Session 5-O.1

1629, Fire Season, mid-Disorder Week until Harmony Week, Windsday

Dramatis Personae

Events

Irillo came back up to Sartar with his caravan, fitting in visits to Duck Point, where there was dried saltwater crocodile for sale. While initially keen, Irillo turned a paler shade of nope when told what it was. However, he did find out on his way through Quackford that supplies and sacrificial goods had been bought up and sent to the Greyrock clan of the Sambari, which was odd as they had no money and no great Temples.

In Wilmskirk, Irillo met Dormal, Suuraki, and Valseena, and got a briefing on what had happened in Sun County, Prax – there had been a major temple of Chaos, and possibly of Vivamort as well, either in the same place or separately¹Seriously, people of that group, would it kill you to fill in the logs?. Dormal also asked Irillo about caravan hire, and said that Tennebris would be interested in talking to him.

Maalira also wandered out that way, and most of the group met up and talked about mules, zebras, horses, and the song about someone who was obviously Serala, stealing a llama.

The Praxians (plus Dormal) had some newtlings with them, and an ox cart with a thing on it that later turned out to glow in the dark. It was a gigantic crocodile egg. Irillo and the gang accompanied Dormal to Boldhome with it. The newtlings guarded it carefully throughout.

In Boldhome, on the way to the Air Temple, the group passed Varanis and Berra’s house, where the Humakti was sitting on the roof, moping. She greeted everyone except for Dormal, and walked along with them, complaining she was not allowed to go to the war. Irillo opined that she was probably being kept home so she could join the expedition they were about to be sent on, which cheered her up a bit.

Tennebris checked with the newtlings how ‘the ritual at the cave’ had gone, and the newtlings were pleased with it. The child had been ‘reminded’ and ‘introduced to Great Sister’. They now wanted to take it home, and that was the apparent plan – Irillo was to take the egg to the Oslir and re-introduce crocodiles. Berra was asked to accompany them, although she had to wait while the hiring happened through her Temple. Dormal walked to the Temple of Humakt with her, either giving her information or needling her about the Temple of Vivamort he had found. Later, she told Sword Graria, the woman left in charge, that Dormal would not be lying about big things – he only twisted the Truth, and seldom made it up.

In discussion, the newtlings talked about where they actually wanted to go, allowing Berra and Irillo to think about routes. They wanted to go to ‘the head’ of the Oslir, which Berra knew, but did not yet mention, could be temporarily moved by a sufficiently large offering from the local ruler. She was not prepared to pre-commit herself to meeting Fazzur.

Berra and two initiates were added to the guard detail, and the group left Jonstown, a little behind the army. They went very slowly, and did not catch up, partly because of the ox cart, and partly because Irillo stopped at Jonstown to trade. In Jonstown he sold the cart and the egg was transferred to a palanquin-style carrier that the newtlings could take. They gave him a branch made out of bronze, like a little bit of a metallic nest – they still had several with them.

Berra started getting her bison used to having the box on it, in case they needed to make a quick getaway. In the evenings and nights, the newtlings were singing to the egg. Berra sang too, and in a vision understood that the thing in the water was choosing not to eat her. Most other people, and the mules, avoided the singing, although Irillo found himself curiously in concert with it. Berra did not let the Humakti guards join in.

Irillo heard rumours that something was being smuggled, but strangely. There were too many bribes. Not wanting to wait for the City Rex to be free, Berra drew the matter to the attention of the Sword of Humakt in Jonstown, and then they left.

In Dangerford, Irillo figured that someone was paving the way for a big thing to come down from the Heartlands, but had given themselves the potential to send decoys. For a while he suspected Onjur, but did not tell Berra. In crossing at Dangerford they took the egg across on the raft, but the newtlings swam. They looked surprisingly like crocodiles.

The group got to Herongreen safely.

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  Seriously, people of that group, would it kill you to fill in the logs?