Kol Noth: The Quiet Year of Turris, pt 2
A Solo Playthrough of The Quiet Year, Autumn to Winter
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Last time, I played through the seasons Spring and Summer of The Quiet Year, using the coastal settlement on the northern continent, Turris.
Here is the map, as of now.
Lots going on! We’ve got ancient ruins in the west, a frozen tundra to the north with a strange black cloud on the horizon, a deep forest filled with dark beasts, magical people called Druis who use their connection to the land and nature to perform magic to aid the community, a legend of a dark sorcerer and their tomb to the north of a lake, boats heading out to encourage Trade connections, Rengen who hunt, explore, and protect the town…etc.
We’re halfway through the quiet year before “The Frost Shepherds come”, an ancient prophecy that nobody living knows much about.
Let’s play to find out what happens.
Turn 18 → Queen of Clubs
With the cold comes a disease that affects many. The community spends the week on quarantine and treatment, keeping the damage to a minimum.
No projects are advanced this week.
Discover Something New
Ironsworn Action + Theme Oracle: “Initiate Wealth”
Gold is discovered in the mountains to the north.
Turn 19 → 6 of Clubs
A dark mystery spreads throughout the community, rumors that the ‘Frost Shepherds’ in the prophecy are a result from the dark sorcerer of ancient times and the dark rituals he performed, that these Frost Shepherds will bring about a new Ice Age or even an arctic apocalypse that will spread across the entirety of Kol Noth itself.
Projects advance: Farms Finish
Is it successful? 2d6 = 7 → Yes
The community completes the farms outside the community, with crops that will produce throughout the autumn season until the first frost.
Start a Project: Mine the Gold in the Northern Mountains (6)
The community decides the gold in the mountains is worth mining, providing wealth and valuable trade that other communities will want. It is a daunting task, considering the dangerous beasts and the distance.
Turn 20 → 9 of Clubs
The community, seeing the importance of the gold find, works constantly and finishes the project early. Gold begins to trickle into the community. Following their beliefs, it is distributed among the members.
Projects Advance
Hold a Discussion
“I put so much work into getting this gold, I don’t see why it should go to someone else!”
“That has always been our belief, those with more give to those without, to help everyone. This shouldn’t change just because we have more wealth.”
“Those who worked at it should get more, that’s all. Why am I giving my gold to those who didn’t work for it?”
“But those, like you, who worked for it were provided food, shelter, and everything else this community provides throughout your life, why should you not give back to the community that has provided for you?”
Turn 21 → Jack of Clubs
The expedition to the ruined city returns early, having found a trove of artifacts, weapons and armor. Tessa returns with them, but seems different, her personality changed, a tad darker, more serious, and often quiet.
Projects Advance. Trade completes
2d6 + 2 = 11
Ships return with good news. Other communities are interested in trade. With the newly acquired gold, as well as artifacts from the ruined city, Turris is quickly becoming a booming trade destination.
Start a Project: Train Community Guards (4)
With the newly acquired arms and armor, along with the vulnerable farms and mines, the community decides it needs a force of community guards that can protect the community and the areas around it from the dangerous beasts that roam.
Turn 22 → King of Clubs
A disaster strikes, a huge storm, that destroys the docks and many of the ships. The community focuses on protecting the people and as a result, no lives are lost. Unfortunately, this leads to losing trade ships and the training of Guards fails.
Lose Trade: Abundance
Fail project: Train Community Guards
Projects Advance: No projects
Start a Project: Rebuild boats (3)
The community decides the most important thing to focus on is rebuilding boats in order to get trade going again.
Turn 23 → 7 of Clubs
During the storm, medical supplies were lost and washed away.
Add a scarcity: Health
Advance projects
Start a Project: Druis use their magic to address the community’s health needs (2)
The Druis attempt to use their magic to help those who are injured or sick.
Turn 24 → Ace of Autumn
The community becomes intensely focused on rebuilding boats, to make them bigger and better. They decide to take more time to make boats that can store more goods, travel farther across the ocean, and better handle weather and conditions.
Add 3 weeks to Project Build Boats (5)
Advance Projects
Start New Project: Train Fighters (4)
The community returns to training members to be soldiers, guards and fighters for protection.
Turn 25 → 3 of Clubs
Tessa gathers the community together and speaks of an urgent danger coming. She speaks of an ancient evil in the ruined city that was disturbed by the expedition and that forces of evil will soon cross the mountains. The community leaps into action, sending a group to block the mountain path and stop any who might come through.
Start a Project: Block the Mountain Path (3)
Projects Advance. Druis health project completes
2d6 + 2 = 11 → Success
The Druis are able to use their magic to heal those in need, some becoming experts in healing magic.
