Gaggle of Grandparents

Session Sartar Arc 04

1628, Earth Season, Fertility Week

Dramatis Personae

PCs

Berra
Finarvi
Maalira
Serala
Varanis

NPCs

Venna
Dremast (A bodyguard on loan for Maalira)
Grandfather Giland (and some kin)
Grandfather Centaur
Grizzly Peak
A pair of Lunar deserters

Events

Flashback to Maalira catching up: she was talking to Venna, who pointed out that Argrath was capable of sending the Pol Joni to Grazelands for raiding, but wouldn’t because he was nice, and also that he would not insult them by offering them shelter, but that he’d have a lot to talk to Berra about, including their mutual friend Harrek. There was also something about the Straw Weavers and grazing as a potential extra carrot for Maalira. Venna instructed Maalira to bring her friends to see Argrath, and said not to take her greetings to Varanis.

Maalira was given an escort (Dremast), who helped her get on the road. As they were riding, a Humakti from Boldhome caught up with a gift from Eril.1It was a silver snake ring, with the snake eating an opal in the shape of an egg.  She was informed it would sting if her hand picked up anything that would break her geasa if she ate it.  The man looked relieved to have managed to hand it over, in the way that said Lord Eril was taking a personal interest in its delivery.

As they rode on, they encountered a group of Orlanthi who had word of the others, having escorted the group away in the first place, and been asked to return with word of where they had gone – Queen’s Post, to wait for Maalira.

Maalira and her escort managed to get ahead of the others, in part by Dremast knowing the area and in part by the fact Berra had to keep stopping to be sick.  They were having lunch when the others arrived at the river near the Shaker Temple. There was some discussion about swimming and some about joining all the people headed north to fight Lunars.

Berra expressed a desire to go to Drakemere and Varanis mentioned Grizzly Peak.  There was a certain amount of bitching from Serala about going anywhere that involved ducks, but Berra managed to argue her into going near it but not quite all the way, so she did not have to encounter small quacky people.  This happened along with Serala getting a lecture on why you never refer to Duck Hunts.  It did, of course, make sense to go north so that they were not the only people going in the exact opposite direction to everyone else.  It seems that a lot of people were riding to take advantage of their being a broken army just outside the borders.

Berra finally stopped puking long enough to look at the ring that Maalira was gifted by Eril, and say it could be a message to her to stop pissing (puking?) around and get on with things.  It used to belong to a healer called Red Robes; her robes went red because of all secret healing she was doing.  Berra was also sure that her High Sword should not have had that ring and had no way of getting it.

During the bathing and general cleaning up at the river, Varanis may have added crocodiles to the river near the Shaker Temple.2They probably won’t mind at the temple…  Berra was certain she saw them, and that this time they did not vanish like Xenofos had described last time.

And just when things were going so well, Grandfather Giland dropped by to visit, announced by Grandfather Centaur.  Disturbingly his tattoos appeared to be glowing; which was not normal.  He announced to Serala that she was pregnant by informing her that he was pleased that she had brought her unborn child to the Grazelands.  Serala was suitably shocked and reacted as one might expect; by being annoying as she possibly could be.

Either out of care for the unborn child’s destiny, or irritation at Serala, Giland then announced they would all go on a spirit quest.3This does not appear to be optional.  Smoke, herbs and half a badger were involved.  As Berra could not eat vegetables, she had to inhale the smoke instead, and so may have had a different form of vision.

The first thing that Serala saw was Grandfather Centaur arguing with a 40’ wyvern.  She was terrified and apparently doesn’t love her family enough to try and rescue him4Failed on a roll or two there, but definitely passed Fear (Dragons), so she screamed and ran away instead.  This made her spirit leave her body, and she keeled over.

Meanwhile, Maalira found herself at a hospital, where she was in charge.  Extremely competently, it would seem.  There were people and spirits around her, some of the spirits appear to be trying to attack some of the people.  She grabbed hold of one of the spirits, which appeared to her as a Disorder Rune.  And it bit her, before running away laughing through her hospital.  Maalira had a new understanding of how Harmony in a body is opposed by Disorder.

Finarvi was in a strange place.  He felt he was moving really quickly, and then he bounced off a mountain and rolled down it.  The mountain did not seem very happy with this, grumbling like an oversized bear.  He hid in a handy water bottle as the smallest thing he could find nearby, and found himself picked up and taken into battle.  He ended up observing a battlefield after the main event, with a lot of dead people, including one wearing armour he very nearly almost recognised…5Failed INTx5, but he was about to get a big hint..

