Session 4.01

1629, Sea Season, Disorder Week, Freezeday to Clayday Eve

Dramatis Personae

Events

Events begin when Mellia and Irillo had a talk about gifts for Mirava, which led to them deciding that they needed to go tell Varanis about Mirava’s “gift” for her (a narrow stretch of land along the Lunar Tarsh border). In order to head off any possibility of a tantrum, they opted to tell their cousin at the Air Temple, with witnesses.

Irillo’s opening gambit was a personal gift of a silver gilt arm ring to celebrate Varanis’ new station. He followed this with a green amber pendant from Grandmother Saiciae.¹Cuboid and encasing a silver spiral He then called her Thane of Esrolia, Thane of Sartar, and Thane of Tarsh. And surprisingly, she didn’t blow up.²She had been forewarned. The news of Mirava’s gift was accepted calmly, though Varanis knew she’d need to deal with it later.

The Saiciae cousins headed back to the House, where Berra was chasing people around, trying to speed up the packing process. To Maalira’s discomfort, the Humakti was a bit standoffish, but things got done. When everyone was home and packed, Berra started to babble about where she thought Mellia’s vision had taken place – the land of the Nunnery, on Culbrea Tribal lands.

Irillo, unfamiliar with the Culbrea territory, went to seek some advice on the routes from the Issaries’ Temple. The directions were convoluted.

The party consisted of the two White Ladies, Mellia and Maalira, Varanis and Berra, and Irillo, Salid and four caravan guards. They travelled with diverse mounts, but no carts, having decided that carts might be a problem on the roads at this time of year. They headed north, using the King’s Road to head towards Jonstown first. It was cold, miserable riding through the mountains, so they stopped for the night at Geo’s Ridge Inn. The Esrolians were all freezing and Varanis became convinced that Manasa was lame.³Fumbled Ride Hot food and drink was had by all.⁴Except for Berra who was not cold The night was uneventful.

The next day, they made good time, as the road continued north across flatter ground. Leaving the King’s Road near Jonstown, they struck out east, hoping to make Jarolar Keep that night. They might have managed it, except that just beyond where the road turned south again, Salid found the bridge was out. Too late for any other options, the group made the decision to camp out in the ruins at Janastan.

They camped out in the remains of a long-house, with Irillo setting a warding around the pack animals and Berra setting the watch schedule. Things were quiet until late in the night, when Salid and a guard were on watch.

The guard woke Berra to warn of an attack. She sent him to wake Irillo who was sleeping with the pack animals, then Varanis. Berra took off at a run to join Salid, arriving in time to see a trollkin to charge out yelling a warning that angry ones are coming. Almost immediately, the projectiles started coming in. Flaming arrows shooting down toward Berra and Salid. In the house, Irillo had enough time to don his cuirass and helmet, while Varanis grabbed only her shield and sword. Coming awake, Mellia cast Shimmer on the Vingan as Maalira quietly gathered her healing kit in anticipation of needing it soon.

Under a rain of fire arrows, Berra and Salid attempted to retreat towards the others. Irillo cast Disruption at the figures who seemed to be the source of the arrows. The guards formed a barricade across the front door of the longhouse, and Mellia continued to cast Shimmer on people to make them harder to hit. It was loud and chaotic and in the midst of it all, Varanis heard a sound behind them. 

Later, no one could be entirely sure how it happened, but somehow the animals were cut loose from hobbles and ties and driven out from the very room behind the party. While Irillo’s warding gave warning, it was too late for them to stop the bandits. Only Irillo’s cavalry-trained mule remained. Mellia and Varanis had both dashed into the room in time to see the bisons’ rears. Berra tried to give chase, demanding Varanis cast Flight on her, but the Vingan’s spell bounced. Irillo yelled in an attempt to negotiate, but his words were drowned out by the drumming of hooves. Varanis gave chase on muleback, waving a flaming sword in the darkness, making a beacon of herself.

Berra tried to cut them off, but they were moving too quickly and in the end, even Varanis had to admit that they were impossible to catch that night. 

Back with the others, Salid’s new friend, the trollkin who gave us warning, had vanished. Our party was stuck in the ruins, their sleep broken and all but one mount gone. Tempers were high when they regrouped to consider their options.

• 1
  Cuboid and encasing a silver spiral
• 2
  She had been forewarned.
• 3
  Fumbled Ride
• 4
  Except for Berra who was not cold