Thirsty Sword Lesbians
Two people fighting, or maybe flirting?

Thirsty Sword Lesbians SRD

Gal Paladins

Pitch: You are a team of sword lesbians sworn to the goddess Galladia. As Gal Paladins, your holy duty is to protect the love and well-being of all those of marginalized genders.

Hook: You’re in a tavern when a priestess of the goddess Repressia bursts in, crying out for heroes. Some new goddess (calling herself Vanilla) has taken over her temple and her entire town, Muddy River. You might not see eye to eye with the priestess of the Order of Repressia, but a new goddess in the realm certainly bears investigation.

Setup Questions

GM: After your players select their playbooks, ask the following questions. If the listed playbooks aren’t in play, ask the question of someone else. Everyone should answer at least one question. If more than one named playbook is in play, they can each answer from their point of view or agree on an answer.

  • Anyone: What tenet of the Galladian faith do you find most difficult to follow?
  • Infamous, Scoundrel, or Trickster: Why did you swear you would never return to Muddy River?
  • Chosen, Devoted, or Seeker: Why is the regard of the Order of Repressia important to you personally?
  • Beast, Nature Witch, or Spooky Witch: What is the only natural predator of the giant mud oysters that live in Muddy River and why is it so dangerous?
  • Anyone: What rumor have you heard about why the people of Muddy River favor Repressia over Galladia? Did something specific happen? How long ago? How confident are you in the truth of this rumor?

GM Section: Contains Spoilers

What's Really Going On? One Possibility

The goddess Vanilla is actually a con artist (possibly known to the Trickster under a different guise). She pretends to bless the mud so the town can sell it as a beauty product, but she’s really after the pearls in the riverside’s mud oysters. When the villagers bring her enough of these, she’ll bail and move on to her next scheme. How does she convince them she’s a goddess? Pure force of personality? Does she have a “monstrous” nature that might appeal to a Spooky Witch? A magical item related to the Chosen’s Destiny or the Infamous’s past?

Scene Ideas

Chaos on the Approach to Muddy River: The natural predators of the mud oysters are on a rampage because of villagers impinging on their territory to nab the oysters. This is a good opportunity to rescue some villagers who might be helpful or intriguing later on. For instance, a newly minted acolyte who is putting herself at extreme risk to wrestle an oyster away from a dangerous beast. Some down beats might lead to villagers getting emotional sway over the PCs or PCs taking Conditions. Several down beats might mean that Vanilla arrives and the beasts miraculously relent. Does she have some sway over them?

Audience with the Goddess: This was once a temple of Repressia, but now curtains of vibrant color adorn the beige walls.

“For too long, the people of this land have been forced to choose between extremes: the joyless Repressia and the flagrant Galladia. I have descended from my Cloud Garden to show the people a new way. A way of simple joys.”

Vanilla is in her element, with her worshippers all around her. Anyone attempting to use moves directly targeting her probably has to Defy Disaster to avoid being awed by her instead, or tossed out by her congregation.

It’s possible that a very effective group of PCs can expose Vanilla immediately. In that case, the adventure can revolve around protecting the town from the Repressian backlash (see Further Adventures, below).

More likely, the PCs get some clues that all is not as it seems and discover that they need to get villagers on their side or find some hard evidence before confronting Vanilla.

Champion of Repressia: If the action lags, the PCs are unsure how to continue, or a down beat gives you the chance to complicate matters, then Dame Chastity, Knight of Repressia, arrives to rescue the people of Muddy River from sin. Her arrival reminds the PCs that this situation isn’t just about Vanilla, but about the future of Muddy River.

Vanilla’s acolytes will shield her from Chastity, and a tense standoff ensues. Will the PCs pick sides? Play both sides? Seduce everyone?

Some consequences to think about when posing hard choices and making GM moves:

  • Innocent acolytes get hurt by Chastity “for their own good”
  • The actions of the PCs cause the villagers to favor Vanilla or Repressia
  • Vanilla tries to escape with a treasure chest full of pearls
  • Vanilla has sabotaged the bridge to cover her escape; mudbeasts prowl below

Traditional Repressian Names

  • Abstinence
  • Denial
  • Faith
  • Modesty
  • Prudence
  • Purity
  • Temperance
  • Wisdom

Further Adventures

  • The real goddess Vanilla sends her missionaries after the con artist, who turns to the PCs for aid.
  • The Repressians capture someone important to the PCs as bait to ensnare them.
  • Tempted by the pearls, the village chases off the mudbeasts for good. What greater danger were the mudbeasts keeping at bay?