On reaching Alda Chur, everyone split up to go their different ways, agreeing to meet at an inn. Berra made her way to the Temple of Humakt, where she asked permission to hang a Votive Offering – the rather cheap, but now well cared for, sword of the Bandit she had slain with a single blow. The High Priest knew of her already, having apparently heard of the fight with scorpion folk. He wanted to know the details, and she told him it had been a small battle, and she did not think it ballad-worthy. However, he was prepared to hang the sword, although they both had to pretend politely that it was not an inferior weapon.

That evening (and really, much of the way from Jonstown) they talked about the route they would be taking, and whether they should go with the Merchant or strike out alone, faster. Berra also told the others of what she could recall of the politics, and how she had been guessing others had a plan. She thought that Tennebris had a plan that involved them and the quest would be used to spark something much larger, but that was all she could say. She could not guess whether it would be better to make no noise about it at all, or some noise.

At breakfast, Berra and Nala saw the Wind Lord Koraki, who span a good line about the fates or the gods being responsible for their paths crossing, and asked which way they were travelling. By a curious coincidence, that was the way he was going too! Over the course of the morning, others came in. Dormal needled Berra, until she snapped and challenged him, but he refused to fight. Perplexed, she decided to ignore him. Koraki opined that an Issaries was needed, although Berra said she would prefer to set off and leave behind the person causing arguments. Nevertheless, she accompanied Vestra to see the Merchant, who was part of Vestra’s Saicaie clan. Irillo was dismayed that this call to Quest had happened, but agreed to follow it. They set off the next morning.

Berra put herself in charge of the now-smaller bodyguard, and they journey was largely uneventful. However, Dormal kept annoying her, and eventually she made for him, stopped only by Serala intervening with a horse, and pinning Berra down before talking her down.

They cut through the Grazelands, going deeper into Lunar territory for a slightly safer route, and rode up to the Shaker Temple. The baboons were paid off, but Salid was proud to volunteer to follow and protect Irillo.

“We don’t need an Orlanthi. She’d only make us sensible.” – Berra
“By dint of great effort, I should add.” – Berra
“No. Really, she wouldn’t.” – GM

“Hey, we could RP!” – Berra

“Before we all split up, we should find a place to meet.” – Berra
“Wait, I’m the sensible one!” – ??? Probably Nala
“… Sorry. I’ve been in charge of a unit for several days. Habits creep in.” – Berra

“PUB????!?!?!?!??!” – Rajar

“So there is a Storm Bull temple, possibly in the pub…” – Rajar

“I will go down to the pub tomorrow. Assuming I remember when tomorrow is.” – Rajar

“Is he the silver-handed wind lord?” – Berra
“Funny you should say that…” – GM
“…This is not a coincidence.” – Berra

*o/ waves* – Rajar
“That’s a bit of a Nazi wave, TBH.” – Berra

“There are carvings, picked out in paint. Bits of gilt work.” – GM
“Gilt, not Guilt.” – Berra

“Dormal, I think you were trying to find out what worrying anchors of the physical world are holding back the spiritual…” – GM
“There is indeed a Street of the Silversmiths and Goldsmiths.” – GM
“And a street of the executioners.” – Berra
“That’s the Humakt and StormBull temples.” – Rajar

“WE ARE DEATH. Also, drunk.” – Berra
“The sacred chant of ‘TOGA TOGA ….er? <whispers> TOGA'” – Rajar
“And the traditional drinking song ‘Come and have a go…'” – Berra

“You are… not from here. And an initiate.” – Gallem
“Indeed, I’m from several hundred leagues away!” – Berra

“Five. And that was worth a ballad?” – Gallem
“I don’t think so, but the ballad writer did.” – Berra

