Session S6-Prax-1

1629, Earth Season, Disorder Week, Waterday-?

Dramatis Personae

Events

The session began with Xenofos, who had spent so long tucked into court records in the library (such that it is in Wilmskirk), that he had lost track of the days. The records were bewildering at times. For example, why had the king demanded a dozen pairs of felt slippers? Perhaps this was a euphemism for Ernalda, her bounty, and her handmaidens?

When he finally pulled himself free of his research, he wandered outside to find the city unnervingly abandoned, though he could hear cheering from somewhere off to the north. Xenofos decided to investigate and made his way to where the north gate would be if there was a north gate. He paused to read the graffitied proposal for the large hole in the wall to be turned into a gate, making sure to read both sides of the argument and all the footnotes. He decided to add his own notes later as he wanted to find out what was going on.

The Farsee spell showed him that some distance out, there was the remains of a funeral pyre, and some cheering crowds and races. Varanis was awarding someone with a wreath, which suggested there were also funeral games, though why a foreign Vingan should be wreathing victors… He decided to approach to learn more. Berra was there, wearing plain clothes and ashes, armed with the iron Wyter sword, but not Wind Tooth or Eril’s sword. Wind Tooth, it turned out, was on the pyre with the remains of Gunda. Artists were squabbling over how to draw Berra. Xenofos agreed with one of them that Berra was a muse.

Once the last of the races wound up, Varanis gave a speech about honouring heroes, even when those heroes were enemies. She managed to make it convincing, and named Gunda, to Xenofos’ surprise. After the speech, he said that it was good to have done it, as Kallyr’s behaviour had been shameful. Berra made arrangements for the pyre site to be buried and the trio returned to the city. Berra and Varanis opted to sleep at their respective temples,³Jengharl would not be happy to have them at the Cinderfox House while Xenofos passed the night at the Ulerian temple.

At the Ulerian temple, Xenofos ate a meal that didn’t just taste of Esrolia, but was more specifically Hulta in nature. Elia, one of the Ulerians, told him that master Jessidan thought he would enjoy it. He went to sleep and then utterly failed to wake on time.

While Varanis had also been fed a Hulta-style meal, she missed the message within the gesture and thus was at the gate to meet Berra bright and early. When they realised that Xenofos was likely still asleep, Varanis went to fetch him and on the way, spotted watchers from House Hulta, who wandered away after she acknowledged them. Curious,⁴suspicious she went to the Ulerian temple where they agreed to wake her cousin, then went hunting for the Hulta. Jessidan was expecting her⁵The food had been a specific invitation, but he had assumed that the Saiciae would understand it. and asked for advice on how to distribute the labourers he’d brought with him. The plan they agreed on included Varanis escorting a farmer called Erenal⁶a follower of Ernalda and the husband-protector Irillo to Grey Rock village.

After they regrouped at the gate, Berra, Xenofos, Varanis, and Erenal set off for Grey Rock. Xenofos noticed that Erenal seemed to like Berra, going so far as to treat her as a woman and offer to help her onto her bison.⁷This is what happens when players ask if NPCs are showing interest in PCs, and the GM rolls randomly. They rode up the King’s Road, without any problems. On the way, Berra told people that they were going to deal with a problem of boundary stones and a potential insult to her people.

Kolyey, a Humakti from the Boldhome Regiment, was sent by the Rune Lord remaining at her Temple to bring messages to Berra and Varanis. She intercepted them not long before they were due to turn off. There was one for Berra from a Sword, advising her that Kolyey was now in the Wyter Priest’s service for a while⁸This was not read out, as it might contain plot hooks later.. Berra read the message, causing Xenofos in particular to stare at her showing new knowledge. The message for Varanis had been sent by Berra, albeit written by a poetic-looking hand, and was an invitation to join her for the visit to Prax that Varanis had already agreed to make.⁹From the table of Lady Berra, to Varanis of Sartar, Lord of Orlanth and Vinga’s Daughter, My greetings bring the respect I own, and no less. I will be passing through Wilmskirk on my way to my lands in the Greyrock Clan, and then to Prax and the Zola Fel. Would you be so kind as to come? My Praxian business may be long and the business in my lands may be difficult. (Berra’s sign) Varanis asked Xenofos to add a reply for her, saying she’d think about it.¹⁰She was joking, but Xenofos never jokes about writing. Berra repeated the information about where they were going for Kolyey’s benefit.

They arrived first at the village of Grey Rock, which is the seat of the clan chief, and passed through it with little more than hails, and arrived before dark at Greyrock Fall. While there, they were made welcome. There were questions about whether or not Dormal would be visiting and does the glowing cow change colour with the season and would Xenofos please write to Dormal to inquire. Harvan, Carasei’s weapon thane, eyeballed Berra and thus Kolyey eyeballed him in return. The party stayed the night peacefully and set out for Berra’s forest hide in the morning.

