1629, Sea Season, Harmony Week, Clayday
Context
The group talk about the news delivered via Rotin that there is a ‘blockage’ under the sister known as Don’t Ask. Session SA4.07.
Events
Early in the morning, after people have had time to digest the news from Rotin, but before Varanis has been up to digesting breakfast, she and Berra fill their water bottles at the pool, and go for a walk. There is no apparent shouting. Varanis comes back first, with Berra staying out about half an hour longer.
When Varanis comes back, she dutifully nibbles a chunk of plain bread and drinks plenty of water.
While Berra and Varanis are out, Lenta has a discussion with Irillo. That seems to result in some clay tablets being made.
Once everyone has had time to eat and chatter a bit, and Berra has had second breakfast of another bit of bread with things sprinkled on, she says, “How about we get moving what if the blockage is something the trolls did to make a river not flood their ruins?” All one sentence.
Lenta shrugs and looks at Varanis thoughtfully.
The Vingan looks a bit lost in her own thoughts, but at Berra’s words, she glances over. “That may be, but even so it’s causing harm.
“But not to the trolls. We… We should do a lot of the things we said, or we’re all air and no action.” Berra shrugs. “Could still be an army in the way.”
“You got the trolls a chance to worship, right?”
“Once we see them again, yes.” Berra looks down that way, a little North of Yelm. “We could ask them, I guess.”
“It might be a way to approach things. Go talk to them, tell them what you’ve gained for them, find out if they know about the Chaos, ask what they know about blockages. Maybe, if they help, the Sisters will see them differently?” Varanis shrugs. “That’s the best idea I have right now, anyway.”
“I think I remembered what they wanted. The Sisters have a spell to keep food longer. I think. But I was…” Berra takes a deep breath. “I was thinking a few other things at the time too.”
“And right now, it’s not really safe to go into the Sisters. Not unless we want to go in with a full war party.”
“Ughuh. So we’ve got the Humakti thing for them, and we’ll let them know we’ll be back, but maybe it’s not the right thing to ask about the blockage, and maybe it is. What if they did it and lie? What if they did it and tell the truth?” Berra takes a slug of water. “This stuff’s really nice.”
“Well, it gives us a chance to know, so we can plan? If we don’t know, we’re just stabbing the darkness and hoping for the best.” Varanis shrugs. “I’m willing to hear other ideas.”
“It gives them a chance to know so they can plan as well,” Berra replies. “But now I said that, I don’t have to say it again.”
There’s a small laugh from the Vingan. “You might. I feel like your bison did a dance on my head while I slept. I’m not sure how well I’ll remember things later.”
“Well, maybe Irillo’s gonna get that one for us.” Berra shrugs. “We… go to the trolls, probably I overnight at King’s Tower and see them in the first time, and then I … we… got back to the Aranwyth. F’it’s a thing in the Earth maybe Ernalda could tell usss…” She peers over at Lenta thoughtfully.
“If – I say if – it is a thing that keeps the waters out of caves of the Uz we need to secure access Mellia access to those deeper caverns and let her get that wyter first. Before removing that possible blockage. But I don’t know if there is a really reliable way of knowing that for sure beforehand. Sisters were a bit vague. Asrelia could know.” Lenta muses, rolling the end of her plait.
“If that’s a thing you could learn, or think maybe you could – what it was or who put it there – then it’s worth trying. If they can’t see, then maybe the Earth can.” Berra gives Lenta a helpful look.
Lenta shrugs. “That would be three separate things: what it was, who put it there and if the blockage is cleared, where will the waters go.”
“If the waters flow. I mean, probably? But it’s a guess still, ain’t it?” Berra wrinkles her nose exactly like her nephew Haran does when he is sulking. In her case, it seems to be puzzlement.
Lenta just shrugs.
“It’s Clayday. Maybe you could ask at Beasts Gather?” Varanis suggests. “Though… perhaps not too loudly.”
“That would be a suitable place, yes” Lenta answers. She looks like she might say more but changed her mind.
“What is it?”
“I will not leave Lyra ignorant of chaos problem at her threshold.” Lenta looks towards the Sisters. “It is probably not entirely news to them though.”
Berra counts up on her fingers. “Din’t people tell them about the Dragonsnail?”
Lenta shrugs again and looks around “I am not sure if I even told them about the broo and stuff yesterday. I just asked for permission to worship. I suppose someone did? But now we know a bit more.”
“We went directly to the Nunnery and then into worship,” Varanis points out. There’s a look of absolute consternation as she realizes that no, she didn’t tell the chief or his wife.
Mellia wanders over, looking healthy, if not quite as healthy as Berra. “Anyone need another dose of hangover cure?”
Berra looks confused. “Can I have another one without having the first?”
“No thank you Lady Mellia, still feeling quite well. Perhaps better than I deserve…” Lenta’s smile is warm, but perhaps a bit uncertain. “And how are you feeling today, mylady?”
“Of course you may, Berra,” replies Mellia. She begins to mix up the nasty stuff. “I am fine, Lady Lenta. I just wish I was certain what to do.”
“No, not asking for any.” Berra holds up her hand as Mellia starts to get to work. “I just wondered if I counted in the question.”
Mellia stops. “You did, Berra.”
“Alright. Thank you but no. The water here is all I need.” The Humakti gives Mellia a pleased smile.1Insight: Berra liked the answer.
Mellia sighs. “I should go tell the trolls about the Chaos. Do we have any good news for them?”
“We do, yeah. We were just talking about that. The shrine up at King’s Tower would be pleased to welcome their Humakti to worship.” Berra nods. “We gotta work out what else we tell them, though. But about the Chaos, sure. Warn them.”
Mellia nods. “Perhaps we should sort out what else I will be telling them. I might need Irillo to come with me. I’m barely able to ask them to pass the mushrooms.”
“Uh, we’re going… alright, maybe you weren’t here for that bit. The big-map plan is we go back to Boldhome to get help for the Chaos, and we deal with the blockage bit.” Berra looks to Lenta for some kind of check there. “The details are things like how we get there. So if we all go down Battle Valley, we see them, and then we go back to Boldhome through the Aranwyth, that seems good. But Varanis will be there, and so will all of us. I can’t stop you going out there alone – but we’re here to …. to stop that. But by helping you.”
Mellia thinks for a moment, then tries to hug Berra. “I am grateful for that, dear friend. I think I may need to postpone going after the Wyter. I’m tempted to go to the Nunnery and ask the White Lady Herself.”
“It’s…” Berra gets hugged, which makes her go rigid for a moment. “Uh… hello. We think – I think, maybe we think – if we can get the blockage dealt with then the Sisters will be awake or at least must more alert and in balance, but it might be a problem with the trolls if it floods things.”
“We had better warn them about that,” said Mellia. “I have been thinking of telling Jaldur Goldentooth. I am not an official anything.”
“That’s one of the big questions,” Berra points out. “What if the trolls caused the blockage?”
“It may be that you need to quest for that wyter before we can deal with the blockage Lady Mellia.” Lenta says quietly “If what Berra suspects of flooding is true, that is. We do not know. Trolls might resent or try to prevent us from doing that if they are behind that.”
Berra winces, as if she has a lot of thoughts about that.
“We’ll have to ask them about the blockage,” Mellia says firmly. “Trolls are not fond of Chaos.”
Berra looks thoughtful. “Mm.” She seems far less than convinced.
- 1Insight: Berra liked the answer.
