1628, Fire Season, Stasis Week (ish)
Context
In Lunar Tarsh. During Session 3.15 (Because I’m Batman).
The party was continuing to Stopover, but Berra didn’t want Varanis to go further into Lunar Tarsh, especially when Onjur would soon realise that they aren’t necessarily falling in with his plans. When Varanis wasn’t keen, Valseena shamed her into leaving. She tried to slip away, having made up her mind about what she was doing, only to find her cousin in pursuit.
Events
“Why did you follow?” Varanis growls when Xenofos catches up.
“Two is safer than one.”
“You should go back to Berra and the others. There’s still time to catch them up. It’ll be safer for you.”
“You don’t need anyone to hold your hand but two blades is better than one if they are needed.” He looks around, “Or I can slow down pursuit if that is needed.”
“He’s not going to pursue me,” she says.
“His minions might…”
As they near the edge of the Nevala Ridge, she turns off the road and heads northwest.
“You have a plan? This is not the way towards Sartar, Ranie…”
“I know. I warned you to stay with the others,” she tells him.
He sighs and looks at the mane of his horse. “I would have hoped to see the child… So you thought you were going alone?”
She glares at him. “I didn’t ask you to come with me. You were supposed to survive this.”
“Well, here I am…”
“Go home. Go see your children. Look after my daughter.”
“Are you going to hell Ranie?”
She shrugs. “If I have to. I need to know more. I need to know what he’s up to.”
“So you bloody need to, and do you really think this is the way to find it?”
“Yes. How else could I do it? Everyone else was determined to return to Boldhome.” She’s holding onto her temper by a thread. “I can’t explain it – I have to do what I can.”
“And they were right and I strongly advice you against it my lady. But I will not let you go alone, Ranie.” Xenofos says.
“You’re going to follow me wherever I go, aren’t you?” she asks.(My dice are being super helpful today. I just got a special on Love Xenofos.)
“Maybe not always, but now? Yes.”
She sighs. “I won’t go in the cave, then. Just closer? Try to see what he’s got planned.”
Xenofos blinks “No? I did not expect…”
“I’m not entirely stupid, you know,” she tells him. “I just want to get the lay of the land.”
He nods.