“It’s not the sword that is the value, it’s what it means.” – Berra

“D’Val swims extremely well.” – GM
“Both ways?” – Nala
“SWIMS.” – GM

“Wine for him, beer for me, and waiting while watching the door.” – Berra

“No, you do not fry the barmaids.” – GM
“Oh, Fry, not Try.” – Berra

*<this appears to be a private fight> drinks* – Rajar
“Berra looks perfectly prepared to sit down and drink beer again.” – Berra
“It’s like I hadn’t left the Storm Bull temple.” – Rajar
“Berra also looks perfectly prepared to kill someone, and these two states seem to be about the same to her.” – Berra

“Oh dear. Looks like you can’t hold your beer.” – Dormal
“Your beer.” – Berra
“Rajar this is my beer.” – Dormal imitating Berra

*stares at Dormal* – Berra

“I am not scratching the GM’s belly, no matter how good his big brown eyes are.” – Berra

“Doing the Quiet Humakti Swagger.” – Berra

“I just have to kill Orlanth.” – Berra
“Every head turns to look at you.” – GM
“I have to send him to the Underworld. In some stories, I kill him. But I suppose I could also just tell him to go.” – Berra

“PSYCHO.” – Dormal
“YEP.” – Berra

“Humakt doesn’t drink on duty.” – Berra
“Storm Bull really does.” – Rajar
“It is Storm Bull’s Duty to drink.” – Berra
“True….” – Rajar

“Clam McIllan.” – Berra
“Fishy.” – Dormal
“Clan, not Clam.” – Berra
“McIllan, that well known group of bivalves.” – Dormal

“Cut n shut job.” – Dormal
“Two half horses.” – Berra
“That accident was /terrible/.” – Berra
“THAT’S how unicorns reproduce!!!!!!” – Rajar

“Berra’s doing the whole professional thing, organising people who are under orders, but she’s going to check it Koraki wants to be in charge of the guards. She says that like someone who expects to command Orlanth’s bodyguard.” – Berra
“Koraki waves a hand. The flesh one.” – GM
“Oh, do carry on, that chap.” – Koraki
( Anticipating your orders… ) o . Berra

“You’ll be pleased to know nobody attacks you during the night.” – GM
“No I’m not!” – Berra

“Ancestors say, ‘this is hairless ape business’.” – Baboon
“RACISM” – Tiwr per Berra

“Glowline?” – Berra steals Dormal’s glory.

“Berra continues to be in charge of people, while being thoughtful.” – Berra
“With a lot of sizing up Rajar.” – Berra

“Storm Bull says not to kill your colleagues unless it’s a special occasion.” – Rajar
“He’s not my colleague.” – Berra

“Yes, the road goes the Lunar territory.” – GM
“This would have been good to know in advance.” – Berra

Serala looks at Dormal. “She’s managing the entire train right now. Don’t poke the stressed Humakti, it’s not clever. And it might not be pretty, if you keep it up.”

“I’ll spend time trying to persuade Salid to get a shorter spear he can control better.” – Berra
“Not. Happening.” – GM

“It will not be a forest by the time we are done, if we take Rajar.” – Tiwr, per Berra

“Bison is going to have /such/ flatulence.” – Berra
“Yes, Rajar, you may have a rocket-propelled Bison by the end of the day.” – GM

“Berra asks a good question – a) does Serala have any clue and b) farsight.” – Serala

“NOT YET RAJAR!” – Berra

<<<<looks really puzzled, looks up at lance tip speculatively>>>> – Rajar
“No, Rajar. We know them, it seems.” – Berra

“Now my thighs are chocolatey.” – Nala
delicate wince and freeze – GM
“I’m going to leave that image alone.” – GM
“That’s because he’s already used it.” – Berra

“Check spam for prettiest chocolate croissant you have ever seen.” – Nala
“’tis very pretty.” – Rajar
“Check it for Chaos, Rajar.” – Berra
“Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm chaos flavoured.” – Rajar

“Zorack Zoran is actually an allied cult to Storm Bull.” – Rajar
“BASTARDS.” – Berra

“I ff-freely choose! To protect my employer!” – Salid
“I’m going to pat the Trollkin on the back. ‘Well said.'” – Berra