Xenofos — The Hunt And The Feast

1627, Dark Season

Context

Around High Holy Day of Eiritha as celebrated by the Strawweaver clan. [[[s02:session-55|Session 55]]]

Spoilery for those not in Prax, common gossip to those with Straw weavers

Events

In next couple of weeks Xenofos visits the yurt shared by Neela and twins several times with no discussion of the future.

He will wait.¹ passed int check She will talk when she feels she is ready.

Nearly two weeks after Xenofos arrived with Rajar’s party, there is a lot of activity in and around the yurt that Neela lives in.

Xenofos notes this. He does not try to approach the yurt himself, but keeps an eye on it. He tries to appear casual and maybe calm himself by playing his cithara. Too bad he does not seem to remember more than short bits of any songs.² 94 not a fumble but clearly he is not concentrating on the playing

A party of men gather.³ GM -likely including Rajar and Suuraki, to be honest Dakajeel comes by to collect Xenofos. “Come. We hunt now.”

Scribe puts away his cithara. “Hunt? Now?”

“Now.”

Scholar seems a bit disoriented, with his eyes nailed to the distant yurt. “But. What if…”

The warrior doesn’t leave Xenofos room to argue. He simply hauls him to his feet. If the scholar doesn’t cooperate, he’ll find himself out hunting with his cithara in hand and no cloak.

Xenofos grabs his cloak and javelins and mounts his zebra.
As they ride out he keeps on looking back at the village.

The hunting party is boisterous, which is likely why it takes so long for them to be successful at finding game. Xenofos is kept busy for the entire day.⁴ fail scan, appropriately enough, ride well, pass javelin… he ight even catch something after it is pointed to him

It is near dark before the party turns back to the Straw Weaver camp.

Xenofos lets his zebra wander into van of the little troop and keeps on slowly increasing the its pace.⁵ GM -I don’t feel like grabbing my Bestiary just yet, so let’s assume some suitable game has been hunted.

Dakajeel brings his bison along one side of the zebra. Another, older warrior rides up on the other. “Be easy. Eiritha aids our women,” the older man rumbles. “If you fear near her, you make child fearful. Straw Weavers have no fear.”

Xenofos looks at the older warrior. He closes his eyes, breathes slowly in and out and slows his zebra down. ⁶Pass stasis.

When they ride into camp, things are calmer around Saberak’s yurt. The sound of women’s voices singing comes from within. Elsewhere in the camp, preparations are being made for a shared meal. Xenofos is guided to a yurt where the men gather. There is alcohol and food. Songs. Much boasting of past hunts and other good things. No talk of babies and definitely no talk of bad things.

Xenofos tries to remember a song suitable for the occasion, but seems to fail in getting started.⁷ Fail sing…

He is given more kumiss. The Praxians seem set on helping him drink himself insensible.

Xenofos is not really doing his part on getting mindlessly drunk. He is slowly getting the hang of the theme of the evening, laughing at jokes, praising valorous deeds, beating rhythm to the songs. ⁸ passed harmony ⁹ GM – Basically, you’ve got 3 options – get drunk and pass out, sleep where you are, or party all night X- hmmm – I suppose enough kumiss will be drunk to force some con rolls – how far would you say. He is misplacing some cups because he is not concentrating but I would think if the company is really trying they can make sure he drinks quite a lot. GM- It’s a concentrated effort. From their perspective if they can knock him out, they don’t have to worry about the foreigner messing things up. X – I aim for option 3, but which con rolls would that require? GM- are the Dark Season nights longer X- Oh dear GM Start with a con 5

Xenofos is getting red faced and louder. Timing of his laughter is a bit off. On the plus side his Praxian is clearer. ¹⁰ buahahaaa – fail first one … 95 on to roll 85 or less. GM Ok. You’re drunk, but not passed out yet. However, the next roll will be con*3 instead of 4 because of that. Pass con 3

More food and more kumiss is passed around. It is still only a few hours after Yelm set.¹¹ fail second con3

Warmth of the yurt is starting to take a toll after the day of riding out in the open.

By the time the middle of the night arrives, the party has become loud and boisterous. Despite the noise, a few of the warriors and hunters have fallen asleep, leaning on their comrades. More kumiss is shared among those still awake.

Xenofos waves the kumiss away even though he is nodding on his seat.

Dakajeel drops into a newly vacated space beside Xenofos. “Tell me about Alda Chur!” the warrior demands with the enthusiasm of the young. He is shouted down immediately. No talk of death. An argument in Praxian begins and Xenofos can make out bits of it. It seems that Dakajeel thinks that talking of battle will make the babe a strong warrior, but everyone else says it is bad luck. He subsides and launches into a hunting song instead.

Xenofos is not unhappy of this change in topic, but can not articulate that thought in Praxian. For a while he looks at his right hand with apprehension, closes his eyes, takes a sip of kumiss and looks at the yurt with again with a smile.¹² Starting to remember the dead, thinking thoughts of fertility and love and remain on that mood… pass fertility.

His cup is refilled for him after the sip, even if it didn’t need much refilling.¹³ con 2? 26 that is a pass GM-Curse you! Here, have more kumiss!

“Are you trying to get me drunk? Itsh working.”

“Yes,” one of the Praxians says. “Drink more. I want sleep.”

There are jokes and comments throughout the yurt. Again, the alcohol seems to make it easier for Xenofos to make sense of it. Anyone who has fallen asleep before the skinny Esrolian will be mocked the next day. Some of the men are impressed that he’s lasted as long as he has.

“Well if you keep company for thish one.” Xenofos raises his cup towards the speaker and downs it.¹⁴ down the hatch and fail con 2

At this point, it would feel nice to lean on that shoulder next to him. Maybe close his eyes for a few minutes.

Xenofos raises his finger and starts to explain something, but before that he lets his heavy eyelids close, just for a second.

• 1
  passed int check
• 2
  94 not a fumble but clearly he is not concentrating on the playing
• 3
  GM -likely including Rajar and Suuraki, to be honest
• 4
  fail scan, appropriately enough, ride well, pass javelin… he ight even catch something after it is pointed to him
• 5
  GM -I don’t feel like grabbing my Bestiary just yet, so let’s assume some suitable game has been hunted.
• 6
  Pass stasis.
• 7
  Fail sing…
• 8
  passed harmony
• 9
  GM – Basically, you’ve got 3 options – get drunk and pass out, sleep where you are, or party all night X- hmmm – I suppose enough kumiss will be drunk to force some con rolls – how far would you say. He is misplacing some cups because he is not concentrating but I would think if the company is really trying they can make sure he drinks quite a lot. GM- It’s a concentrated effort. From their perspective if they can knock him out, they don’t have to worry about the foreigner messing things up. X – I aim for option 3, but which con rolls would that require? GM- are the Dark Season nights longer X- Oh dear GM Start with a con 5
• 10
  buahahaaa – fail first one … 95 on to roll 85 or less. GM Ok. You’re drunk, but not passed out yet. However, the next roll will be con*3 instead of 4 because of that. Pass con 3
• 11
  fail second con3
• 12
  Starting to remember the dead, thinking thoughts of fertility and love and remain on that mood… pass fertility.
• 13
  con 2? 26 that is a pass GM-Curse you! Here, have more kumiss!
• 14
  down the hatch and fail con 2