Session S.5-W-16

1629, Fire Season, Stasis Week, Windsday-Godday

Dramatis Personae

Events

Silstom of Malkonwal is highly prepared for magical matters and has lots of gift-money with him. He’ll go claim bones from the battlefield where Broyan died, and call on them to help. 

Tarakar can call on the Volsaxi. He’ll claim that he is the heir to Broyan, through the Volsaxi, and will do what he did, calling the land to respond to him. 

Hendaffa will call on Olontongi loyalty, and bring together three groups to help. Together that’s a big tribe. 

Hendrik and Ribfanth (the Sylangi/Kultain mess) are probably not performing, but may cause trouble if not allowed to. 

Mellinor of Sun County promises the aid of the Count in raising the cliffs into the sun, and showing the Truth of the way. 

Farinst of the Locaem will ask for riverfolk and have a careful, hardly-dangerous Heroquest.

We decide Silstom should go last, in case he releases a monstrosity.

Ribfanth and Hendrik haven’t technically entered, so we shall ignore them for now.

Tarakar first – as Whitewall resident. 

Hendaffa second – as local

Then Farinst, Mellinor and Silstom as outsiders. 

No-one gets to go on Windsday. God day will be a day off for everyone. We’ll make sure Mellinor doesn’t go on Yelmsday either. We decide to tell the contestants the night before. But Varanis runs it past Haralast and Raldina instead. Alas, Jaldis is still in Wilmskirk so Varanis cannot inform her.

Raldina advises that Adnew thinks the contestants be asked to take an oath in support the winner. Adnew can arrange this at any time. 

Xenofos heads off to ask Adnew to carry out the oath, while Rajar goes drinking and Serala, Finarvi and Varanis carry on discussing their plans for the contest. 

Adnew remarks it’s possible the pair who didn’t present a plan will still cause trouble if they cannot take part. They should also be asked to take the oath to acclaim the winning candidate. Bring them to Humakt’s temple in the morning. 

Rajar and the zebra riders have a nice evening of moderate drinking.

Varanis, Serala and Finarvi go to see Tarakar. He could start on Wildday but Fireday is too soon to get messages to the Volsaxi. He needs to gather what he needs. Varanis agrees and leaves cursing.

Ralden the little horse spotter comes and hails Serala. The spearman gave him an awful lot of money to have a word with her.  So we go to see commander Mellinor. Who asks Serala how much is her dowry.

Varanis fails insight and looks murderous. Serala recovers from her surprise while Finarvi tries to back away surreptitiously. 

He offers snacks and we politely decline. Varanis tells him there will be an announcement concerning the Crown Test in the morning. We leave with polite noises. 

Rajar happens to notice a steaming angry Varanis marching out of the phalanx and gets ready for a fight. The zebra riders are up for it. But Serala manages to talk Varanis down. 

Next morning, everyone gets togetherfor the announcement and afterwards,  Rajar and Varanis catch a rumour that Serala is going to be the Rex’s Ernalda – Varanis when someone asks her when Serala’s due and when she’s going to be the priestess.  

Adnew appears. Looking impressive, and leads the oath. Everyone who contests to be king will acclaim the king decided by the magical process. The contestants step forward to touch his blade. We witness it, and Xenofos records it for posterity.

Later, Farinst ambles up to Serala, and asks her how her sense of humour is this morning. And tells her the rumour that needs hunting down and spearing. 

Serala spends Fireday in worship with Goluda. 

Near noon on Wildday, Tarakar calls together his Volsaxi allies. A few hundred. He gathers them all outside the city and orates the tale of the city’s founding. A heroquest begins, and he looks good doing it. We are standing on Whitewall. Rajar recognises the cliffs, though they are not as tall and mighty as the ones he saw in the past. He communicates this to us. 

Tarakar fights his champion, who is playing all the baddies, in a nice choreographed battle. 

Raldina is moving through the crowd to Serala’s side. She makes some comments about her bump that Finarvi hears, and they leave the spectating. Rajar notices them leave. Women’s stuff. Everything must be fine. 

Tarakar fights his ways up the walls of Whitewall (with some assistance from the monsters). 

At which point, there’s a shout of ‘Thieves!’ Malkonwali and Sun Dome people are both shouting. And then Varanis realises that Serala has disappeared. Xenofos stands to proclaim the winner. She sets Rajar to deal with the Malkonwali and Xenofos to deal with Sun Dome.

Rajar notices the zebra riders had disappeared. Silstom comes storming up to Rajar. “What did they steal?”

They’ve gone and done all the stealing they could then scarpered in the middle of the hero quest. Off Rajar goes to catch them, on his bison. He manages to look convincing. Rajar is impressed they’ve robbed the two wealthiest visitors here. 

Varanis recalls her duty to congratulate Tarakar, and Haralast says they stole 1,000 lunars from Malkonwall. He told them they will cover it. Tarakar is being greeting and congratulated by others. He’s still got traces of Heroquest hangover and wearing a bronze crown with pale gems that is probably a good sign. 

Raldina’s helped Serala through the birth and offers beginner advice. 

Rajar heads in pursuit, tracking the zebra riders. They are on faster mounts and have a 2 hour head start, but Rajar just keeps going through the night. 

He rides into camp with a barrel of beer after agreeing he could not catch them. They stole 2 chests. They place 5 wheels under a rock, and in the morning, ride on. They invite him to follow them into Prax. Rajar declines, as he would want to be in charge. He returns, 5 wheels richer, later that day.

Officially, Tarakar will be marrying Raldina. However, Serala has to contend with those rumours that have gained strength since she gave birth during Tarakar’s crown trial.