Diaries The Saga Of Berra — Fragment 18
1626
Secret was Berra called up to the Palace
Speaking with Tennebris Lord of the Air-Realm
Kallyr slept on and the year was beginning
Heroes were sent to the Nochet White Ladies
Calling on honour to help him with Sartar
Tennebris offered a payment for heroes
Berra refused money given for Kingdoms
Proudly she spoke as the Merchant spoke softly
Angry was Eril as Berra was chosen
Rajar was sent from the hand of the sword-stroke1A curious stanza, we have two possible reasons for Eril’s anger.
Taken were tools that Humakti were using2And another double meaning within this verse.
Taken was axeman and Swordswoman3And here, a double-meaning within a word. Is Berra the Swordswoman, or is she the woman who belongs to the Sword, Eril? Berra
Sent to the Hospital asking for healers
Sent to the Library asking for wisdom
Berra rose out with her friends and Irillo
Guarding the caravan asking no payment
Riding astride as a cavalry trooper
Berra drew up to City4(Then town.) of Wilmskirk
Finding the swain who had tasted her anger
Chased him away from the sign of the Jug-house5Perhaps related to the feasting of Fr.8. The indication that the infanteer arrived on horseback indicates some weight was given to this re-meeting.
Pacing the Road with her Road-horse beneath her
Dagger6Generally accepted to be a signifier of her relationship with D’Val, by this point in the Saga. walked on to the Upland Humakti
Spoke with the Scar-duck of Flamebought Shortfeather7A name not found in the rolls of villages of the time, this is also unlikely to have been the given name of any person born to the area.
Giving advice on the road and the Lunars
Boarding a boat for the City of Nochet
Berra’s keen eyes found a lake where none had been8Given the ease of finding a lake merely by looking at it, it is to be assumed this was unusual flooding
Seeing the dam built by hands of a bandit
Berra laughed loud for she knew who had wrought it
Calling the challenge to Devolin loudly
Berra told loud that she saw through his army
Calling the places of ducks that were living
Crying that others were made by his fingers9Lit: craftsduckship
Berra sent words as her friend sent a missive
Sharp were her words and the head of the arrow
Nala let loose a long shaft at the mallard10In the Buffo, Devolin is notable for wearing a false head in green, over his ordinary white feathers.
Devolin dived to the waters beneath him
Sailing through lock-work11Presumably not written by a sailor. and downward to harbour
Berra arrived at the home of Battalion12Upon occasion the Battalion of the Humakti was styled without the definite article, an indication that Battalion was an entity as close as the family they had left.
Heart of the Humakti Sword-Lords of Nochet
There was the Altar where Berra met Humakt
What Really Happened
Tennebris called in the heroes to tell them that Kallyr had not yet woken, and to send them to Nochet looking for help, using his own money. It was an absolute secret that Kallyr was still sleeping. Berra volunteered to go without payment, annoying several of her more mercenary-minded companions, but Tennebris managed to explain that they had made a powerful enemy, and leaving Boldhome for a few weeks would be good for them. He did not mention Eril, but everyone knew who he meant.
They went via Wilmskirk where Berra saw and chased (and apologised to) the man who had made a pass at her and got beer spilled. At Duck Point they greeted a few Humakti, watched Rajar turn down an offer of Quackie-Quackie, and got on a boat for Nochet. On the way, to Berra’s absolute delight, they encountered a duck-build dam manned (or ducked) by Devolin. Berra spotted which of his ducks were fake and which real, pointing them out as she shouted to Devolin that he was in trouble now. Nala shot at him, but the arrow apparently went through him; all of the ducks dived into the water and got away.
The PCs got to Nochet safely, having seen Beast Valley and the Shadow Plateau on the way.
Session Quotes
“You are smirking, Berra” – Nala
“That’s because I’m GMing.” – Berra
“Village name… I can look it up.” – Berra
“Iycanlookitup” – GM
“Next to Ruislip” – Nala
“Jenn has mastered walking in white robes, like a proper Chalana Arroy initiate… Maybe it’s a Chaos gift. It’s done with little tenacles so they can float properly.” – Berra
“I’ve finally managed to settle down to meditate.” – Berra
“How long will you be doing that?” – Irillo
“All week, I was hoping…” – Berra
“I shall run out of chat quickly and resort to talking about Tiwr proudly” – Nala
“Tiwr will also talk about Tiwr proudly.” – Berra
“I’ll nod to whoever else is here, as long as it’s not Berra.” – Dormal
“How much will it cost me to save your life?” – Irillo
“From what?” – Dormal
“You opening your mouth and Berra putting her sword in it.” – Irillo
“I’ll look around to see if anyone else has picked that up.” – Dormal
“Berra is, oddly enough, looking soft around the eyes.” – Berra
“I just can’t believe, based on my standing prejudices, that she could have empathy with anyone.” – Dormal
“There is what you can do for Me – for Sartar…” – Tennebris
“The same thing, surely?” – Dormal
“No, the Prince is Sartar.” – Tennebris
*rolls eyes at Dormal* – Berra
“And there is what I can do for you.” – Tennebris
“We need no payment to serve Sartar!” – Berra
*glares from many people*
“Some of you have made a powerful enemy here.” – Tennebris
“Look at Rajar, look at my own feet, look at Tennebris. Grin.” – Berra
“Nochet is not the closest city.” – Tennebris
“And you’re sending us away for the sake of our health. It’s warm down there.” – Berra
