Session Sartar Arc 06
1628, Earth Season, Fertility Week, Fireday to Godday and onward
Dramatis Personae
PCs
Berra (Humakt)
Finarvi (Issaries)
Maalira (guarding the bodies)
Serala (Yelmalio)
Varanis (Vinga)
NPCs
Grandfather Giland (Daka Fal)
Salanatar the Unlucky
Sarakt, Sarokos, Derulf, Kalstar, and Hofal Bear-Claw
6000 spirits from Grizzly Peak
Events
There was a brief discussion of how to proceed with dealing with the dead Lunar Tarshites. As they started, a pile of bowls for the funeral tipped over and cracked. They checked in with Giland to find out if this was an omen, leading to a noisy debate. Finally, the shaman sat down to tell a story, which turned out to be a HeroQuest.
Many generations ago, there was a great battle, a mighty battle; multitudes fell and were left to find their own way to the realms of the spirits. They did not all succeed. There were many lost souls, enough to cause a stirring of the elements on the battlefield. No man, woman or child could stand there without their hearts quailing. This situation was… unacceptable.
So Issaries came to the spirits and brought them to his side, showing them the silver path that leads to the Halls of Ty Kora Tek.
Issaries gathered guards in the form of Orlanth’s household and led the spirits onto the road. Ever watchful of the path ahead, the god saw the beckoning silver line darken to a beaten copper hue and knew that peril was imminent.
In the glow of starlight, they are attacked by the creatures of dark and fire as they foresaw; Orlanth’s brave household relish the fierce battle, although not all remain unscathed; the skills of ever-gentle Chalana Arroy having saved them from falling to the dark themselves.
On reaching the Courts of the Dead, Daka Fal judges the dead and they move on to their rightful place.
Finarvi was not keen on doing any sort of HeroQuest around so many spirits, but everyone else was pretty set on it. Giland was “helpful”.
They worked together to prepare the corpses. Varanis knew the Esrolian Orlanthi rituals, which mostly worked right up until one of the decapitated heads started crying blood. The Vingan was distressed, so Giland got her stoned. Finarvi fetched poles for a tent, while Berra dug a pit for a fire. Finarvi and Varanis went hunting for rocks and somehow everything came together.
Varanis found a rock. It’s pretty. So pretty. It has sparkles.
After a bit of choking on smoke and such, they all ended up in the Hero Plane and dealing with some spirits. Vinga decided that they needed to go see Aunt Ty Kora Tek. Humakt explained that they were dead. One of the spirits came to the conclusion that they were murdered and wanted justice. Issaries puzzled over what to do and then remembered that it was his job to guide the dead for judgment.
Salanatar the Unlucky was acting as the spokesman for the dead1his small group, not everyone at Grizzly Peak and he accused Vinga of killing them all. She denied it,2while Varanis feels guilty, she’s not here right now but agreed to submit herself to judgment when they got there.
Meanwhile, Humakt/Berra came to the conclusion that all the spirits should come. After a bit of prodding, Vinga agreed to speak to the mob. By the time she was done, even the slumbering dead had woken up to follow her.
En masse, they followed Issaries. They came to a place where there was darkness. Humakt cast Find Enemies on himself and Elmal and discovered that there was one in the darkness beyond. Humakt’s followers stayed on guard, while Humakt and companions headed off into the dark.
After a time, Vinga suggested the (Y)elmal(io) could just light things up a bit. He sheepishly did so and they could see some kind of Darkness creature. Salantar and Vinga flew at the thing and got swallowed up by it. They poked at it from the inside, Salanatar more effectively than Vinga.
Humakt attacked, getting swallowed up in the Darkness too. Salanatar and Humakt drop, unconscious. Vinga had enough and killed the thing. Issaries glued Salanatar’s head back on.3Sadly, the spell wore off before he woke Issaries manifested his mule more solidly to load Salanatar onto it. Meanwhile, Vinga chivvied the spirits through the place of darkness and out the other side. To get Humakt moving, she cast flight on him and guided his floating body along.
When Humakt woke, he was grumpy and summoned the North Wind. Vinga was pleased and took it for herself, then sent it ahead to announce to the Court of Silence that they were en route.
At the Court of Silence, they encountered a heavily robed Daka Fal, with a face like a mirror. Beneath it all was Giland, who looked a little pained by the whole thing. Wind-ruffled and somewhat overwhelmed by the volume of labour in front of him.
