or fail with the dice they get to
determine what the results of victory or defeat are. They can incorporate new characters, plot
elements, items, changes of scenery – pretty much anything they like. This means that as a
narrator you have to be prepared to wing things a little and change your scenario ideas to fit
the adventure as it evolves. Things written in your preparation notes aren’t true until you have
introduced them to play. As a basic rule of The Pool is that each newly introduced element
must be consistent with what is already known, this means that players can really mess with
your plans. Don’t worry about it. Be prepared to adapt.
That having been said, Snowball introduces a level of complexity. Snowball scenarios, such
as this one, go in any direction except forward. A Rough Night in Roundstone, in fact, goes
backwards. Seen Memento? Good. Scene 1 starts the action – there has been a killing. Scene
2 goes back to the last few moments before the killing. Scene 3 goes back to explain how the
heroes reached those last few moments, and so on. There is a twist in Scene 4. Scene 5 rams
home to the players what a terrible mistake they have made. Finally, Scene 6 goes back to the
beginning to see how or if they can salvage some victory from the wreckage fate has left them
with.
This structure means that, as narrator, there is one thing you must be constantly aware of in
Scenes 2 through 4: you and your players know how this scene will end (after all, the previous
scene started there). Therefore you must help them reach that point – via whatever tangents
and byways – and then when they do, the scene ends. This is easier than it sounds if you have
the right players. I’ve playtested this game twice and it worked fine both times. However,
perhaps there are some gamers who shouldn’t play this scenario. If you have players who like
screwing with your ideas and being awkward just for the sake of it, or who aren’t interested in
collaborative storytelling, then you might not want to do this.
At the end of this scenario I give some advice on running it, and there are examples of actual
play throughout the text. My main advice, important enough to repeat here, is to understand
the relationships between the narrator characters and their reasons for acting as they have
done. This will help you adapt during play.

The Snowball rules (by Alexander Cherry) are at http://www.twistedconfessions.com/files/Snowball.pdf.

The Pool (by James V. West) can be found at http://www.randomordercreations.com/thepool.html. Links to
Pool variants and discussion forums can be found at the bottom of that page. Both of these are open licence
games, free to download.

Thanks to Alexander Cherry, Benedict Adamson, Mark Adri-Soejoko, Bruce Ferrie, Erik
Nolander, Phil Hibbs, Jane Williams, Liam, & Ashley Munday. Apologies to the players at
Scotscon whose names I completely forgot due to the incredible amount of beer consumed.
The Sambari
A Rough Night in Roundstone is set in Glorantha amongst the Heortling Sambari tribe in the
year 1621. Of course, this can be changed to suit any setting without too much difficulty. The
information presented here has been drawn from the work of Benedict Adamson and others in
the Firebull Campaign. More can be found at
http://www.badamson.nildram.co.uk/Glorantha/community/Sambari/index.html.

The Sambari tribe are one of the Free Tribes of Sartar. The area in which they live was
conquered twenty years ago by the Lunar Empire, who have since rigorously and harshly
dealt with those who have opposed them. Many other tribes have been enslaved under puppet
kings, but not the Sambari.
The tribe has an ambivalent relationship with the Lunars. As for most Sartarites, there is
hostility to the invaders and their baleful religion. However, the Lunar depot in Wilmskirk has
enriched the tribe, and the Lunars have eliminated several of the tribe's traditional enemies.
Consequently, the tribe is divided. The divisions were mostly within clans, rather than
between them, and therefore did not threaten tribal unity. However, following a Lunar
punitive expedition against the whole tribe, provoked by the Fire Bull Clan, the clans are
tending to become polarized.
Some members of the tribe, especially those benefiting directly from trade with the depot,
have converted to the Lunar religion. The importance of this trade has also contributed to the
Sambari electing a merchant of the Grey Fox clan to be their King. King Roganvarth has a
difficult job in placating those Sambari hot-heads who lust for vengeance, and walks a fine
line between the risks of being seen as a collaborator by his tribesmen and as a troublesome
nuisance by the Lunars.
There are five clans of the Sambari: the Grey Fox, the Orlundi, the Vale Treader, the Icy
Wind and the Fire Bull. The first three are the most powerful, and King Roganvarth was Chief
of the Grey Fox before becoming king. The Fire Bull are the most troublesome of all the
clans, a conservative, war-like bunch who have suffered greatly under the Lunars. Whilst
many of the Sambari are becoming more open to Lunar influence in matters of dress,
foodstuffs and even religion, the Fire Bull cleave to their own ways and traditions like the
redneck, hairy-arsed barbarians their great-great-great-grandfathers’ ancestors were.
The tension between Lunar-haters and Lunar-supporters is an important element to this
scenario, as is the difficult relationship between Roganvarth, the Lunars, and the Sambari.