Serala failed to run away, and realised the wyvern was Grandfather Giland, who was arguing with Grandfather Centaur.  She went with Grandfather Centaur and found a hill with a bulge in the middle.6A Fire/Sky Rune  There was a child there, between a standard and a bow.  The child promptly fell over towards the standard; it was a golden sun standard, all very Yelmic.  Grandfather Centaur didn’t seem impressed by this, saying that the child would need a lot of help to be a leader.  Serala wasn’t convinced her child should be pushed into being a leader if that was not what they were meant to be; however when Grandfather Centaur asked if she would rather spare her child or strengthen her people, she said she always wants to strengthen her people; but not at the expense of forcing her child into being something they shouldn’t be.  Whatever Grandfather Centaur took from this, he galloped into the circle and switched bow and standard, leaving the child close to the former, and then nudging it closer, possibly to make it even better as a warrior.7Omens? Who knows?

Meanwhile Varanis attempted to reach the fallen Serala, and fell through the ground in the process8”You’re not high, of course… roll me a CONx5.”.  She saw a bear fighting the moon as they both menaced a tiny figure below. and decided that since the moon must be Lunar, she had to help the bear. Or the small person, possibly… Even as she tried to reach them, however, the two great forces began to fight, and rained down destruction.  She tried harder to get there, and found herself on a battlefield, picking up a water bottle which had Finarvi in it.  She tipped him out and he was full sized again.

Back at the hospital, Maarlira tended to her bite wound.  And then a wyvern told her he needed to borrow her bison.  It was made clear there was no option – the wyvern left and Maalira woke up.  Most of the party was lying around on the ground, but Berra was walking away to the South-West, so Maalira helpfully went after her before she escaped.  Waking her carefully from her apparent sleepwalk, Maalira asked Berra where she was going.  Berra was apparently heading towards Harrek, but turned back towards the camp when she realised what she was doing, saying that nobody should go in that direction.

Finarvi realised that bear-mountain was likely a representation of Grizzly Peak, and recognised that the body he had seen earlier was wearing the same armour as Varanis – at least, the greaves and vambraces.  Varanis bent to look, only to fall through the ground again.  Finarvi tried to dig for her, and managed to tear away chunks of the ground, destroying the dream-scape.  A wyvern turned up and nudged a bison into the hole, leaving Finarvi9who is also Not Keen on dragons running – luckily he ran straight back into his body.

In the hole, a bison landed on Varanis’s head, knocking her back to her body as well.  Poor Lofty fell over, and Maalira hurried off to comfort her.10The bison, not the Vingan.

Varanis breathed in the smoke in an attempt to get back and see her ancestor again, but Giland kicked out the fire. Giland was not looking at all happy, wanting to know who brought the giant bears with them.  Everyone Didn’t Look at Berra.  Varanis was protesting that she needed to get back to her ancestress; Giland told her to go north.  

Grandfather Giland was clearly still worried, and asked Grandfather Centaur if he could keep them out of trouble; Grandfather Centaur admitted that he could only do it for the next few days; and suggested to Serala that she might want to invite Grandfather Giland along.  She did.  Everyone was overjoyed.

Once en route, Maalira and Finarvi noticed that there were a couple of people heading west in the trees, bucking the trend of everyone heading north. They were obviously trying to hide. The group headed off towards them to investigate.  Serala rode straight past them, but luckily everyone else knew where they were going and she managed to cover up by making out she always intended to get behind them, and looking very martial.

They turned out to be a pair of Lunar deserters who promptly threw themselves on Maalira’s mercy and asked for her protection.  There was a certain amount of debate and questioning, and it was established that the Lunar regiments who did not support Jar-eel’s pick as Emperor were taken to battle, Essentially acting as her battery, as she ate their souls as they died.  She was using them up against enemies in Tarsh.  The blood-letters had, apparently, said out loud that the Granite Regiment were there to die.  After discussion, it was agreed that Skirryik and Faljin would travel with the group, working for and protecting Maalira.11Varanis has Intrigue-related plans for them, mainly in the form of making sure that their intel goes to Tennebris and Eril and anyone else she decides ought to know. This may be an indication that there is low morale amongst a lot of the Lunar forces. She’s also hoping to learn more from these two about military structure and the like. Study the enemy through the enemy. 

Session Quotes

  • 1
    It was a silver snake ring, with the snake eating an opal in the shape of an egg.  She was informed it would sting if her hand picked up anything that would break her geasa if she ate it.
  • 2
    They probably won’t mind at the temple…
  • 3
    This does not appear to be optional.
  • 4
    Failed on a roll or two there, but definitely passed Fear (Dragons)
  • 5
    Failed INTx5, but he was about to get a big hint.
  • 6
    A Fire/Sky Rune
  • 7
    Omens? Who knows?
  • 8
    ”You’re not high, of course… roll me a CONx5.”
  • 9
    who is also Not Keen on dragons
  • 10
    The bison, not the Vingan.
  • 11
    Varanis has Intrigue-related plans for them, mainly in the form of making sure that their intel goes to Tennebris and Eril and anyone else she decides ought to know. This may be an indication that there is low morale amongst a lot of the Lunar forces. She’s also hoping to learn more from these two about military structure and the like. Study the enemy through the enemy.