Health is no longer a scarcity.
Discover Something New
A cave is discovered in the northern mountains, it’s depths unknown.
Turn 26 → 10 of Clubs
The dangerous beasts, huge, black with red eyes, are seen no longer in the area, as cold autumn winds blow. They are gone, though their less deadly animal counterparts remain.
Projects Advance
Start a Project: Explore the Cave (3)
Some members of the community insist on exploring the newly-discovered cave, perhaps hoping to find more gold or other treasures inside.
The cold autumn winds hold a frosty chill.
Autumn is over. Winter has arrived.
The current map. Winter begins. Let’s continue!
Turn 27 → 8 of Spades
The air is cold and bitter. The wind is biting and harsh. Members of the community become angry. The week is spent calming irritations before they become worse, and nothing else gets done.
Turn 28 → 4 of Spades
All the farm animals and children are crying and will not stop. A discussion is held.
“What is happening? Why are our animals and children crying?”
“This is an ill omen. Something dark is coming. From the ruined city, from the tomb, from the frozen north or from the deep forest? Who can say?”
“It’s cold, that’s all. We should have more fires, burn more wood, keep everyone warm.”
“Shut them up, they’re making it damn hard to sleep, I’ll say that.”
“There’s nothing to be done. Let them cry. They’ll get over it.”
Projects advance.
Discover Something New
Near the tomb, the remnants of a settlement are found, along with a great many human skulls…
Turn 29 → 6 of Spades
On the edge of the map, near the northernmost mountains and the frozen north, a forest of crystalline pillars are found. They are made of an unknown substance and have no discernible purpose. A group is curious and goes to explore it.
Start a Project: Explore Crystalline Pillars (4)
Projects Advance. Rebuild boats, Train fighters, and block the mountain pass all complete.
The boats are complete and impressive. Huge vessels, capable of traveling farther across the ocean than ever before, as well as bringing loads more goods for trade. Turris becomes a trading destination once more, and is known all over Kol Noth for it’s unique and impressive boats.
Fighters are trained and begin patrolling the land around the community to keep it safe. Considering the more dangerous beasts have gone, it is a much simpler task.
The mountain pass is blocked through a feat of engineering and craftsmanship. Tessa claims she is not sure it will be enough, however, should the ancient evil of the city come.
Start a Project: Learn about the ancient settlement (3)
A group of community members wish to travel to the ruins of the ancient settlement near the tomb, hoping to learn more about the dark sorcerer, his worshipers and perhaps the prophecy of the Frost Shepherds.
Turn 30 → 9 of Spades
Tessa goes missing and is never heard from again.
Projects Advance. Explore caves completes.
2d6 = 7
The cave is found to go deep, deep into the mountains. Some gold and other deposits were found but the extent of the caverns is too much to have fully explored in the time they had.
Start a Project: Fully develop Trade (2)
The community, with the new ships, uses their accumulated gold, artifacts, and other wares to build and strengthen trading alliances with other communities.
Turn 31 → King of Spades
The Frost Shepherds arrive. The game is over.
Something comes. Brutal, terrifying, devastating all in its path. Capable members of the community fight as best they can but are overwhelmed.
Survivors flee on the ships, far, far away, to a different land. A new ice age comes to the northern continent of Zuid and it becomes nearly inhospitable to human life.
Still, the legends of vast wealth, magical mysteries and ancient treasures lure some explorers and adventurers from time to time…
The survivors of Turris become a sailing, nomadic community, stopping only on land to get or trade for what they need before moving on. They tell tales of their former home, and of the darkness that drove them out.
What were the Frost Shepherds? Did they come from the dark cloud to the far north? Emerge from the ancient tomb? Or rise from the ancient ruins of Manu to the West?
I’ll leave it a mystery, even to myself, for now.
The Quiet Year is such a fun game to play, solo or with others. It can be tricky to come up with new things every turn or decide what happens every time a Project finishes, but you can always turn to a trusty oracle to prompt new ideas. It does require alot of creative energy but it does generate a very satisfying map and society as you go.
I really wanted to showcase a community that shared and although it wasn’t heavily focused on, I think it worked pretty well. I’m happy with the outcome.
What’s next?
That’s up to you, the readers! Check out the options here:
If you’re a Paid Subscriber, you can vote on what game I play next, otherwise you can drop your opinion in the comments. The Deep Forest is in the lead at the moment.
I may take a break next week, and/or post something outside of this current World Building campaign, just for a break.
As always, thanks for reading. Let me know what you think of The Quiet Year and what happened to Turris in the comments.
I really enjoyed this, thank you. You’ve got skills, I was truly into this experience.