Roundstone
The majority of this scenario is set in Roundstone, an ancient promontory fort in the northern
Storm Hills. It is the tribal capital of the Sambari tribe; it is in the east of the tribal lands, in
the tula of the Orlundi Clan. A defensive stonewall and picket fence surrounds the King’s
Hall, the Roundstone, and the usual assortment of boothies, huts and storerooms.
Roundstone is the location of the King's Hall. This is a wooden construction of one large main
chamber, decorated with woodcarvings and tapestries depicting scenes from the mythology of
the Sambari tribe. This is where the Sambari King holds court and entertains his housecarls.
The Roundstone itself is a prehistoric cylindrical platform that protrudes from the hillside. It
has a diameter of about twenty feet and stands five to ten feet above the sloping ground. It is
apparently fashioned from a single piece of stone, and undecorated. The stone is smooth and
white: somewhat like limestone, but harder. Its visible edge has become chipped and its top
worn, with the ages.
The Sambari tribe and Orlundi clan use the Roundstone as a podium during their moots: it is
the Law Rock of that tribe and clan. Attendees erect their tents and boothies on the slope
below it.

3
Narrator Characters
King Roganvarth Loud-Laugh
Roganvarth Loud-Laugh is King of the Sambari tribe and a noble of the Grey Fox clan.
Roganvarth is an initiate of Garzeen. He is famous for his devastating satires and his great
leaps on the battlefield. Roganvarth tries to make money and peace through compromise and
trade. His rule has brought prosperity to the tribe, especially The Sambari Traders, who have
benefitted from selling to the Lunar depot in Wilmskirk. The increased traffic through The
Sambari Pass has also filled the King's coffers with tolls.
Roganvarth is unsympathetic to hot heads who advocate fighting the Lunars; he reminds them
of what happened to the tribe, and the Fire Bull clan in particular, when clansmen last did so.
The old world is over, we must prosper in new ways, he tells them. He flatly rejects the
demands of the Fire Bull clan for vengeance, against the Lunars and the Enstalos tribe, for the
devastation of their tula.
The Lunars might prefer a puppet King, but they seem content to have someone who takes a
middle course. Roganvarth is personable and approachable. He does not stand on the dignity
of his position. He prefers to solve problems with informal discussions rather than legal
disputes. Before becoming King, Roganvarth was Lawspeaker of The Grey Fox and a
merchant.
Roganvarth is currently an extremely happy man, for his beloved daughter Jela is about to
wed an Orlundi noble of consequence, Enfrew Finehair. This marriage is a fine match that
will bring more security to the peace and prosperity of the Sambari, for Enfrew is greatly
favoured by the Lunar administration. Of course, Roganvarth knows others amongst the
Sambari will not be happy at this choice of husband, so when an uninvited group of the Fire
Bull clan (the player heroes) arrive at the betrothal feast he is expecting trouble.
Jela
Being a fairy-tale princess Jela is, of course, staggeringly beautiful. Many men have vied for
her attentions, but in Enfrew she has found a combination of looks, graces and a certain style
and charm that rocks her world. He also happens to be a good friend of the Lunars, and to Jela
that is very important as she is an initiate of the Seven Mothers herself. At this, her betrothal
feast, Mother Nouche herself has come to offer her support and counsel, for which Jela is
pleased and flattered. Everything must go perfectly!
Unfortunately Bogor will also be there. Bogor, with his sly leers and roaming hands. Bogor,
with his foul insinuations and double entredres. At some point he is certain to make a scene –
why can’t father just kill him?

