Public — In The Dragonewt City 2

????, Fire Season, Season/Disorder Week

Context

Fire Season/Disorder Week/Water or Clay Day/Still in the place no man should be. [[[s02:session-41|Session 41]]]

Events

After the previous log dventurers were give a tour in the city by a group of Dragonewts

A ball game in which all of the players are crested dragonewts, absolutely silent.
A ball game in which the ball is still at the centre of a dance.
A ball game in which there is no ball that can be seen.
A set of painted carvings of the same dragonewt over and over again, in different colours, but the same position.
A skull rack, but instead of skulls it is filled with what seems to be stones with holes drilled in them.
A room where everything is carved as if one of the walls is the ceiling.
A room where the floor is, literally, lava.
A mummified dragonewt that sits in meditation. It has dust on it, and is obviously dead. There is a fresh meal out for it, which has been picked at.
A room full of pillars. The guiding dragonewt looks expectant.
A corridor carved with every Rune, including several that nobody knows.
A corridor carved with no Runes, and nothing. But it seems oddly busy, and peripheral vision fills in suggestions.

An open air square which has a model version of the city/surrounding area. Looking closely the characters can see the model square,with model characters looking at their model which has model characters of their own…

A glowing line of runes on a wall with the left most changing extremely rapidly, and then increasingly slowly as you go right

Berra is open-eyed and amazed at everything, staring, blurting out questions, and even poking things. Carvings, skull-rocks, walls… not the lava.

Then she pokes her own tiny image, and gets knocked over from behind by something massive and invisible, or at least, it seems so. She lands badly, on her unarmoured left arm, with a clear cracking sound, and yelps somewhat.

The dragonewts in attendance babble incomprehensibly to each other.

Varanis storms into the square. Her hair is frizzy, almost crackling and her cheeks are flushed with pent up fury. There’s an strange perfume mixed with the more familiar scent of damp padding that’s been worn for too many days running. Her freshly polished armour gleams.(mu

Berra, still on the ground, is flexing her left hand, after having healed it at least partway. She gives Varanis a cheery wave as she gets up. Right-handed.

When Berra dropped down Xenofos was about to draw his sword, but refrained. He eyes the dragonewts suspiciously and jerks to look at Varanis when Berra waves at her.

“What happened to you?” Varanis snaps at the Humakti.

“I’m going to say you shouldn’t poke the little person there.” Berra points to the model characters. “Look, they look like us! Has the Berra one fallen over?”

Yes, yes it has.
So has the littler Berra model that the little Berra was looking at

The Vingan stalks over to see what Berra is pointing at.

“Really, don’t poke them.” Berra rolls out her shoulders and goes to look at the model. “I did, and I guess I knocked me over!”¹((Scan at 002! V is looking over the various Berras. Does the biggest Berra show visible evidence of injury? I’m figuring V arrived just late enough to the incident that she wouldn’t realise there was injury and wouldn’t think to apply first aid.))(( Berra’s still careful about her left hand. ))

Xenofos eyes Varanis carefully. He looks tense but seems to be relaxing slightly. He is still looking at Dragonewts like he is expecting trouble.

Some of the rage leaves Varanis’ eyes, replaced by concern as she studies Berra. “You’re injured.”

Berra puts her right hand on her left, and concentrates, and says words that make her skin shimmer, bruise-like, over her wrist. As the skin fades to yellow she says, “Yes. I landed badly. I didn’t want to take it on the right and I took it WAY too much on the left.” She holds her hand up and wiggles the fingers to demonstrate she is better now.

Berra, of course, wears no armour on her left arm.

“What is this?” Varanis turns her attention to the model. She peers intently, but forewarned by Berra, doesn’t touch.

“Us!” Berra almost hops from foot to foot. “Also, we should see if we can see Fazzur here.” She falls to silence, her eyes sweeping the model city.

“And my sister.” Varanis glares at the model. “Oh, and Rajar too. I need my woad.”

“I have woad,” Berra says. “Blue Tree stuff.” She peers more than glares. “Why do you smell of flowers?”
” Indeed, we do need to see Mirava – you have not met her yet?” Xenofos replies.

