Session Season 6, Prax 8

1629, Earth Season, Stasis Week, Freezeday to Movement Week, Windsday

Dramatis Personae

Events

Maalira stayed behind while Varanis, Xenofos, and Kolyey went to deal with the “vampire” last session. After assessing the riverfolk, the White Lady came to understand that they weren’t suffering from blood-loss, rather their strength had been magically drained.¹4 points of STR each. Maalira used Chalana Arroy’s magic to ease them both, ²1 RP each of Restore Health while Duke Raus fumed about trouble on his land.  The riverfolk checked which Temple should take a donation, and Maalira chose New Pavis. 

When the others returned, Xenofos presented Varanis’ report to the Duke. They pulled out the loot to hand over to him. Maalira was rewarded with coins³100L for her healing of those who needed it. 

After a few more days (ish?), Berra finally finished with Daine and told the party that she hoped to head towards New Pavis. Xenofos wanted to take some texts to the Library there, Kolyey wanted to go to the Humakti temple, while Maalira wanted to go to the Hospital. 

The trip was unremarkable and rooms at Geo’s were easily arranged. Berra went off to the Temple of Humakt to speak to Lord Roneer.

Xenofos went to visit the Temple of Uleria to check for letters and then asked to speak with a priestess. He enjoyed a meal and was an exceptionally charming companion whilst playing Swords and Boards. Finally, he was joined by a Priestess who played with him while they talked. He showed her the papyrus with the image of Uleria and they discussed it. The Priestess recognized it as Uleria but did wonder why the Mastery rune and not Infinity. She did hint leaving this to the Library might be unwise because some sages might jump on this find and hog it to themselves? Xenofos asked if the Temple would wish to keep this papyrus and the Priestess told, they obviously would wish to, but it is his. He left it overnight anyway and the priestess would have a talk with her High Priestess. 

Maalira went to her temple/hospital, escorted by Varanis. While there, she learned that she’s become quite popular in songs. Elspa, a White Lady that Maalira remembered from her early years in New Pavis, enlightened her as to the scale of it all.  Maalira Tales were a thing, and there were even shows, and puppets. Maalira was too embarrassed to attend one of the shows. She escaped the temple to find Varanis outside. People had taken notice of the Vingan – some of them were excited because it meant Maalira was nearby and others were excited by Varanis. Maalira told Varanis about the songs and her companion was about as sympathetic as could be expected. They went back to Geo’s for a drink.

Kolyey made her way to the Humakti Temple where she asked to meet a Sword. She was introduced to a Master Varra and told him about the sorcerer while also asking about training her spirit. Master Varra told her to stay put and fetched the High Sword, Roneer. She had to repeat her story again.⁴Each time Kolyey tells the report, it gets more colourful.Roneer was very interested in the texts, particularly the codex, and Kolyey told him, inaccurately as it happened, that it was with the library.  In fact, Xenofos had not yet delivered it there.  Finally the High Sword asked about Berra and Kolyey told him things he already knew. He told Kolyey that her spirit was currently too damaged to train properly⁵Read: she had a tick on POW already., and she should instead concentrate on her meditation.

At Geo’s, a bard sang about Maalira turning aside Kallyr’s rage so that instead of smiting a mountain, Kallyr smote the moon and knocked it in half, with half of an Emperor on either.  Varanis paid him to sing more. She then tried to get him to sing about X’fos; it was…. Not good. Varanis showed him how to do it by singing a song of her own.

Varanis had a fun and active night cut too short by sunrise.⁶Pass Con

Maalira had received a load of small gifts during the night, all sewing gear and  Xenofos had gotten a letter. Maalira and Varanis went to market despite protests from Varanis’ nightly companions. Xenofos went to the Library. 

A Sartarite came into Geo’s, gestured to Kolyey to get up, then attacked her. She took a couple of hard hits and returned some of her own unsuccessfully.

Maalira and Varanis went to the Market, where Maalira was watched by many people, including Hoppy, the two-legged Beggar King. A merchant known to Maalira approached to make nice with her and chastise Varanis for being stingy. When he left, a beggar asked for alms and Varanis gave him some clacks. They wandered through the market for a bit.

