📄 How Sessions Work in Aetendal

What to Expect at the Table

Not every session in Aetendal is built the same way. Some stories are meant to test characters. Others are meant to change the world.

Before each session, you’ll always know which type you’re playing.

🎲 One-Shots — Gritty Play

One-shots are contained stories. They are sharper, riskier, and less forgiving.

What this means for you:

• Your character is capable — but not protected

• Retreat, failure, or loss are valid outcomes

• Injuries, mistakes, and consequences can be permanent

• Planning, caution, and resource use matter

• Survival is an achievement, not a guarantee

Tone:

Tense, grounded, and personal.

Victories may be partial. Loss may linger.

These sessions explore the world’s edges, hidden history, and dangerous places.

🌍 Main Campaign — Heroic Play

Campaign sessions follow characters who matter to the world.

What this means for you:

• Your character is expected to endure — though not without cost

• Rules may bend when it creates a great moment or story

• Success changes factions, cities, and history

• Failure creates new problems instead of dead ends

• Death is possible, but never casual or meaningless

Tone: Cinematic, momentum-driven, and myth-shaping. Your choices echo forward.

These sessions are about legacy, consequence, and impact.

⚖️ What Never Changes

No matter the session type:

• Choices matter

• The world responds honestly

• Clever play is rewarded

• Consequences follow actions

• You are never punished for engaging in good faith

🧭 The Simple Version

If you only remember one thing:

• One-Shots: “Will my character make it through this?”

• Main Campaign: “What will the world look like after this?”

If you’re ever unsure which mode we’re in — ask. Clarity beats surprise every time.