“Is it flowers?” Varanis’ nose wrinkles. “I couldn’t quite place it. It’s the oils they gave me for the armour and to clean myself. The scents mix oddly. And Rajar has Doqeia, which means he has my clean clothes. And they offered me a Lunar tunic and that cloth the Lunars wind about themselves!” As quick as that, her fury returns.

“Fuck that,” Berra says peaceably. “I think that might be the road here? It smells of flowers, I’m pretty sure. But I don’t know which kind. Wanna see if we have some fish oil left, or is that rude?”² failure to recognize the herb and ooc discussion on merits of fish oil, bison fat and weird stuff smelling of flowers

“Did the servants speak Tradetalk or New Pelorian to you?” Scribe asks.
“Or were they Esrolians?”

“They were Dragonewts and didn’t speak to me at all. Gestures here and there, but that was it.” She glares down at the model. “I was there, I think.” A finger jabs at a building, but stops short of touching it. “I haven’t spoken to Mirava yet. What little I saw of her suggests she is healthy and not being bound or drugged. It doesn’t necessarily mean she’s here of her own volition though.”

“I see a couple of squads maybe?” Berra points to some tiny model horses. “Not many, but too many.” She turns to the nearest dragonewt. “What would happen if the model person was bigger than the person watching?”

Xenofos nods at Varanis’ answer.

The Newt considers. “Model person.”

Berra considers that too. “Is there a model person? Are we all the same as in the model?” Struck by something, she inspects her finger, as if for an imprint of a tiny Berra.

There is a tilting of head. “Person model.”

“Yeah…” Berra smiles at the dragonewt. Reaches forward tentatively with her index finger to touch it on the … beak? nose? Front of face.

Its tongue flicks out. Tastes.

Berra pauses, then reaches to touch it, with surprising gravity.

It reaches out a finger towards her beak. Nose. Front of face.

Berra waits, watching the hand. Then she opens her mouth to snuff the air, not having a tongue that does the flicking thing properly.

It sticks its finger in, so you can.

Berra looks surprised, but after a moment tastes the skin.

Varanis watches in silent disbelief.
Then she looks at Xenofos.

After this, the Newt retrieves his finger and extends a finger to Varanis, expectantly

Berra asks, “What’s the smell in the oil on her skin and armour?”

“Vision plant.” The answer is via a little Newt, passing on the growl of the larger one

Berra looks at the little one, and the big one, and says, “Alright. Now I’m really glad I didn’t lick it,” like thinking of doing that was entirely natural.

Xenofos looks pale and his left thumb taps at the guard of his rapier.

“Xenofos, come help me look for Mirava.” His cousin demands his attention, possibly trying to distract him, or possibly oblivious to his distress.

“And maybe take a bath?” Berra suggests. She asks the Dragonewt, “What vision plant? Will the visions come?”

Xenofos twitches and nods “Yes, it is imperative we see her and get to talk with her. Preferably with Humakt letting Berra confirm that what she says is Truth and not something she is forced to say.”

“I need to deal with my woad before I see Mirava.” She hesitates before adding, “There are reasons.”

It says a name. Presumably of a plant. in Old Wyrmish. “Armour may have visions, yes.”

“Oooh.” Berra thinks about that briefly. “And the person? I had a vision of how Death was. He’s doing fine.”

A little dip and bob

Berra looks to the smaller newt for translation, or possibly for the same dip and bob.
Yep. Same

Berra looks to Varanis then. “My woad’s in my pack. Xenofos knows where.” Apparently she’s going to be touring more of Dragonville.

Xenofos looks at Berra, then at Varanis then at Berra again and nods.”Right. Don’t… No… Please try not to take unnecessary risks. Varanis may need your sword yet, before we are out of here.”

Turning to Varanis again he nods towards the weird archway leading to their lodgings.

“I look forward to hearing what you learn,” Varanis tells Berra in parting.
She nods at her cousin. “Let’s go.”

====
A tour of city is made, a strange model encountered and Varanis rejoins the others.

• 1
  ((Scan at 002! V is looking over the various Berras. Does the biggest Berra show visible evidence of injury? I’m figuring V arrived just late enough to the incident that she wouldn’t realise there was injury and wouldn’t think to apply first aid.))(( Berra’s still careful about her left hand. ))
• 2
  failure to recognize the herb and ooc discussion on merits of fish oil, bison fat and weird stuff smelling of flowers