Berra asked Serala to help her buy a horse, and in fact ended up buying the one she had been borrowing on D’Val’s word. With everyone else, and Mellia following along behind, they rode up towards Wilmskirk. On the way, they found evidence that D’Val had passed by; a dead bandit and a wounded man who claimed he was not a bandit, and had been saved by a hero that came past. Berra was impatient, and once she decided she did not want to kill him, she got back onto her horse (a couple of times) and let the others decide. They healed him rather than killing him, and he ended up on Berra’s horse on the way to Wilmskirk while she sat on the back of Billy. In the inn where they arrived, Berra was incredibly surprised to be chatted up by someone who sat down beside her. She threw her drink in his face and Rajar lobbed a table towards the man’s friends, knocking him over. In the sudden aghast silence, Berra called for more beer, and managed to defuse the situation, leaving Rajar incredibly confused.

In the morning, Mellia caught up with everyone else, and Berra departed, going West to Duck Point. She was 4 hours behind at the end of the first day, according to the wagoners she talked to, and not far behind once she got to the walls. She talked with a Humakti Duck to ask directions to the temple, and learned a little about D’Val – he was apparently famous here, but not well liked. At the temple, which looked like it had been rededicated to Humakt with extreme prejudice, she tied up her horse at a rack that could have held at least a hundred, and didn’t. Inside, she saw ducks listening to the argument that D’Val was having. There was a lot of accusation and shouting. When she went in, D’Val and a Mandarin Death Duck were shouting at each other about D’Val’s behaviour in leaving Duck Point, but they both looked at her after a moment.

She said that she had performed the Hero-Quest, and explained the circumstances. This seemed to help defuse the situation, as the Mandarin Goth questioned why a young Initiate had done that, and not D’Val, and while nobody mention Eril’s name, there was a generalised understanding of what had happened. The Mandarin released D’Val, and they walked out with Berra in D’Val’s wake. They went for beer and the polite refusal of further company from the duck hostess. Berra noted that ‘disliked Ducks’ did not really fully cover Eril’s animosity towards D’Val, but agreed that yes, she had been warned that he disliked Ducks.

Berra explained about the situation, including Rajar casting Berserk, and her snapping out of it to collapse. She showed him the beast mark bruised onto her forehead. He had absolutely no idea what it meant, or what she had done mystically. D’Val did relieve Berra’s mind, telling her that it was not religiously inappropriate to have Dullblade cast upon her for a ritual such as she was attempting. She then went back off towards Boldhome, distractedly turning down an offer for ‘Quackie Quackie’ without fully processing it. The full horror of Duck Point is still to hit her.

Quotes:

“What we will be doing today is what’s generally known as ‘Last week’s plot.'” – GM

“I do not intend to eat the horse.” – Berra

“Fast horse then?”- Serala
“Horse that I can ride relatively easily.”- Berra
“Oh, a SLOW horse, then.”- Serala.

“You want a horse that is….” – GM
“…placid…” – Serala
“…reliable.” – GM

“There are a couple that come into this category. One of which is the horse she has been riding.” – GM “…And the horse you rode in on.” – Nala

“You talk a very good bargain, but I’d still like you to stop talking.” – Berra

“Wait until Berra is nearly finished …. threatening… bargaining…” – Serala

*rolls to derail plot again* – Berra

“I am not afraid to get back on again.” – Berra

“One bandit? Duck sized?” – Berra
“… Hundreds!” – Suspected Bandit

“While I know we should kill bandits, given that the luck god has so comprehensively smiled on this one…” – Berra

*discussion of execution*
“I’m right here, you know.” – Suspected Bandit

“This heroic warrior drove them off.” – Edart
“Heroic warrior duck, but any chance?” – Nala
*sigh* “Yes, heroic warrior /duck/.” – Edart

“You are cold. You are wet. Billy smells of Bison…” – GM

“The fact you pass a rock with three slashes on indicates either that someone is harmonious in the nearby area…” – GM
“Or it’s three hundred metres to the next exit.” – Nala

“What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” – Local
“Considering the truth rune of Humakt.” – Berra

*97/38* – Berra fails at Intimidate

“Berra is obviously so confused she can’t give it her best death threats.” – Berra

“Humakt always tells the truth, and lemme tell you, those hips don’t lie?” – Villager
*massive theological confusion* – Berra

