Varanis — 1626 0942 Inquietude
????, Storm Season, Disorder Week
Context
Storm Season, Disorder Week, Clay Day. After [[[s02:session-24|Session 24]]].
Straw Weaver Bison Camp, somewhere in Prax.
Following the [http://journeyoftheheroes.wikidot.com/varanis:1626-0940-interrogation interrogation] of her prisoner, Varanis is experiencing serious disquiet.
Events
Once her prisoner is safely settled, Varanis makes for the perimeter of camp at a brisk pace. She passes Berra en route and says, “I’m going for a walk. You’re welcome to come if you want, but you don’t have to.”
Berra considers, doesn’t, then catches up at a jog a few moments later. She stays silent.
As she reaches the perimeter, Varanis turns to follow its well-worn path, rather than leave camp. She is moving quickly enough that Berra probably has to work a little to keep up.1Before I add more description, want to try an insight roll? Failed, alas.
Berra tags along, the loyal little ball and chain.
It’s some time before Varanis breaks both stride and silence. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs quietly. “I’ve left you somewhere between a walk and a run. I just… Berra, I hated that.” The steady fall of the rain has plastered her hair to her head.
Berra laughs, “Any time you want to take a long walk with me, let me set the pace,” she says. She speeds up a little, gets in front of Varanis, and then walks backwards. “I was nervous. He doesn’t know this, but I wouldn’t draw a blade on Rajar first. Not when I should just stop him without. So yeah, a bit nervy away from the prisoner too.”
“I was worried I’d need to stop him. I’d accepted that boy’s surrender and I couldn’t let Rajar torture him. And when I finally got a good look at him…. that rider really is barely more than a boy. I mean, I don’t know Impala riders at all really, but he looked like his voice had probably only just settled.” Disgust and anger fill her voice. Impatiently, she pushes her hair from her face.
Berra shrugs. “He still chose to fight. He was old enough to make that decision. And he managed to learn not to without dying. Lucky boy.”
“But he was under my protection and I let that go beyond where it should have. He thought I meant to have him killed!” Thunder booms in the distance.
Berra looks up. “That might be the Storm Khan coming for vengeance given just how badly he screwed up.” She looks back at Varanis. “I’ve thought about this. I don’t think we harmed him. If he’s scared, he’ll learn. If he’s terrified, he’ll never do this again.”
“Mellia would have been ashamed of me. He was wounded and I left him sitting on the cold ground in the rain for what? An hour or more? And then I let Rajar threaten him with horrible things.” The Vingan shivers. “You don’t think he’d really do it, do you? Eat a person?”
“No, although he’d show off when he’s angry. I… I think he’d …. um, he’s wild. He looks fluffy, but that anger underneath is real. He’d forget what he was doing. Not easily. And he’d have hacked that man apart given the chance. It was real. But I don’t think the eating bit was real.”
Varanis looks unhappy. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to need to choose between Rajar and my own sworn word. I would have lost either way.” She shakes her head, water streaming down her face. “The rain is getting heavier. You look like a drowned rat.”
“I know. If I draw my sword, I have to sever from the clan. But I made this choice back when you wrestled. That’s when I first saw it in him. Remember he’s… Praxian. He sees vengeance as a thing more important than ransom.” Berra, small as a rat, says nothing about how Varanis looks.
“Do you think we got everything the boy knows?”
Berra nods. “Everything we thought of asking… Let’s go find the drum? It was broken but I want to see if it’s got any matrixes on it.” Matrixes. Heortling peasant.
“Alright, but I think we should give it to Nala if it does. It’s her realm of expertise, rather than ours.”
“Oh, yeah. Definitely. And it makes sense she killed him, although I don’t know.” Berra shrugs, and looks up at the rain, getting her hair briefly washed into her eyes. “This might be the Storm Khan, though. So first, go warn Chief Gallaf about what that boy said.”
Varanis nods. “We’ll drip on Gallaf’s floors though. I don’t know about you, but I’m soaked through.”
“He’s used to rain. We’ll let him know, or I will if you want to go see to the drum. Make sure nobody uses it for firewood, and I’ll be the one who looks funny in his yurt.” Berra shrugs to that, like she completely does not care.
“Hmm. Under normal circumstances, it might be better for Rajar to report to his khan. But, there may be some urgency here too. Let’s go. We’ll drip on his floors and somehow I’ll figure out how to not sound like I’m trying to usurp Rajar’s place.” A determined look comes into her eyes as she turns to head back into the camp.2For the record, GM asked for an INT roll. V rolled 8.
“You can send me if I’m a warrior, or I can go tell one of his warriors,” Berra suggests, but she is already trotting that way, bouncing off the tough plants and picking a way over the firmest of the footing.
“I can’t just pass responsibilities off on you all the time, Berra.”3Ironically, Varanis’ player does just that a few minutes later when real life interfered with roleplay.
“Nah, but you do pick’em.” Berra, in her bronze armour without her helmet, her padding soaked, gives little indication of how dangerous she can be. For one, she is trying whether she can hop on her left foot between tussocks. Answer: yes, and she looks good doing it.4Special on a DEX roll to try to sprain her ankle. Alas, just bouncy.
“This one is mine, but come with me to fill in details as needed?”
- 1Before I add more description, want to try an insight roll? Failed, alas.
- 2For the record, GM asked for an INT roll. V rolled 8.
- 3Ironically, Varanis’ player does just that a few minutes later when real life interfered with roleplay.
- 4Special on a DEX roll to try to sprain her ankle. Alas, just bouncy.