Jela may or may not be a character that gets much playtime – it depends on how your game
evolves. In a playtest one of the players suggested that Jela was his character’s first love, and after
a succesful roll of the dice revealed that not only was this the case, but she also still harboured
strong passions for this smelly, uneducated backwoodsman. This turned out to have important and
and amusing implications for the rest of the scenario.

Bogor, the Trickster

A treacherous madman Roganvath tries to keep on a very short leash by means of the
Bondsman’s Oath and the threat of dire punishments. Despite his tendency to mischief, Bogor
appears reasonable and ordinary at first – a good looking, well-spoken man with an air of
determination and strength. He is a fair knife-fighter, and also has access to powerful magics,
although of course they usually backfire on him.
Bogor is the one responsible for all of the unfortunate events that are about to unfold. This has
come about because of his love for Jela – the love of a trickster is never going to be revealed
in a bunch of flowers and a pretty poem – and his desire to thwart the ambitions of his master,
King Roganvarth. If Bogor has his way, the night’s events will mean his love rival Enfrew is
dead, and Roganvarth’s relationship with the Lunars has been severely damaged.

4
Bogor is originally of the Kheldon tribe but was exiled and has only lived amongst the
Sambari for a few seasons. For this reason the Heroes will not know his name, nor any details
about him. Alternatively, if they decide they DO know something about him, Bogor may have
twisted their memories of him using his Trickster magics.
Bogor is the most important narrator character in the game. The heroes should trust him such
that the twist in Scene 4 comes as a total surprise. Don’t waste that twist.
Enfrew Finehair
Enfrew is a noble of the Orlundi clan, an upright and important man not just in his clan, but
for the whole tribe. He is one of the most successful at dealing with the Lunars, and has
developed many important trade connections for the tribe through his contact at Fort Equinox,
General Gauis, and patrons in Wilmskirk.
Many see Enfrew as a traitor, treacherously selling out his heritage and traditions. The reality
is something more complex. Enfrew is a compassionate man who is honestly attracted by the
messages of harmony brought by Lunar missionaries. In Enfrew’s view the Lunars have won
the war of Middle Air, and the sooner everyone accepts that the sooner they can all get down
to the serious business of trading and making honest profits.
In play I used Enfrew as proud, straightforward man who frequently won the PCs admiration,
despite their prejudice, for his courage and sympathy. During the game, particularly in Scenes
2 through 4, he treats the Heroes with total compassion and good grace. It is obvious that their
minds are affected by magic, and Enfrew is too sensible to take affront.

If any of your players use the word ‘kinstrife’ during this game, or if you just want to mess
with their heads, have Enfrew greet one of them as his cousin when he arrives at the betrothal
feast in Scene 4.

Mother Nouche
Mother Nouche is a locally important Lunar Seven Mothers priestess. She has the spiritual
concerns of her flock, particularly Jela and Enfrew, at heart. However, she is also involved in
a running battle with General Gaius about the best means of pacifying the natives. She
follows a strategy based on winning hearts and minds, delivering charity and offering
compassion to those in need. General Gaius, on the other hand, strongly believes in the use of
force. Hence, after Enfrew’s murder Mother Nouche is impelled to cast magics that will delve
back into the perpetrators’ minds rather than allow Gaius’ ‘crucify the lot’ approach to
problem solving.
That she has accepted her invitation to this betrothal feast indicates the importance to the
occupiers of this alliance between Enfrew, a noted Lunar supporter, and the house of
Roganvarth.
General Gaius
Arrogant, undiplomatic, ignorant and dismissive of local customs, militarily unsophisticated,
but a dab hand at parades and organising regimental dinners, General Gaius represents the
worst aspects of the Lunar occupation. Shove him in the Heroes’ faces as a demonstration of
how wrong life under the tyrant emperors is.
Gaius has a successful business relationship with Enfrew. They both secretly despise each
other, but recognise the value of their alliance.

