Session 4.04

1629, Sea Season, Disorder Week, Godday

Dramatis Personae

Events

Berra, Varanis, and Irillo came back to Beasts Gather, in various permutations of tired and muddy.  Kulharl was not back yet, so Berra checked on her horse and then she and Irillo napped, while Varanis hung around polishing her armour and getting ready to look good for an interview without mead.  Eventually a messenger reached them where they were staying, in nooks in the Great Hall.  They went to see the Chief.  Varanis started off pretty badly, as she was better dressed than Kulharl and wielding iron, which he apparently did not have despite being a clan chief.  Berra worked out that it was because Varanis was better dressed than he was, and was showing him up.  She suggested Irillo talk instead – as Irillo had prepared a song about the Telmori and the events, he sang that.  Despite the preparation time and his love of his family, it was not a good song, and did not persuade Kulharl of anything.  Berra explained to Varanis what was going on in Kulharl’s head.  Maalira remained joyfully oblivious.  The Chief sent Irillo away, possibly because the song was bad, but more probably because it was in an Esrolian style, and had confused the poor man, adding to the feeling he was being shown up.

Varanis tried to talk, inviting Kulharl to a quieter conversation with tempers less high.  Kulharl told her she was jumped up and overdressed and a few other things, and Varanis started to reply.  Lenta tried to cast a spell, Berra put her arm across Varanis’ chest and sent her out.  Lenta managed to cast her spell, using Inviolable to calm people nearby, but the two Rune Masters were immune to it thanks to the aid of their god.  Kulharl lost what remained of his temper, and ordered everyone out, just as Varanis started to pull Lenta away.  That left Maalira and Berra.  Berra looked to Maalira, the chief, and Maalira again, trying to give the White Lady the chance to head off what she was about to say, but Maalira was suddenly very peaceful and calm, and so Berra just sent her to follow Lenta and tried not to watch her swaying away.  Berra then quietly told the chief that there had been two errors¹But in a rather more peasanty way. and one of them was his son’s, and calming down would help that not to be revealed to a lot of people.  He told her to get out.

After she left, Kulharl called for his son.  Outside, the others decided what to do.  Berra explained why Kulharl had reacted quite so badly, and Irillo decided to sell him some silk for a horse, while bargaining badly.  Lenta opted to go off and talk to the Temple of Ernalda.  The others elected to go talk to the shaman of the Six Sisters, before the chief could forbid it or exile them.  It was a place about an hour out of the village proper.  Before they left, Berra made Varanis change into some less impressive clothes and take off some of the gold.

Irillo got to overhear at least the thrust of discussion between Kulharl and his son Helgrin.  Kulharl was disappointed in his boy.  When the chief finally emerged, he was less directly annoyed at the group, and Irillo swept into sales mode, flattering the man and talking up his horses, as well as talking down Varanis’ skill.  He overpaid for a horse, and slowed down the chief as well as making him feel better.  Irillo mentioned the Six Stones and Kulharl asked if he could persuade Rotin to wear clothes.  Kulharl did not know why the trolls were scared of the stones.

Lenta went to worship at the shrine of Ernalda, where she politely checked on the pigs, as well as the people.  She got little to no information, but did some social soothing.

The others travelled out to see Rotin at his shrine, which was a tiny stagnant green pool, a stone that had not been cleaned of bird-crap, and a broken-down shack. Rotin was dressed in a loincloth and rags, and he stank.  Over the course of a conversation they managed to work out that he was broken in spirit because nobody worshipped here any more, although he was shaky on details, and indeed on timing shorter than a century.  His pool had once been clear, and had had a spring, and there had been regular visits from the village.  He did not want to give information because people would not then come back, and he was thoroughly miserable.  Maalira was sure that the filth around him was a disease risk, and that he had various small ailments.  He did not want to take advice on improving the area, as he did not think it was worth it.  When asked about trolls he did not care about them – they had not eaten him yet.

Berra put her hand on the stone and gave it magic, although it did not take much.  The others did they same when they noticed movement on the water’s surface, and the area cleared a little.  The mud moved somewhat, as if the spring was beginning to flow, but the effect was tiny.  Still, Rotin was moved by the attempt, and lay down by the pool to put his face in it, which cleaned him somewhat despite the algae.  Varanis told him she would organise worship.

Berra offered to use her magical arm-ring to let him breathe the water, which he accepted, and he spent the next several minute communing with the water.  During that time Irillo arrived and also made a sacrifice, on the urging of Berra and Varanis.  The pool seemed to grow a little, and to move a little more, with tiny pebbles appearing as if something was pushing them out of the way.

Rotin revealed that the stones had magic to find Telmori, and that his little shrine was just a reflection of the real thing, the Six Sisters.  They would not help the trolls to find food, but might help them to find the Telmori and keep them out of the area.  One of the sisters, called Don’t Ask, was apparently very tricksy.

Varanis raided Irillo’s packs, and he stopped her and found some rations himself, which he gave to Rotin.  After feeding him, and repeating a promise that they would organise worship on Waterday, they went back to the village.  Berra stayed a while to tell the spring and the rock about her river-child.  She did this very badly, but with enthusiasm.

• 1
  But in a rather more peasanty way.