Session Season 6, Prax 11

1629, Dark Season, Fertility Week, Clayday to Fireday

Dramatis Personae

Events

Everyone had their reasons for wanting to go to New Pavis. Varanis noted an upcoming break in the weather and suggested that people get moving.

Kolyey had heard some strange noises and wondered if they were undead, but she couldn’t decide. It sounded like rattling—bones in the wind. Even a trip to the latrine sounded like bones falling into the pit. She spoke with Erhehta. The shaman offered her a bag containing the spirit of a Rhino Rider. Kolyey asked what she should do with it. The answer—a long and winding one—was to take it to a graveyard and give it proper rites.¹

Xenofos asked Varanis about her armour, as the Vingan wasn’t wearing any. After an argument in which he tried to get her to wear his armour and she refused, she put on some of her damaged kit and mounted up to ride out. They travelled for a couple of days and rode into Prax without incident, though it was soggy at times along the way.

Version X1138, a dwarf unit, made its way toward Prax via sledge, travois, and other means. It faced horrible weather, bandits, and other nuisances.¹It seemed to be speaking Dwarvish? Dwarven? Maybe this wasn’t Irillo? Was it a dwarf? It was all very confusing. There was some kind of encounter at Tourney Altar, where it acquired guides and advice.²Definitely not Irillo—clearly a dwarf played by Tom. Or maybe Irillo had been hit by a dolmen. Regardless, it successfully arrived in New Pavis.

The group took residence at Geo’s. Xenofos visited the Temple of Uleria to see if there were any messages or love letters. There were none. The place was decorated, as the temple was preparing to help the community by marrying either a Yelmalian or Orlanthi champion. His services were not needed that evening or the following day.

Version X1138 went hunting for the relevant Air temple but found the symbolism a bit confusing.

At Geo’s, a singer performed a song about how wonderful Maalira was and how she had single-handedly run the hospital in Boldhome. Berra convinced the bard to perform a traditional Sartarite instrumental piece without lyrics.

Maalira went to worship. Varanis and Xenofos went to the library to research Argrath, while Berra and Kolyey guarded the entrance. At the library, Xenofos found a lot of commonly known information about Argrath, but anything not part of the standard legends had been redacted. The “how he became a hero” parts and the less heroic details had been excluded. Varanis concluded that it was a political decision, often seen among rulers with controversial backgrounds. Xenofos noted that Harrek was mentioned—so anything excluded must have been really bad.

Maalira had a happy, healthy worship session. She felt great.

Version X1138 entered a Storm Bull temple, looking for Varanis. A Storm Bull there demanded his iron armour, which led to a conflict in an alley. The Storm Bull impaled the dwarf,³critical hit piercing the dwarf’s shield and shoulder. However, X1138 fatally punctured the Bull in return. The dwarf was pleased to claim the spear as loot.

At the hospital, Maalira heard that a dwarf was causing trouble. She went to check and recognized X1138, who asked for repairs. She waved everyone else off to take care of it herself; applying first aid and then healing/repairing the unit. The unit donated the spear that had been stuck in him. Once done, X1138 offered to terminate any problems and then asked for the location of Overseer Varanis. Maalira pointed him to Geo’s. The instructions weren’t precise, and X1138 ended up in someone’s house.

Maalira reached the inn before the dwarf did, which was cause for concern. Berra and Varanis raced to a rooftop.⁴Varanis fumbled her climb and fell—exquisitely, like a cat who had just planned to do that. Varanis and Berra chanted “X11.” X11 failed to hear it but did hear people asking, “What is X11?”

Xenofos greeted the arriving X11. Everyone went inside and got introduced. Once X11 revealed his mission, Varanis and Berra took him to the Vingan’s room to receive the message in private.

The message read as follows: “Well lass,⁵I imagine this in Scots banter th’lass and nursemaid wff me safe. Argrath is marching on Boldhome and thought it would be wiser to keep the children safer with me. No charge for board and lodgings, and we’ll keep things safe until things are clearer.”

After X11 revealed that it had been attacked and had killed the attacker, Berra and X11 got into a philosophical debate about the use of the first-person pronoun. Berra decided that Xenofos was better suited to continue the discussion. Xenofos entered the conversation with an argument that was vaguely Lunar in nature: “We are all us.”

• 1
  
  
  Xenofos asked Varanis about her armour, as the Vingan wasn’t wearing any. After an argument in which he tried to get her to wear his armour and she refused, she put on some of her damaged kit and mounted up to ride out. They travelled for a couple of days and rode into Prax without incident, though it was soggy at times along the way.
  
  Version X1138, a dwarf unit, made its way toward Prax via sledge, travois, and other means. It faced horrible weather, bandits, and other nuisances.¹It seemed to be speaking Dwarvish? Dwarven? Maybe this wasn’t Irillo? Was it a dwarf? It was all very confusing.
• 2
  Definitely not Irillo—clearly a dwarf played by Tom. Or maybe Irillo had been hit by a dolmen.
• 3
  critical hit
• 4
  Varanis fumbled her climb and fell—exquisitely, like a cat who had just planned to do that.
• 5
  I imagine this in Scots banter