Varanis wandered off to climb Berra’s escarpment, while the remaining trio carried on to the point where Maalira’s forest meets Berra’s. There they met Harmakt and Nayale, the Humakti siblings that had been sent to scout the land for a watchtower. Young Harmakt had a good proposal for where to place the tower, but also provided a report about boundary stones he believed had been moved and insults delivered by the neighbour. Harmakt was very eager to please, showing off what he had been doing, even though Berra hinted at him to get to the immediate danger. The others could tell that she was carefully having patience with the kittens. Harmakt perked up at the thought of fighting a duel over being called a poacher and being insulted, but Berra told him that this had to wait, as the word poacher might have been uttered by a man who thought it was correct. Everyone was sure that swine-swiver was rude, although Berra noted that this depended on whether the person being called so had ever turned into a pig. Harmakt was annoyed and pointed out that he wanted to duel and he was a good warrior. Berra said he was not, and Harvan might be stepping in.

As Nayale and Harmakt guided them to the boundary stone in question, a little way up the hill, Varanis began chasing squirrels in the trees. They looked the stone over. Xenofos was surprised to find that it had Air carved on it. Harmakt pointed out where he thought there had been some tracks of stone moving. Just beyond the edge of the forest downhill of the stone they could see a field of oats almost ready for harvest. They decided to risk trespassing so that Harmakt could show them where they thought the stone had been originally. Treading carefully to avoid damaging the oat fields, they found the location. It was a shape the size of the stone’s base where the oats seemed to be growing especially tall. Varanis rejoined them with a squirrel in hand, but Berra made her release it. Kolyey was sure that this was all first-season cropping, and the field was new. She and Berra looked over the area on the ground where Harmakt said the stone had been, noting that the crops there grew better, as if it had been in contact with Earth and Fertility, the Runes that would be carved under the stone.

Of the people present, one was catch-releasing a squirrel, four were Humakti, and one was unwilling to move a boundary stone, even if it was in the wrong place, to see what was underneath it. This seemed an entirely reasonable thing to refuse to do.

Xenofos offered to ask the stone, but suggested they speak to Mernana first, as involving the local Ernaldans seemed wise, and this could probably be sorted out without there needing to be any accusations made loudly in court. They set off back to Greyrock Fall. On the way, Berra asked Xenofos to see if he could find ways not to have Harmakt in the duel, because he was young and inexperienced and the opposing side might be represented by Harvan. While Xenofos was sympathetic to this, he pointed out that there had been an insult. Ultimately, Berra agreed with that. In Greyrock Fall they found Green Lady in her garden. She made them welcome with bread, salt, and wine, and heard them out. They decided to return to the boundary stones in the morning with a group of Ernaldans to investigate. Mernana made sure to include some of Jerrick’s kin so that there could be no accusations of bias.

Early the next morning they returned to the forest and fields. While Xenofos offered to have a Humakti apply a Truth spell to him, Mernana demurred, saying that his reputation preceded him. Xenofos cast his spell in front of the witnesses and the stone shared its story with him. It had been moved shortly after Sacred Time. It was dragged some distance before it lost contact with the ground and then it was set into place here, in its new home. Prior to Sacred Time, it had sat in the same place for years. Centuries. Xenofos came to understand that the stone was set upright and carved sometime after the Dragonkill, when it was first put to use as a boundary marker. Prior to this, it had simply lain on the earth. He could have pursued the history back further, but it seemed as though he had enough.

Mernana said that clearly, there had been a movement of the boundary stone, although Xenofos had not been able to tell who had done it, only that the Runes in the area were Air and Movement. The strip of land had to be harvested, and then the stone could be moved afterwards, but the oats would belong to Berra. Mernana asked Berra what she would like done about Jerrick. The Humakti said that any harvest from the land in question could be donated to the Ernaldan Temple. She hoped that there would not be further conflict, though the insult to her people remained to be addressed. The group set off for Greyrock Fall once more.

• 1
  GM for part of session
• 2
  tricked into being GM for part of session
• 3
  Jengharl would not be happy to have them at the Cinderfox House
• 4
  suspicious
• 5
  The food had been a specific invitation, but he had assumed that the Saiciae would understand it.
• 6
  a follower of Ernalda and the husband-protector Irillo
• 7
  This is what happens when players ask if NPCs are showing interest in PCs, and the GM rolls randomly.
• 8
  This was not read out, as it might contain plot hooks later.
• 9
  From the table of Lady Berra, to Varanis of Sartar, Lord of Orlanth and Vinga’s Daughter, My greetings bring the respect I own, and no less. I will be passing through Wilmskirk on my way to my lands in the Greyrock Clan, and then to Prax and the Zola Fel. Would you be so kind as to come? My Praxian business may be long and the business in my lands may be difficult. (Berra’s sign)
• 10
  She was joking, but Xenofos never jokes about writing.