Notes on the Heroes

The heroes should be from the Firebull clan of the Sambari tribe. They are the comrades and /
or kin of Orjar Korlmhysson, a thane of their clan (allow them to choose their precise
relationships to Orjar as the game proceeds). Orjar is a powerful warrior, an agitator against
the Lunars and one of the hot-heads that Roganvarth is always having to deal with. Orjar is
not even particularly popular in his own clan for being a troublemaker.

5
The heroes cannot remember anything, their minds having been blasted with trickster magic.
Of course, they don’t know that this is why they cannot remember anything. Their long-term
memory is unaffected, but anything that has happened to them for the past several months has
gone. Bogor, of course, has not long been with the tribe, so they will not remember anything
about him.
What the Heroes know at the beginning of the game
1. Orjar Korlmhysson, your kinsman and comrade is dead
2. Enfrew Finehair killed him
3. Bogor is your friend
4. You don’t know how you know this, but you do. Everything else is a blur.

The Adventure, Scenes 1 through 6

Scene 1: There’s been a killing
“You stand outside the hall of the Sambari King. Your sword is bloodied. At your feet lies the
body of your enemy, Enfrew, a noble of the Sambari. Crowded around are several other
warriors, weaponthanes of the King, and several Lunar soldiers. All have their weapons
drawn.”

Bang: A beautiful young woman [Jela] bursts through their ranks and throws herself on the
body, weeping desperately.

Bang: King Roganvath stands forward – “we will accept no weregeld for Enfrew’s death.
This blood must be matched by blood.”

Bang: An important looking Lunar officer (General Gaius) pushes his way through the crowd
and starts threatening the heroes. “Imperial justice will see you crucified for this!”

End of Scene: A Lunar Priestess (Mother Nouche) swears to get to the bottom of events and
chants magic, casting it at the heroes.
“You feel as though you are falling backwards, back into the pool of your own memory.”

Scene 2: The time for revenge is now

“Bogor is speaking earnestly. “The king will never honour his duty to your petition. He is
sworn to Enfrew’s match with his daughter, and he cannot deny her anything. Furthermore, to
blame Enfrew is to blame the Empire, and that is too dangerous a game for Roganvarth. No-
one will mourn your kinsman Orjar, save those of us who shared his hatred of the Empire.
You must kill Enfrew now, whilst you have the opportunity. Kill him outside the hall when he
relieves himself.””

Bang: Bogor reminds them of the bloodied dagger they carry as evidence. It is Enfrew’s.
How they know this is unclear.

Bang: Confronting Enfrew (& his guard) the thane denies his guilt absolutely.

End of Scene: when the beginning of scene 1 is reached

Scene 3: King’s justice

“You stand in the King’s Hall, hearing the King’s judgement on your petition. Onlookers to
the King’s justice include a Lunar Priestess (Mother Nouche) and a General (General Gaius)
who look on haughtily, many nobles and assembled guests from the tribe, and Bogor, who
stands and shakes his head angrily. Enfrew and Jela stand together, holding hands. She looks
upset, he serious. The King is speaking: ‘I cannot bring justice to a case like this without the
proper evidence, the proper jurors, the proper process. As jurors your word cannot be deemed
adequate, for your minds are strongly affected by the assailants’ magic. I will call for an

6
investigation, our lawspeakers will invoke Lhankhor Mhy, our warleader will invoke Humakt,
godi will talk to the ancestors. In this way we will find Truth. Until then we will look after
you.’”

NOTE: players may try to argue further with the king, but he has followed the law as well as he
is able and his decision is pretty much final. They can argue and fret, but unless they come up
with something really amazing try to curb their enthusiasm for arguing to change his mind. Of
course, if they do convince Roganvarth to punish Enfrew, it makes explaining why Bogor
convinces them to kill Enfrew in the previous scene more interesting.

Bang: Heroes see Enfrew and General Gaius in conversation. Both laugh. General gives
Enfrew a pig (an ingot) of silver.

Bang: Jela is seen deep in conversation with Priestess Nouche. Trying to understand
something about 7-Mother’s philosophy. She seems happy when she grasps it and gains praise
from the priestess.