Vinga presented herself for justice first, confident that she had committed no murder. Daka Fal called Issaries as witness first. He presented his account of the brief battle. Humakt followed, but more as Berra than Humakt. Unfortunately for Varanis, she fought her way free of Vinga enough to incriminate herself. Salanatar accused Varanis of murder again. He argued that blood would only flow in the presence of a murderer, but Daka Fal and Humakt denied this. The god then turned his gaze on a group of other spirits who eventually admitted that they might have been involved. Daka Fal ruled that Salanatar was murdered, but not by the living. Salanatar argued, but Daka Fal silenced him.
Salanatar accepted the judgment, agreed to go on to Ty Kora Tek, and gave Issaries his sword as thanks for guidance. Humakt gave a dagger to the Orlanthi. Varanis was told to go to the Temple of Orlanth once a season for a year and recite the names of the dead there.
Berra asked how they would get out and Giland said he’d sort it, then blew sand in their faces. When they came to again, it was to find themselves in Indrodar’s Necklace, on the Lismelder lands. Maalira and her two Lunars were there, sleeping, but none of their mounts or gear had come with them, unless they’d carried it into the quest with them.
Session Quotes
“I suppose I should get the other logs up on the website.” -Varanis
“No, keep them secret!” – Serala
“Any volunteers to take notes tonight? I’m slack!” – Serala before actually admitting she is going to run the session
“I am planning to put in my usual effort for note-taking.” – usual GM, before admiting she is not going to run it
( This guy is getting on my oil-wick… ) o . Berra
“Grandfather’s only fault, his modesty.” – Salanatar
“Looks like you’re committed,” – Berra to Finarvi.
“We should all be committed.” – Varanis
“Does he know he’s already won?” – Berra
“Yes, this is just the victory dance.” – Finarvi
“Is this one good?” – Varanis collects rocks to help Finarvi.
“I so want her to come out of this with a pet rock.” – GM
“That’s a very nice one. I think you should keep it.” – Finarvi
“I dropped my rock!” – Varanis
“We’ll find you a new one…” – Berra
“A figure with a staff, and a really ethereal mule somewhere in the background…” – GM
“Vinga looks slightly perplexed. Humakt and Issaries seem to know more.” – Varanis
“A word of advice. Don’t shake each other too much if you get into an argument. It could get messy.” – Humakt
“This is a load of tripe.” – Lunar Orlanthi
“Speaking of which, some of that did fall out. We put it back in.” – Humakt
“Curses! I’m too Vinga to look for Grandma!” – Varanis
“I think /she/ is the one that makes us bleed.” – Salanatar to Vinga
“She’s got previous.” – Berramakt
“Uncle, do you let them play in your halls?” – Vinga
“WE DON’T PLAY.” – Humakt
“Fissaries…” – GM
Vinga flies ahead of Salanatar to kill the monster before it can kill him.
“It’s a bit late for that!” – Salanatar
“Did you fumble?” – GM
“Not yet, but just as a heads up, Salanatar, spear is not my strong point.” – Vinga
“Roll me… Worship of yourself!” – GM
“Roll something plausible, and tell me if you pass or fail.” – GM
flying unconsciously – Berra
“… I have a Berra balloon!” – Varanis
“And this is a tale we shall tell, preferably in front of Lord Eril.” – GM
“She shall be known as the duck that could fly.” – Xenofos
“Is there anything you want to do?” – GM
“Take selfies with my balloon.” – Varanis
“The second attempt at Glue does not work… so I’ll just pat him on the head, say ‘keep it together mate’.” – Finarvi
“That sounds like a terrible idea. So mote it be.” – GM
“… Looks a bit like this.” – GM holds up mirror.
“I’ve just given Daka Fal 6000 hours of overtime.” – Humakt
“Does blood flow near the murderer? ‘Cos I don’t know that.” – Berra
“No.” – Daka Fal
“Thank fu… I mean thank you.” – Berra
“Never create an NPC you cannot pronounce.” – Berra
“There’s a long pause. Unspoken are the words ‘Did you just interrupt me?'” – GM
“Seeing stars wasn’t just a result of head trauma?” – Varanis
“Wasn’t just that, no.” – Berra
- 1his small group, not everyone at Grizzly Peak
- 2while Varanis feels guilty, she’s not here right now
- 3Sadly, the spell wore off before he woke
