Berra — Hobbies
????, Fire Season, Stasis Week
Context
1626, Fire Season, Stasis Week, Fireday. [[[s01:session-36|Session 36]]]
Events
At some point in the afternoon after the fight with the troll, before they have set off, but only just before, Berra seeks out Dormal, wherever he might be.
She walks up to him, and bows, and gives him what might be a two-fold Humakti crime – a ghost of a smile. “Thank you for what you did,” she says soberly.
“Hm? Oh. It was just the most useful thing to be doing.”
Berra looks genuinely amused, and the smile reaches her eyes. “I know. But it got done. Did you get your sword back?”
She adds, “I worried about that.”
Dormal headtilts.
“I borrowed a sword from you. I put it down on the… on the ledge when I got…”
“The sword has been… returned to whence it came.”
“…alright. I’m glad that’s sorted.” Berra’s face goes slightly blank as she tries to think things through.
“So. Is that deathlord likely to be back, do you think?”
Berra looks at Dormal, and her face breaks into the smile of a Humakti with a hobby. “I can only hope to be ready if he does. I know now.” She shrugs. “But probably not. Not for a long time anyhow. Partly…” She sighs, and shrugs, and although the edge stays on her she has apparently stopped wanting to talk about details. The faraway look in her eye bodes no good for anyone answering the description of that troll, however.
“Just as well. Going to be hard enough to go where we… don’t trolls live where we’re going?”
“Only if you go to the wrong parts. You won’t be going to those… Are you trying to make me scared, or are you nervous?”
Dormal headtilts again. “I like to know what I’m walking into.”
“Well, you know the story too. But I don’t think I’ll drag him into this. If I do, then keep enough magic in reserve to strip off his spells, but he didn’t cast a Shield. He’s a Hater – they prefer to do damage than to prevent it.” Berra says these things in the neat, precise tones of someone giving a battle report. “If his mace starts to glow, you need to get rid of that before it breaks someone in half. And he was very still. I heard him, but I didn’t see him. Troll. Darkness. Salid would probably be able to tell you more, but… it’s unlikely his quest is crossed with yours.”
“I was worried about two things: That he might make us his hobby when we already have enough trouble; and that he might have been summoned back to where we are going, in which case the broo’s hive will have been thoroughly poked before we even get there.”
“No. You’re … for one you’re going into a representation of that Darkness. For another, Yelm will be there. The trolls mostly flee him, and I don’t think you have to face any. As long as you stay on the Quest, you shouldn’t. If he gets pulled in as a representation, then… I’d be surprised.”
“Hm. Well. Insofar as anyone has explained the plan to me, I understand we’re going to try and deliberately leave the heroquest mid-way and join a different story.”
“The one you’re trying to join is the one you want. The one with Yelm. Getting down into the Underworld can happen in two different ways, and until we have talked to the Greydogs, we don’t know which. I might have to send Orlanth or he might be able to use one of their Heroquests. Those are the two best ideas. The Lismeldan Quest is about searching for a thing and starting on a journey and can likely open the way.”
Berra’s voice is still that neat, exact, thoughtful tone.
“Well, I’m sure someone will tell me what I’m supposed to do, possibly even before I need to do it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I plan to get very, very drunk.”
Berra snorts slightly, but remembers her manners and gives Dormal a slight but respectful bow, appropriate to the conversation. She steps back and away.