Bang: One of the heroes realises he is carrying a bloodied dagger which belongs to Enfrew.
He doesn’t know how he knows that. Bogor says ‘yes, you told that to the King but he said it
proved nothing when Enfrew said he had lost it yesterday’.

End of Scene: whenever action / ideas flag have them escorted to the boothie.

Scene 4: The trick of the thing

“You stand on a muddy track not far from Roundstone. Evening is falling and you can see the
King’s Hall silhouetted against the sky. Bogor approaches the heroes and hands them a
bloodied dagger. ‘As you asked I have brought you the weapon of the traitor Enfrew who
slew your kinsman and blasted your minds. I will make magic to help you remember this.
Remember to plead your case to the King when you arrive. I will go on ahead.’”

Bang: Guests and Lunar potentates are arriving and being welcomed by the King. The heroes
are introduced (greeting). [This is where they should demand their case to be heard!]. King
greets the news solemnly and says that their case will be heard as it is urgent.

Bang: Heroes see Jela and Bogor having an argument. Jela is insisting that Bogor leaves her
alone, saying ‘I will never love you’. For a moment Bogor’s eyes become incandescent with
fury and rage.

Bang: Enfrew arrives to his betrothal feast. He greets one of the PCs with the words, “hello
beloved cousin”. (This is especially for those players who have at some earlier point brought
up the issue of kinstrife. Choose the PC carefully – ideally it will be one who was actively
involved in the killing rather than just an onlooker.)

End of Scene: Heroes invited by the king to make their accusation. His court assembles. The
king summons Bogor with the words “Trickster!”

This is the big twist and the implication will be clear to your players if they have played in
Glorantha before. If not, then this might be the place to tell them a story that explains something of
the Trickster’s nature. Better to do this between Scenes 4 and 5 rather than before the game begins,
as that would be a bit of a giveaway.
The Trickster, commonly known amongst Sartarites as Eurmal, is an important figure in Gloranthan
stories. Explain him as being akin to Loki the Norse God of Mischief. A description of The
Trickster can be found at http://www.glorantha.com/library/religions/cult-trickster.html

7
Scene 5: Murder
“You stand in your stead, feeling bewildered. Orjar lies dead on the floor, and Bogor stands
over him, laughing. In one hand Bogor holds a strange talisman which is pointed at your head,
in the other is bloodied dagger. He says, ‘I shit on you and your kin. I am the bondsman of
King Rovangarth, so if you want your justice you’ll have to take it from him!’”

NOTE: obviously the key thing here is describing how the heroes DON’T capture, kill or punish
Enfrew. If they do, perhaps he uses trickster magic to pull himself apart or regenerate from
damage. Make something up.

End of Scene: With Bogor escaping, and the heroes making their way out of the stead to
follow the miscreant to King Roganvarth’s Hall to seek justice.

Scene 6: Denouement
(Back outside the King’s Hall, where we started.)
“You fall forwards, lurching through time and memory. You stand outside the hall of the
Sambari King. Your sword is bloodied. At your feet lies the body of your enemy, Enfrew, a
noble of the Sambari. Crowded around are several other warriors, weaponthanes of the King,
and several Lunar soldiers. All have their weapons drawn. Jela weeps over Enfrew’s corpse.
General Gaius blusters. King Roganvarth looks ashen. The glow of magic wrought surrounds
Mother Nouche, and as she withdraws her arms it is clear that all you know, she knows, and
all that she knows, all others will know soon enough.”

It is difficult to say what will happen at this point, given that by now you’re adventure will
probably be markedly different from those I have run. Rather than offering Bangs I’ll instead
suggest a few issues that will need to be resolved.

1. How do the heroes deal with their responsibility for the murder of Enfrew, a man innocent
of Orjar’s killing? There are several possible avenues to this, made more complicated if one
of the killers was Enfrew’s kin. In one playtest a character ate dirt (a ritual way of warding off
the evil associated with kinstrife). In another, one character took upon himself the guilt and
charged King Roganvath’s men to slay him, a fittingly tragic end. Heortling law demands
compensation in blood or goods for a killing, and whilst Enfrew was a nobleman the player
heroes are poor. It is likely that blood must be spilled to satisfy the King’s justice.