Xenofos went to the Library and had a discussion with Jabot the Chief Librarian who said he had gotten requests from the Humakti to read the texts Xenofos had not delivered the day before…

Maalira and Varanis returned to Geo’s. Varanis and Kolyey trek towards the market and Kolyey is threatened with a knife by a big man who whistled for her attention before drawing. After Kolyey drew her sword, the guy spit and disappeared. After Kolyey mentioned that someone punched her earlier, Varanis chased down and confronted a totally innocent Yelmalian and to add insult to insult wished him Orlanth’s blessings.⁷Fumbled Scan

Varanis found the fishmarket where a slim woman signalled that she was unarmed and attacked Kolyey with intent to grapple. The woman was pretty good and did not get hit, but blocked, hurting Kolyey’s right arm after which she picked up her leg and threw her to the ground. When Varanis asked why, the woman said that Kolyey needs to taste the dust. Varanis began to suspect this was something to do with Kolyey’s visit to her temple, so Kolyey decided that she should go get clarification. Varanis suggested that if anyone else attacked Kolyey, the Humakti should only respond with the same weapon, and not bring a broadsword to a knife fight.

Xenofos entered the temple of Uleria, where he was given an option of sleeping as a guest, or delving deeper into mysteries. When going there he sent a message to Geo’s Inn, saying that he would probably be staying for a time. In preparing for the ritual, he was drugged massively and left his body, as is traditional.  He found himself on a mountainside, which he knew he had to climb.  He could see many paths, not just one⁸Failed Stasis/2, as a stand-in for the Law Rune, and he was capable of realising that there was no shadow here.  A ring of light surmounted the spike of rock, and he knew that the Torch was only a single point, but this lit up all of creation perfectly.  He decided there must be a Truth Path, and realised he was still on it.  He understood the existence of the Harmony path, but it was not for him, and he looked for the Fertility Path, which crossed itself and yet was one.  A woman there held out a hand to him, and when he took it, he became her, and knew all of the things.

The wheel was pushed by Larnste, to mix all things equally.  The spindle of the universe was Acos.  Orenoar was the pen that wrote the laws, Harana Ilor was the one who decided on them.  Kargan Tor was the god of facing up to what needed to be done.  Uleria was the goddess of bringing things together, and the crown of the cosmos, also known as the light of knowledge.  Ratslaff was the bravest of all, who volunteered to be a failure, so that things could happen.  Tylenea denied existing at all, but had seven masks, for each of the people who were and are.

Xenofos had a timeless moment in which he could decide what to be, and he recalled himself as Lhankor Mhy and as Xenofos, and so kept things as they were, without setting them into motion.  The planning of the universe went as it should, the flower unfolded to make things perfect and create free will, and Ratslaff failed, so that there would always be struggle and new things.  The universe fell apart, and as Lhankor Mhy, Xenofos recalled seeing his aunt Uleria reach out for the nearest sun god, and marry him, to keep all things together.  That god became Yelm.

Kolyey was attacked all week long, and was not permitted into the Humakti Temple save for worship. She did an excellent job in her dagger fight, but the short-sword fight went poorly for her. Maalira patched her up. Kolyey did a bit better in her broadsword fight to start, but was defeated soundly. The greatsword fight was… well, her opponent left disappointed. Finally, she could fight with her shield and her competence meant that she was permitted to walk away from that one at the end. In the weekly worship, everyone pretended nothing unusual was happening.

Maalira worked out pretty quickly that Kolyey needed her company a lot.

Windsday was Orlanth’s Seasonal Holy Day, so Varanis made a point of seeking out the Air Temple to join in the worship. When the day ended, so did her blessing from the Paps.

• 1
  4 points of STR each.
• 2
  1 RP each of Restore Health
• 3
  100L
• 4
  Each time Kolyey tells the report, it gets more colourful.
• 5
  Read: she had a tick on POW already.
• 6
  Pass Con
• 7
  Fumbled Scan
• 8
  Failed Stasis/2, as a stand-in for the Law Rune