“I have heard the sea has healing properties.” – Tennebris
“If you wish, I can write a note to the boatman, or you can pay your way for fewer questions.” – GM
“Fewer questions.” – Berra
“Will you want a receipt for this?” – Berra
“No. I’m doing this out of my own pocket for the sake of Sartar.” – Tennebris
“Up to the temple to see the Duck.” – Berra
“I have to tell him I’m sorry, I can’t meditate.” – Berra
“Do you say I should ask you for teaching, so that I don’t get other people?” – Berra
“So you can ask easily.” – D’Val
“Oh. That’s a relief. I think.” – Berra
“This is not my fault!” – Mellia
“It’s not the fault of anyone here.” – Berra
“Well, it is the fault of some people here, for pissing him off and causing an massive internal vendetta.” – Dormal
“Oh, a thing! Her father just came into the hospital, today, for some serious treatment. You don’t currently know what.” – Berra
“It’ll only sting for a bit.” – Rajar
“Another Humakti Failure!” – Rajar
“As opposed to a Storm Bull failure, which is the same but much messier.” – Berra
“Storm Bull doesn’t fail, we just win differently.” – Rajar
“Berra and Dormal up in a tree….” – Nala
“K.I.L.L.I.N.G.” – Berra
“Sometimes his eyes go very large and he falls over.” – Nala
“The grass is sometimes slippery, OK?” – Rajar
“Like a fainting goat, but better.” – Berra
“We didn’t insult all the Humakti, we only insulted one.” – Berra
“But we started at the top.” – Nala
“I’ll say in Esrolian to the captain, ‘the foreign barbarian has never been on a boat’.” – Dormal
*rolls Speak Esrolian* – Berra
“He says the foreign barbarian has never been on a boat.” – Berra
“There are no Lunar bodies to loot on the way? This road is really going downhill.” – Nala
“That’s because we’re up a mountain.” – Berra
“I’m going to get up and follow him! – Berra
“Good avoidance! – Nala
“Can I have a tick on honour for doing the right thing?” – Berra
“Because that hurt a bit.” – Berra
“No.” – GM
“Irillo looks crestfallen.” – GM
“Cheer up. Tell you what – to make up for not going there, I’ll give you a free caravan. Me, as a guard, for nothing, for a journey.” – Berra
“That seems to cheer him up.” – GM
“Ooooh, buffalo sirens.” – Nala
“Buffalo gals, won’t you come out tonight, come out tonight…?” – Nala
“Billy will need roll bars on the boat.” – Berra
“We’re going to need a bigger boat” – Nala
“Coming down the road are the… infan-twee.” – GM
12 hours later: “I would like the GM to be very sorry about that.” – Berra
“Hail, brother in Humakt.” – Berra
*salute* – Humaktiduck
“Oh, it’th you.” – Humaktiduck
*snigger from the ranks* – other Duck
*mutter including “D’Val”* – other Duck
“There’th been more… turnover lately.” – Humaktiduck
“… More bodies.” – Berra
“More Lunars. And then more bodies.” – Humaktiduck
“We didn’t encounter any trouble along the road. No undead.” – Berra
“Thankth. We’ll swing around on one side then.” – Humaktiduck
“Look slightly disapointed.” – Rajar
“No, Rajar. They’re not enemies. They’re just short.” – Berra
“So it’s a wheely big bag.” – Nala
“You’ve been waiting for that.” – Berra
“ALL NIGHT.” – Nala
“Berra watches the banks like a dog sticking its head out of the window. Just fascinated.” – Berra
“Sid, that’s the Shadow Plateau.” – Berra
“I know.” – Sid
“Come from Castle of Lead. Old master took me to Shadow Plateau. Found Argan Argar at Shadow Plateau.” – Sid
“Are you a Priest, Sid?” – Nala
“Initiate. Trollkin not be Priests.” – Sid
“Why not?” – Nala
“Trollkin have weak link to God… And mothers ashamed.” – Sid
*awkward silence* – everyone
“Awkward silence…” – Berra
“Very awkward silence.” – GM
“Fence. Keeping the waterway for the Prince.” – Nala
*sudden ecstatic look at the duck ambush* – Berra
“I’m doubting that someone could build a structure that big without help from the village.” – Dormal”
“You haven’t met Devolin before. He’s an artist.” – Berra
“I am so happy that Devolin turned up.” – Berra
“I’m going to ask Mellia what sort of contribution would be appropriate for the Temple.” – Berra
“We’re not going to do the whole Pygmalion thing in one day.” – Dormal
“The rain in Prax falls mainly on the Axe.” – Berra
“Can I have a tick on ‘Shout at Devolin’? That’s a skill I just made up, but it should exist.” – Berra
“Specialised version of Intimidate.” – GM
” 10 to intimidate when shouting at Devolin.” – Berra
“No, that’s not the intimidation. It was because someone…” *looks severely at Berra* “…called out…” – GM
[[[berra:berra-travelling-downriver-01|Berra on a Boat]]]
- 1A curious stanza, we have two possible reasons for Eril’s anger.
- 2And another double meaning within this verse.
- 3And here, a double-meaning within a word. Is Berra the Swordswoman, or is she the woman who belongs to the Sword, Eril?
- 4(Then town.)
- 5Perhaps related to the feasting of Fr.8. The indication that the infanteer arrived on horseback indicates some weight was given to this re-meeting.
- 6Generally accepted to be a signifier of her relationship with D’Val, by this point in the Saga.
- 7A name not found in the rolls of villages of the time, this is also unlikely to have been the given name of any person born to the area.
- 8Given the ease of finding a lake merely by looking at it, it is to be assumed this was unusual flooding
- 9Lit: craftsduckship
- 10In the Buffo, Devolin is notable for wearing a false head in green, over his ordinary white feathers.
- 11Presumably not written by a sailor.
- 12Upon occasion the Battalion of the Humakti was styled without the definite article, an indication that Battalion was an entity as close as the family they had left.