2. How does the killing affect Roganvath’s relationship with the Lunars, and with the Firebull
and Orlundi clans? This is perhaps less immediately important to the player heroes, but is an
indicator of how well Bogor has managed to betray his master.

3. How does Roganvath compensate the player heroes for the actions of Bogor, his
bondsman? Bogor will almost certainly be driven off and killed, the bondsman’s oath
revoked, but Roganvath is still responsible for his actions until that point. Thus, although
Bogor did the killing, legally it is as though Roganvath himself murdered Orjar.

Apart from these points, there are sure to be extra issues arising from the actions of the
players.

8
Advice on Play
There are two main issues to be confronted in running this scenario. The first is the
backwards-moving structure of the story, which will at first be confusing for your players.
The second is the control Snowball hands to the players in narrating the outcomes of events,
which can potentially be confusing for everyone.
The game starts in media res, and it is likely that you players will want more information
before deciding what actions to take. My advice is not to give it to them, but instead say ‘you
can’t remember, you don’t know.’ Remember, their memories are scrambled by trickster
magic. Be prepared to lead the players through Scene 1 to a great extent, introducing bang
after bang until you reach the end of the scene. Encourage them to initiate their own ideas, but
don’t be surprised if they don’t. In my games Scene 1 generally lasted about ten minutes.
In my experience this game is most fun if the players don’t know beforehand that the story
moves backwards, and they find out when the game moves to Scene 2. At this point they start
being more creative in their actions, but as Scene 2 is quite short there is not a problem if they
are still being reserved. Again, Scene 2 lasted me about fifteen minutes.
Players get the most out of Scenes 3 and 4, when they have become used to the way in which
the story unfolds, and the knack of setting up links to things that have happened earlier. These
scenes can take as long as you like – I found that between forty minutes and an hour per scene
was about right. (Obviously I’m not suggesting that you restrict the game to these times, just
offering a guideline on what you might expect. The last two scenes are of middling length,
probably fifteen to twenty minutes each.)
The upshot of this is, expect the game to start with the players a little confused. So frame the
opening shots of each scene hard to give them something definite to go with. As the game
goes on they will relax and be more creative. When the action flags, throw another bang at
them or introduce another idea.
The second issue is that of player control over narrating outcomes. Feel free to offer guidance
to the player, particularly if they suggest something you know not to be the case. However,
don’t fall into the trap of vetoing something that might be the case, but you haven’t thought of
or prepared for. The question to ask yourself is, ‘has this already happened?’ For example, in
Scene 3 we already know that Enfrew is dead at the end of Scene 2 and beginning of Scene 1.
If a player decides to kill him in Scene 3, suggest that the best possible outcome be limited to
a wound, or that the hero is pulled off by onlookers but accorded the status of victor. This is
necessary in order to maintain the coherence of the game. Otherwise allow them to play with
a free rein – who knows what they’ll come up with?
Having said all of this, Rough Night in Roundstone is the most linear adventure I have ever
written. The fact that it runs linearly backwards is smoke and mirrors. Before running the
game read it through in both directions, and you’ll see what I mean.

9
Suggested PCs
Levru Siggurdsson
Dressed As: Warrior
Emotion: Revenge!
Trait: Trust Bogor +3
Karendri Korlmhysson
Dressed As: Lawspeaker
Emotion: Grief
Trait: Argue Forcefully +3
Kalf Korlmhysson
Dressed As: Cottar
Emotion: Rage!
Trait: Prophetic Hallucinations +3
Kallyr Korlmhysdotter
Dressed As: Warrior
Emotion: Justice!
Trait: Spot Conspiracy +3
Enestaka Jareenasdotter
Dressed As: Carl
Emotion: Satisfaction
Trait: Hate Lunars +3
Rastorlanth Yerestisson
Dressed As: Hunter
Emotion: Happiness
Trait: Hate Enfrew +3

10