Session S5.W-19 (Wilmskirk)

1629, Fire Season, Truth Week, Windsday

Dramatis Personae

Events

Varanis headed out of Boldhome with the aim of reaching Wilmskirk in time to worship there for Windsday. She wanted to see what the mad King would do on that day. Her journey went well until she found someone had sold half of her saddle straps. Clayday night and windsday eve were spent on the road, due to this ducking delay.  There was much cursing of the only possible perpetrator.

In Wilmskirk, Mellia headed to the temple to divine the cause of the sleepiness. She asked, What is draining the people of Wilmskirk? The goddess replied “their own strength.” The priestess Mellia asked interpreted this as an Orlanthi problem, or rather, one starting with them.

Xenofos headed to the library to look for more answers. He found vampire problems in the area tended to be from the outside and originating from Delecti, but Runegate would generally bear the brunt. There was also history of a vampire in the Fire Bull clan dealt with by friends of Silor¹Berra, Varanis and Serala, in fact mentioned in a footnote. So it looked like this was not a direct vampiric attack, although it could have been an indirect one. 

Finarvi headed out to the gate to see if the people arriving look tired or sleepy, waiting there to watch. Early in the morning, a frowning Varanis wa seen. The people arriving looked fine. The workers heading to the fields looked tired. The guards looked like they needed a nap. Varanis looked angry. Finarvi recognised her after recognising Fish.

Finarvi told Varanis about people sleeping too much, and that Xenofos was looking into it. Varanis left Fish with Finarvi²Possibly with some relief and spotted a few members of Hulta’s house in Wilmskirk, heading into the temple of Humakt. She continued to the Wind Temple to worship, however. She noticed King Vanastal in the magical sense looked like he has had holes punched through him.  She also Jengharl and Venlar were not at the ceremony, so approached Silor at the end and asks if the king has always looked like holey cheese. Silor said he had probably been damaged in the year-long Heroquest.

Mellia went to the Humakti Temple to talk to Yamia about Venlar’s sleepiness, and passed on the message from Chalana Arroy about the people of Wilmskirk and their strength, saying she thought it was about the Orlanthi. Yamia pointed out that the city’s other strength was its art, but was able to confirm that to her knowledge there were no vampires in the area, and that she could ask Humakt should it be needed.

Finarvi noted as he went around the city that the tired people tendes to be male, and all had a lot of Orlanth’s Runes. The Air Rune seemed to be the most common. Varanis noted the Hulta at the ceremony did not look tired. The group conversed over an intimate meal with Silor, where Varanis told them the king looked stormy, not tired, but had holes in him, of the like she had only seen when Berra had Ikkad take chunks out of her during the Eril heroquest. Xenofos left the meal abruptly and Varanis headed off after him. Mellia told Finarvi Chalana Arroy’s words and that the priestess took it to mean the Orlanthi should deal with it.

Varanis apologised to an upset Xenofos for breaking bad news about Berra, although she could not help talking about it a little more. He waved it off. He told her there was nothing to suggest vampires in the library. They returned to the meal arm in arm, trying not to look desperately worried. Mellia had left to check on Venlar, so Finarvi related what Mellia told him. 

Varanis decided Farinst needed to be consulted, as he had said he was going to do divination on the subject. They left Silor sleeping and strolled up to the Locaem palace, taking note of the guard pigs. The guards let us in.

Xenofos had heard Farinst was blocking the new king out of spite as he hated being second fiddle, but this was so obvious the scribe has not even told anyone. He simply told Varanis to be tactful, with his usual tact. She took it with her usual grace.

Farinst’s wife Ivarsa met the group, to say that Farinst was indisposed. Varanis asked for the response to the divination, and Ivarsa left and returned shortly afterwards with a sealed note addressed to Xenofos, which Farinst had already written. 

All it said was “A curse takes strength from you, and grows in strength.“ They were the words of Orlanth, for they were marked by a Mastery rune, and not by any sign of Farinst.

Xenofos related what king Vamastal told him: that ‘hunger returned to the city with the warrior and was crowned with the king. Feed its belly or slit its throat.’

The group was unsure how to proceed, so decided to sleep on it. Varanis slept out at the Air temple, as Jengharl was still sulking at her. She did not arrive for breakfast. Xenofos headed there to find her, and an acolyte had to wake Varanis, who had missed greeting Yelm. A lot of people were sleeping in, at Silor’s house and elsewhere. Finarvi noted those men who were up were yawning a lot.

Varanis and Xenofos headed off to speak to Storm Voice Falnin and is invited into his rooms. Varanis explained those with air runes have been experiencing growing fatigue, and divination said there was a curse to solve, and how she saw the damage done to the King. Falnin sais he has borne wounds since his 3^rd heroquest, adding Vamastal often brought back back trouble in his wake, sometimes prophecies. He agreed it seemed something had come back with him. To learn about its nature he suggested consulting an expert in heroquesting, which unfortunately might only be Vamastal.

They decided to send Venlar and Mellia (and Silor if he was willing to go) home or to Apple Lane to recuperate, and then go to see the king. As they headed back towards the house, Xenofos had another Kingly Summons, written in Heortling again. This time it was delivered rather than put into Court Notes.

Hello, Xenofos!  A foreign scribe comes to my court, and is caught.  Come on in.  Mind the step.

They all accompanied Xenofos to the palace, where they were ushered into the throne room. Vamastal was in slippers and a loincloth, covered in chalk and charcoal. On the floor he had drawn a map which some of the group recognised as the sky, but seen from above. It was what the heavens would look like if one were higher than Yelm. While talking Vamastal demonstrated how to look, by floating into the air and having his head low. Everyone, including him, was glad of the loincloth’s existance.

After not long at all, Varanis just came out and asked the king if he is cursed. He said not, but either that or something else³Possibly being pounced by Dezar… caused him to demonstrate his strength. He screamed like a thunderclap, deafening everyone including himself. Then he yelled “GET AN EXPERT IN CURSES!” once everyone had recovered from the shock.

They left. The ringing eventually subsided. Shamans. He meant shamans.

They decided their best bet was to find a local Kolating, a wind shaman. Xenofos led them to the Lhankor Mhy temple to speak to Jitteril, who was very sorry to have to help with such an awkward problem. He could not in good conscience give advice on how to find a shaman, but could give very precise advice on how to avoid them. For example, there could be Daka Fal worshippers avoided in Wilmskirk itself, or the young shaman in the Greyrock Clan could be avoided by not going there and not asking the way to the holy Ancestor hill. Meanwhile, there was also Igril the White, and avoiding *him* was very important indeed, as he was powerful. One would need an Orlanthi to approach him at the Hill of Kolat in Zethnoring clan-lands, with the usual gifts. Someone wishing to avoid him should not take the King’s road to Richberry and go towards the Zethnoring from there. Jitteril added that Farinst might know Igril in person. A bear had been involved.  

Xenofos now suspected that Igril laid the curse at Farinst’s request, but held his tongue over the matter. Varanis went to see Farinst for hints or help. He could not leave the city, but did give her a Whirlvish in a bag, as a gift for Igril.

• 1
  Berra, Varanis and Serala, in fact
• 2
  Possibly with some relief
• 3
  Possibly being pounced by Dezar…