Polaris: Chivalric Tragedy at the Utmost North

Long ago, the people were dying at the end of the world . . .

Polaris: Chivalric Tragedy at the Utmost North (published in 2005 by Ben Lehman) is a game about a mythic civilization on the brink of ruin. The protagonists are knights living in an insular and decadent frozen land. After eons of blissful, timeless peace, they are now battling demonic Mistakens, the encroachment of Dawn, and marauders from the thawed Southern lands. But most of all, they are battling their own tendencies towards self-betrayal, cynicism, and weariness.

And so it was . . .

The game relies upon ritualized key phrases to resolve conflicts and to propel the action forward. Players take on the roles of different “guides” for the protagonists of the tale. In this series, we will be following the lives of 2-4 of these core characters.

And furthermore . . . we will be discovering the enemies and allies that populate the protagonists’ cosmos.

But only if . . .

Each session will be three hours, with much of our first session devoted to creating characters, relationships, and the star-bedazzled world. Attendance at all sessions is encouraged, but not required. You must RSVP to each session you wish to attend. Rules will be taught, and we will learn and laugh and grieve and console together. Sessions will be recorded with the permission of all participants.

We shall see what comes of it . . .

We will have a pregame discussion of lines and veils as well as employ the X-card during sessions. We will observe the Gauntlet Code of Conduct.

Content warnings: Polaris takes the heroic fantasy genre and gives it a deliberately tragic spin. The creator has written this about the game: “In Polaris, your knight will betray his people and die forgotten and alone. If you don’t like losing you won’t like Polaris. Polaris is powerful. In Polaris, you will wield the greatest powers of the cosmos against the greatest powers of hell. If you don’t like powerful protagonists, you won’t like Polaris. Polaris is deadly. If you don’t like games where a favorite character can be killed with a dependent clause and the flick of a sword, don’t play Polaris.”

But all that happened long ago, and now there are none who remember it. . .

Session 1: 2021-01-02T15:00:00Z → 2021-01-02T18:00:00Z
Session 2: 2021-01-09T15:00:00Z → 2021-01-09T18:00:00Z
Session 3: 2021-01-16T15:00:00Z → 2021-01-16T18:00:00Z
Session 4: 2021-01-23T15:00:00Z → 2021-01-23T18:00:00Z
Session 5: 2021-01-30T15:00:00Z → 2021-01-30T18:00:00Z

7 Likes

Polaris: Chivalric Tragedy at the Utmost North (session 1/5)
While the hell hole known as the Mistake continues to spawn demons, the mysterious leader known only as the Prince of the South has entered the scene. Acamar is in a relationship with the Prince’s betrothed, while Alshain is secretly in love with the Prince himself. Meanwhile, Andromeda and the members of her sect hold the Prince as another agent of an ancient prophecy, and Heka wages her eternal war with a lover-turned-demon named Ursa . . .
with Steven S, Brandon, and Kieron.

1 Like

Hello, Ben Lehman is now P H Lee.
Thank you so much for sharing the session !

1 Like

Session 2 of Polaris: Chivalric Tragedy in the Utmost North with Brandon, Kieron, and me. Acamar’s beloved is killed in an escape-attempt gone terribly wrong. Andromeda has heeded the words of a corrupting demon and is going after the leader of her order. And Heka weighs her emotional attachment to a poisoned patriarch versus her new bond with Andromeda.

1 Like

Polaris: Chivalric Tragedy at the Utmost North (Session 3)

Tragic doom tightens its grip on our knights, and the Prince of the South seems to be the key to their unfolding destiny. Andromeda has chosen to betray the leader of her order; Acamar finds his lover’s corpse in a rescue attempt gone bad; and Heka discovers that her demon-groom has adopted a more insidious attack aimed at those she loves.

1 Like