Session Sartar Arc 02

1628, Earth Season, Fertility Week, Waterday to Clayday

Dramatis Personae

Events

As told by Serala:

In news – Varanis knows what is going on, politically.  Koraki is in charge and has invited his two good friends, Kallyr and Argrath, to play..  Excellent.¹She is also feeling quite loyal to Kallyr.  Serala also ‘knows’ what is going on.  She firmly believe that Kallyr is trying to make nice with Argrath and the two of them are going to be joint leaders.  

Everyone is making their final day of preparations.  Serala and Varanis, along with any friends (all of them, of course, except Berra, who is busy according to the messenger when queried) are invited to visit Koraki.  

Koraki asks Serala to lead some of his cavalry, and she is glad to accept, along with Finarvi.  He also offers Maalira a battle trained white pony, which Serala pushes her to accept, even if Maalira is a bison rider.  Battle trained ponies are never to be sneezed at in her world.  Koraki and Varanis have some words about how long Varanis can remain flying above the battle and then everyone – except Maalira – is dismissed.  Lurking outside the door from Varanis then ensues.

Koraki checks in with Maalira that she can restore life to people if need be.  And ensures she knows that might be required.

The evening is spent sorting out armour and chilling around the campfire.  Also summoning Grandfather, and casting any other early protective spells.

The next morning, Varanis goes to visit Koraki, who is with an Ernaldan called Lithera, who gives some extra protection on Varanis.  

Finarvi and Serala go to meet the troops and learn the plan.  The Plan:  Charge!

The more nuanced version:  Charge, at the right moment, in the right direction.  

Until then, keep everyone balanced and ready to go.

Maalira is in the hospital tent, ready to save lives, reattach limbs, all the usual stuff that White Ladies do at these moments.  Her first objective is triage.

While calmly waiting, the group spy lots of Praxian riders, mostly with their mounts painted white.  There is also a phalanx of Grazelander and others, all Yelmanians though front and centre.

Humakti to the left, cavalry to the right.

Sartar army as reserves.

Koraki has plenty of bodyguards, as is right for a leader who clearly plans on being in the thick of the battle.

On the other side, we can spy the ludicrously beautiful figure of Jar-eel surrounded by red garbed warriors.

The sky darkens and an army of Praxian spirits arrives.  Grandfather Centaur says that all of Prax must be empty; but he remains at Serala’s side.  

Koraki asks Varanis to check in on a chap who appears to be seeding panic, through his own terror.²She successfully calms him down.  

And we chaaaaaarge!

Finarvi makes a beautiful charge, perfect placement, perfect hit.  Unlike Serala who manages to end up on the flank and misses her target completely.  Sense would say to flee, but she stays, determined not to let her side down.  Varanis comes in flying and hits her target.  A decent charge, and then it turns into more of a melee.

The melee starts well, with none of Our Heroes being hit, Finarvi parrying and Serala using her shield when attacked.  Right until Varanis swoops down to attack and takes a sword to the head.³Critical hit to the head! Lithera’s shield spell is the only thing that prevented Varanis from dying instantly.

Disaster.

DISASTER.

Serala and Finarvi spin to go to Varanis.  Finarvi does some brilliant riding and is close on Serala’s heels; Serala is oblivious to everyone around her, blocking with her shield when needed, luckily Pagliaci is as brilliant as ever, taking out anyone who tries to get in the way.

Back at the healing tent, Maarlira notices that the guards around the tent are being distracted by Jar-eel beginning to dance.  Or is that Dance, with a capital ‘Daaaaah’?  She calms down the distracted people and gets them focused on jobs they need to do.

Meanwhile Finarvi reaches Varanis first and heals her enough to bring her back to consciousness.  Varanis very sensibly takes off into the air and heads for the healers, while Finarvi and Serala retreat to regather their troops so they can go and hit more Lunars.

Making it back safely to the tent, Varanis finds Maalira who has just finished sending a talking horse to the magic healers….(!?)  Maalira gets someone else to take over the triage while she tends to the impatient Varanis.  

Jar-eel is death incarnate on the battlefield, unstoppable.  Unstoppable, that is, until Eril steps in, with his glowing armour, as unstoppable as Jar-eel.  She diverts in her dance to go towards him, saving the main bulk of the Phalanx of Yelmalio. He doesn’t actually reach Jar-eel as Harrek the Beserk appears in the Humakti Regiment and starts storming towards her. Harrek gets there first.

A golden cloak coalesces around Jar-eel.

Maalira is still healing people, but starting to struggle as the Death on the battlefield counters the Life of the healing.  

And then Harrek rips Jar-eel apart.  And, with Berra in tow, heads for the Emperor’s tent.  The tide of the battle is now firmly flowing against the Lunars.

There is another charge. Serala takes down an opponent but leaves her lance behind in the process.  Finarvi misses but keeps up with the charge.  Varanis is attacked but it doesn’t inconvenience her at all, as she cleaves the leg off her attacker with her flaming sword before heading upwards once again.  Finarvi is attacked but parries before handing Serala his lance, being generous like that.

In search of Berra, Varanis heads off to Eril.  He informs Varanis that Berra is in a place of red silk and blood, which definitely doesn’t sound good.⁴Varanis decides this is probably the Lunar emperor’s tent.  Eril says to establish a beachhead, a message which Varanis passes on to Serala, who goes to lead her cavalry in that direction.

Maalira gets a message from a Humakti runner to go with them; requested by Eril.  On reaching him, she sees he is wounded, a gash on his thigh which he doesn’t seem concerned by.  One captain ‘Korak’, and other Windlords take her with them, arriving at the remains of the red silk camp just behind Varanis, Finarvi and Serala.

Serala spots Berra in the remains of a red silk tent, soaked in something that is like-yet-unlike mead.⁵She has drunk about half a gallon of brandy, after Harrek gave it to her.  She is very very unconscious and even Maalira struggles to make sense of what is going on.  Varanis ‘realises’ that they need to make her sick and feed her and generally make her get rid of the poison.

Lots of people decide to start turning up to ‘protect’ Berra, ‘Captain Korak’ informs Serala.  On her ‘orders’ he lets through a single representative of each camp.  Maalira blocks the Praxians, Varanis blocks the Aldur Chur contingent and Serala makes an executive decision to take Berra back to the healer camp.  Where she is generally treated, fed activated charcoal, etc.

The next day….  Politics will happen!

• 1
  She is also feeling quite loyal to Kallyr.
• 2
  She successfully calms him down.
• 3
  Critical hit to the head! Lithera’s shield spell is the only thing that prevented Varanis from dying instantly.
• 4
  Varanis decides this is probably the Lunar emperor’s tent.
• 5
  She has drunk about half a gallon of brandy, after Harrek gave it to her.