Fate: Dark and Stormy report #2

This is my second post about the roleplaying adventure I'm currently running, entitled "A Dark and Stormy Knight". Today was our second session of actual play. Prior to last week's session, we had our introductory session, which is a big part of the Fate system. During this first session, players share their character background in phases. If they want to, they can tie their stories together, and everyone at the table can give feedback during this process.

Before I go further, let me introduce you to the PCs involved in this adventure.

Leo Dravidha: a short, above-middle-aged Lufan (similar to gnomes or halflings) man who is a master of engineering, burglary, and thrown weapons. Played by a friend I will hereafter call "J".

Rwake: a 6-foot jungle-dweller from the northwestern Pandandang savanna region. A master of physical acrobatics and a deadly assassin. Played by a friend I will hereafter call "Llama".

Elros Celebrindal: a dashing ex-noble who travels around helping those in need. An expert swordsman, able to fit in with nobles and commoners alike. Played by a friend I will hereafter call "AC".

Last session, the PCs had dealt swiftly with some large rats who had been scared from their nets by a lightning blast outside the tor. Today, they chose to examine the doorway on the east side of the room. Torches in hand, they walked cautiously through the dark passage, finding a small, dusty room at the end. In the center of this room was a stone chest. From the look of it, the locking mechanism was already disconnected, hanging loosely.

They were immediately cautious, as any adventurer should be. Rwake carefully approached and prodded the chest with his 6-foot staff, seeing if he could move the chest. The heavy chest seemed to be sealed to the floor. Mechanically minded Leo stepped up and examined the locking mechanism, discovering a small hole behind it. Within the hole he could make out a set of gimmicks that appeared ready to spring, as some kind of trigger. Pulling our a couple custom lockpicking gadgets, he set to disabling the device. The difficulty I had set was Fair (+2), and his modified Burglary roll came out Fantastic (+6), giving him 4 shifts. He used his extra shifts (Overflow) to colorfully describe his actions as he placed his gadgets and carefully worked at the gimmicks, jamming the components without flipping the trigger.

Next, he lifted the heavy stone lid, safely opening the chest. Now that he had a better view of the apparent trap mechanism, he couldn't help but immediately set to studying it. Meanwhile, the other party members examined the contents of the chest: 2 pearls, 2 bags filled with copper pieces, and a Headband of the Stout Heart, which gives the wearer a +1 bonus on certain Resolve rolls. Leo, uninterested in the treasure, continued studying the room, trying to discover the trap they had avoided. Careful investigation revealed a circle of tiny holes in the ceiling surrounding the area of the chest below - perhaps a dart trap.

With loot stashed away, they wandered back to the room where they had entered and headed down the north passage - a long hallway leading to another room containing some old moldering tables. From the ceiling, there dangled a rope, leading up into a shaft. Rain was dripping down through the shaft and leaving the room through a grate in the floor. Just then, from the opposite side of the room, there entered some noggit raiders (noggits are big beastly humanoids). Everyone threw down their torches as the noggits charged. Rwake and Elros jumped onto tables, Rwake drawing his knife, and Elros grabbing the rope, ready to swing. One noggit attempted to put out the torches with a bucket of water, but made a Terrible (-2) attempt, only putting out 1 of the torches. The other stabbed at Rwake, which the tribesman easily avoided, rolling well enough to gain Overflow, allowing him to give a +1 to Leo's action, which is where we'll begin our next session.

(I'm sorry for my long-windedness. I'm hoping to find a way to keep important details while writing shorter session reports. Bear with me.)