“Look over to Serala. ‘This should be fun.'” – Rajar
“Serala is not looking pained. She’s just looking.” – Serala

“I’m going to have my empty ale mug in my right hand, and I’m going to slightly heft the table in my left hand, Just in case.” – Rajar

“I’m going to throw the drink in his face halfway through what he’s saying.” – Berra
“Hurrah! I’m going to pick up the table and lob it at his mates!” – Rajar

“Do you /have/ a skill ‘throw table’?” – GM
“Not exactly, no….” – Rajar

“I’m going to buy everyone a beer, and then ask about sleeping here for the night. Common room or private room, doesn’t matter.” – Berra
“Rajar looks sort of puzzled.” – Rajar
“This isn’t how a bar fight is supposed to go.” – Nala

“I might have left already… actually, you know, moving Rajar away from Billy so I can get to the stables probably wouldn’t have worked.” – Berra

“Stop asking the Storm Bull to think!” – Berra

“It’s Orlanth’s sacred fluids falling down to fertilise the earth.” – GM
“Come again?” – Berra
*wince* – GM

“I throw a rock over it.” – Nala
“You throw a rock… And over to you, Berra.” – GM
[SCENE]
“Aaaaand the rock lands.” – GM

( What in the hell did he mean about hips? ) O o . Berra

“You keep seeing ducks up on the battlements.” – GM
“I bet they’re up on little boxes.” – Berra

“I’ll stop to ask directions for the Temple of Humakt, leaning down to speak to a Duck.” – Berra
“Hail, sister in Humakt!” – Duck

“We don’t have Deveval here often.” – Humakti Duck
“Deveval?” – Berra
“D’Val…” – Humakti Duck

“He’s not well liked.” – Humakti Duck
“Well, he is a duck.” – Serala

“If you can avoid him getting offended and killing everyone, that would be appreciated.” – Duck
“I think he will only be angry with me.” – Berra
“You get the idea he’s waving a little flag.” – GM

*awed looks* – Berra at the temple of Humakt in Duck Point

“The frescoes have been chiselled out and replaced with repeated truth and death runes. ‘Rededicated with extreme prejudice.’” – GM

“Have you ever seen a Mandarin duck?” – GM
“No, I don’t think I ever have.” – Berra
“This is a Mandarin duck, but he’s gothed up…” – GM

“Somebody who is not D’Val is accusing him of being a traitor, abandoning his family, his clan, his clutch, running away, not doing his duty by the Marsh ducks… D’Val says he would do his work according to how Humakt showed him, and that’s why he’s allowed to remain alive, and if he’d wanted to be High Priest here, he damned well would have been.” – GM

“And you didn’t do this quest, D’Val.” – Geoffri
*silence* – D’Val
“He was not available..” – Berra
“Why was he not available?” – Geoffri
*more silence* – D’Val
“He was sent away.” – Berra
“Sent away.” – Geoffri
*hand signal meaning leave it, Eril is not worth it* – D’Val
“Yes.” – Berra

“Am I going to need a drink?” – D’Val
“I need a drink.” – Berra

“And do you want some company later?” – Duckess
“No, we prefer to be alone.” – Human woman with Duck

“I think Eril tried to do the same thing to me with the Heroquest as he did to you by sending you here.” – Berra

“He underestimates my tribe. I exiled myself. I wasn’t exiled.” – D’Val
*low whistle* – Berra
… “I can go back. I choose not to.” – D’Val

“There was a lot of rain. It could have been the Orlanthi rain magic. It could have been the spirits could get close and bring rain.” – Berra
“Or it could have been that Orlanth was able to change his aspect from Warrior to Farmer.” – D’Val
( Phew ) O o . Berra

“It’s a bit hard to think right now…” – Berra sweeps away forelock to show bruised-on Beast Rune – Berra
*facepalm* – D’Val

“I… have… no idea what you did… You’ve been Stamped by the Beast. I don’t know what it means, or how long it’ll stay.” – D’Val
“I keep thinking how good it would be to be Rajar, in battle. I’m trying not to.” – Berra
“Good.” – D’Val
“I had a theological question.” – Berra
“And that wasn’t it?” – D’Val

“Now, you had another quest…” – D’Val
*brief panic* – Berra

“That was the brush-off, wasn’t it?” – Berra
“Trust me, you’re getting the better side of the bargain.” – D’Val

( HOW IN HELL CAN A DUCK WHISTLE? ) O o . Berra