Session Season 6, Prax 10

1629, Earth Season, Truth Week, Freezeday

Dramatis Personae

Events

The party had seen scouts from other clans, but finally someone from the “Plot-bisons” Straw Weaver Clan appeared, spotted by Xenofos. When the Straw Weaver camp came into view, Varanis noted that they seemed happy to see them. Varanis tried to go greet them, but Maalira intervened to deal with the infection beginning in Varanis’ face and to allow Xenofos (as a Straw Weaver) to be the one to go forward.

Xenofos was greeted by Harleen¹a warrior/herder whom Maalira had known in childhood. It was an enthusiastic greeting, with Harleen asking whether all the women with him were his wives. They were not.

Varanis didn’t notice Dakajeel, who noticed her. He worked out that she seemed to be ritually upset. Dakajeel ignored Varanis since Varanis ignored him.

Harleen asked if Xenofos had a yurt. Xenofos said he had to ask his mother, and Harleen asked about the Humakti sleeping in the Humakti tent. Berra didn’t want to be far from Maalira. Dakajeel offered Varanis crash space in his family’s yurt.²Varanis’ player blushed She demurred.

On the ride, Xenofos’ family rode up. Durinda, his adoptive mother, spoke Tradetalk and demanded updates. Updates were given, in both directions. Xenofos’ brother was currently guarding the herd and not with the White Bull.

Maalira was approached by Saberitha. Saberak was very much against it. Apparently, Xenofos had sent Saberitha marriage gifts. He had horrified the clan because while he was sending marriage gifts to one woman, he hadn’t made an offer and seemed to be shacking up with the White Lady. Berra also chased him down to ask if he understood the rumours circulating about him and various women.

Gallaf picked a campsite and the camp was set up. The party was given a yurt that smelled of Storm Bull.

Maalira explained that Xenofos’ gift to Sabarak was a marrying sort of gift and that since he wasn’t interested in marriage, things might be in a bit of a tangle. He considered making things more complicated by having Neela assist with explaining his inability to marry outside the cult.³It felt like things could get super messy!

When Maalira left the yurt, she encountered Erheta, who somehow had snuck up on them with all his bone rattling. He demanded to know why they hadn’t gone to see him right away. After some chastisement, he told Maalira to fetch her crew. She sent Xenofos for Varanis and Kolyey for Berra.

En route to finding Varanis, Xenofos stopped to let Sabaritha know that he might be busy for a bit. He accepted soup offered by Saberitha. Saberak yelled at Xenofos for giving her sister stupid ideas.

Erheta also summoned Dakajeel. When they were all in Erheta’s yurt, he demanded an explanation for why there was an angry High Llama Shaman present. Kolyey explained. Erheta thought they were all idiots. He was totally pissed off by being called a disrespectful youth.

The shaman stabbed Dakajeel slightly in the back for some curious reason. After that, Varanis decided that the young Praxian smelled very good. She decided to follow him around, so Kolyey followed her around. Maalira, on the other hand, smelled the North Wind. Nobody else smelled anything.

Maalira checked in with the sisters. Sabarak was angry. Saberitha was resigned. It was clearly a confusion. Maalira did her best to smooth things over, but it was still a pile of emotions. Xenofos managed to wander in as the sisters argued. Sabarak wanted him to leave, but her sister overrode her.⁴Everyone wished they had popcorn, except maybe Xenofos Sabarak believed that Xenofos was doing all this on purpose. She rushed out. Saberitha and Xenofos had a somewhat awkward discussion, which ended with Xenofos walking out of the yurt with a pot of fried bison fat.

Dakajeel and Varanis had a “whose yurt” discussion while fetching the bag to catch spirits. A good night’s sleep was disturbed for everyone by the pair, and by Berra’s reaction to the noise. In the morning, Varanis greeted Yelm, and Dakajeel ensured they got everything packed up in time.

Jala⁵ allaf’s wife and the Herd Mother forbade Xenofos from marrying within the clan. Orgfal chased his bison around and paused to hug Xenofos. The day was uneventful.

Varanis noticed a storm rolling in. She passed the news to Gallaf, who had heard the same from Erheta. Varanis asked Dakajeel to help ensure they got their yurt set up well, so it wouldn’t blow away in the storm. Erheta suggested that they could either camp in the periphery or be in the middle. It turned out that somehow Erheta had summoned the Wild Hunt, which would bring a lot of nasty things with it.

They decided to be a bit apart from the others to reduce the risk of collateral damage. Once decided, Varanis began to pray. First, Kolyey dropped one ghoul from the air and slowed another with turn undead.

Xenofos impaled one ghoulish thing’s leg, Varanis cut another, Kolyey cut one, Berra cut the priest who headed for Dakajeel. Dakajeel got to take a stab at that priest—but missed. And that was when the spirits hit. Erheta started doing a rattling dance with glowing things flying toward the mayhem. Dakajeel and Berra were attacked by spirit wolves. Dakajeel managed to take pieces out of a couple of the spirits that attacked him. In the next round, whirlwishes also appeared. Life was good.

Berra chopped the arm off the priest. Varanis tried to hit the same enemy but got entirely muddled up in the melee.⁶She fumbled and missed the next turn. Xenofos stabbed a ghoul/zombie in the leg. It was not impressed. The horror horse went for Dakajeel, who tried to dodge. He got horribly bitten in the left leg. Kolyey continued maiming an undead ghoulish horror and cut it in half.

Varanis was attacked by a whirlwish that made a rather abrasive impression on her and her previously pretty armour.⁷-3 to armour Kolyey was bitten by spirits in spirit combat. While Dakajeel successfully defended against his first wolf, the second one took him out completely. After the priest and horse were maimed, the retinue of death made its getaway—apart from the whirlwish surrounding Varanis. In the next round, Varanis tried to command the whirlwish but failed to impress it. Berra cut the spirit in twain. Xenofos healed Dakajeel, who captured the spirit into the sack.

• 1
  a warrior/herder
• 2
  Varanis’ player blushed
• 3
  It felt like things could get super messy!
• 4
  Everyone wished they had popcorn, except maybe Xenofos
• 5
  allaf’s wife and the Herd Mother
• 6
  She fumbled and missed the next turn.
• 7
  -3 to armour