S02 — Session 18
1626, end of Earth Season
Dramatis Personae
PCs
Berra
Irillo
Nala
Suuraki
Rajar
Xenofos
NPCs
Varanis
A zebra seller
A gate guard
Daine Humakti
Some other guards
Argrath’s guard picket line
Venna
Events
(Taken mostly from Berra’s WRH.)
Varanis and Rajar committed to the journey to Pavis. This was fortunate as Rajar could help get her bison on board. Once it had been explained to Xenofos that horses would not be welcome, he sent his home. Berra ‘helped’ get Tiwr on board by asking if he had learned to walk on water yet. Nala held out a sweet for him and he pranced on board.
The journey across the Mirrorsea Bay was calm and uneventful, but the waves came up to meet them when they came into the Sea of Storms. Berra was miserable for much of the journey, until they got to Corflu, and everyone else was not seasick at all. People helped Rajar and Xenofos bargain for some cavalry zebras, with Berra doing surprisingly well given her rather straightforward approach to bargaining. In testing them, Xenofos fell off what was obviously a spirited, noble animal. Xenofos decided that Varanis would have a cavalry zebra, not a riding zebra, too.
They set off to ride upriver to Pavis. The journey was uneventful. They broke it after a few nights out at a marble-walled house which had some very interesting earthworks and features, including buried walls inside big ditches, rather than standing up. It belonged to someone called Lord Raus. Nala, Rajar, and Xenofos knew who he was, but by the time the group found out he was a Lunar they were his guests.
Lord Raus was away, but his captain, Daine, greeted them. He was a Humakti who sized Berra up and got sized up in turn. She offered, as she was his guest and a Humakti, to stand watch, but said she would understand if the guards preferred not. She was told her hosts would be poor ones if they could not protect their guests. Nala went out to the river to tell Huljeem that he was nearly home, and to touch his shoulder bone to the holy waters. She carefully avoided the sluggish crocodiles there.
There was food put on for them all, with various sorts of meat, some of it even fresh. Xenofos got into a talk with a knowledgeable man, and Berra caught what they were saying and excitedly explained to him what the earthworks would do. Daine asked her, in mildly sardonic tones, to explain, and she did that, pausing to check partway through that he had in fact designed them. He said his lord had ordered it and he had filled in some details. Berra let him know just how impressed she was.
Meanwhile, a Praxian hunter, Suuraki, turned up with meat and hides to sell, and was invited in. He talked to Rajar late into the night about all the tribal bickering nearby, and the group hired him on to go to Pavis, as he knew the route well.
Daine sat down beside Berra at breakfast and asked if she was for hire. She was not, but offered to help her host if she could Daine said there was nothing currently the matter but to come back to the house when they passed that way – she said she would, if they passed that way. Then it was on to Pavis.
They made for the encampment where Venna was in charge, as apparently Suuraki knew her well enough to speak to her. The cavalry pickets were a White Sable and a High Llama. As they cantered off Xenofos was rather distracted and managed to fall off his zebra again.
They saw Venna, who was just as irritable and overworked as last time, and offered their help for the next time she was free to give them something to do. Argrath, Venna said, was busy and it would not be a good time to disturb him. After that, getting her alone for a moment, Berra took up some of her time to ask why Lord Raus was still there, and was roundly told to get lost.
Session Quotes
“Can I be the one who betrays everyone?” – Berra
“I’ve got to be the one who betrays everyone or I’m taking my garotte home.” – Berra
“A crack te… a hazia team…” – Berra
“Sestar’s ship” – GM
“Help, he just named an NPC, we’re in trouble!” – Berra
“Rajar, how do we get a bison on board? If we practice with Followed, then maybe Billy will be easier?” – Berra
“Let me back up a bit and we’ll be alright I’m sure.” – Rajar
“Go for it! I’ll be here to try to catch him!” – Berra
“Rajar, do you want to make a Ride Bison roll?” – GM” – Berra
“Uh, I do…” – Rajar
“Did you single-handedly sack that city?” – Nala
“No, but I helped.” – Berra
“I want beer but I also want never to eat or drink anything again.” – Berra
“How does Storm Bull deal with this, Rajar?” – Berra
“How does Storm bull deal with anything? If you cant fight it, drink!!!!” – Rajar
“Looking at the architecture…” – Xenofos. Having passed his Scan Roll.
“Rajar, when you say ‘get zebras’ were you planning to buy them?” – Berra
“Oh, that would be an idea!” – Rajar
“I bargained!” – Berra
“Berra sleeps next to her bison each night.” – Berra
“Bison in a U shape, people inside for warmth.” – Berra
“Exactly. And gather dried dung to burn” – Rajar
“Ahhhhh smells like home”. – Rajar
“My Lord’s hospitality is well known.” – Servant
“May we know his name so we may thank him?” – Nala
“Lord Raus.” – Servant
“Berra’s checking out the defences, and obviously likes them.” – Berra
“A bit of eyeballing the Moon Rune, but she’ll happily talk about how she’d take this place.” – Berra
“70/5 on intrigue” – Xenofos
“Are you really an Esrolian male with 5 in intrigue?” – GM
<<proud nod>> – Xenofos
“Berra’s trying to do what Nala’s doing.” – Berra
“Sense Chaos!!!!!” – Rajar
“15/42” – Rajar
“Honour has called Berra to offer, but that would be REALLY weird.” – Berra
“Drink Ale …” – Rajar
“unless” – Rajar
“unlessssss” – Rajar
“Kumis.” – GM
“It seems Berra’s picked up a taste for kumiss.” – Berra
“Kumiss is ace ((according to Rajar))” – Rajar
“Which Kumiss did Berra have from Venna?” – GM
“Rhino milk. So this is WAY better.” – Berra
“Rajar isn’t getting hammered because then bad things happen but merry and sociable.” – Rajar
“Berra talks about how she’d bring Earth Priestesses to summon up elementals and fill in the ditches, so you run over them as bridges.” – Berra
“There are plenty of places in Sartar for Humakti.” – Suuraki
“Yes, but they are full of Eril.” – Nala
“Is she wearing shiny metal armour in Prax?” – Suuraki
“No, I’m pretty sure you’ve all dressed for dinner.” – GM
“So she IS wearing the shiny metal armour…” – Suuraki
“For now, just trying to get it all in.” – Xenofos
“Quote!” – Nala
“Berra is happy end excited about how hard this place would be to attack.” – Berra
“He’s not using Nala’s name on purpose because you never know who’s got enemies where.” – Rajar
“She’s got a rhino, yeah?” – Berra
“Varanis and Xenofos are going to be Esrolian yankees in King Argrath’s court….” – Nala
(One more barbarian prince to despise politely.) – Xenofos
“So I can punch the GM from inside the game, I think.” – Berra
“So anyhow, that was… an odd household.” – Berra
“Most interesting it s still here…” – Xenofos
“Yeah. Tough as hobnails, and didn’t make too many enemies, I guess. But they didn’t move out.” – Berra
“Hey. I can tell you where I went in through the walls, when we get to Pavis!” – Berra
“Berra is travelling in boiled brown leather armour.” – Berra
“She sleeps in most of the armour, and seems to worship a sword and a helmet with a black feather in it.” – Berra
“Nobody has tried Unicorn [kumiss]. Can’t imagine why.” – GM
“You hope nobody has tried it.” – Berra
“You’re in a civilised country.” – GM
“…. What?” – Xenofos
“… Critical Ride (Bison).” – Berra
“Berra looks so good on a bison, Xenofos. So graceful, so… ow, that was the ground.” – Berra
“Should perhaps concentrate on task at hand…” – Xenofos
