Season 7, Session 3

1630, Sea Season, Stasis Week, Freezeday to Stasis Week, Clayday

Dramatis Personae

Events

Pre-session, Maalira had been in Alda Chur, but she was called out to help with a little plague, freeing Koraki’s White Lady to go back to support him.. She returned to find out that Koraki had been safely married. When she returned to the inn, she found only Berra and Xenofos in residence. There was no sign of any of the others. When she asked Xenofos about them, he gave her a taciturn response about Oriana, but nothing else, so Berra explained where the others were. 

Xenofos handed a wax tablet to Berra with a bunch of corrections. They passed a quiet night and headed out in the morning. On the road, Berra explained to the curious Maalira that she was trying to improve her reading and writing so she could research the Lunars more.

At Dwarf Mine, Varanis had been trying to arrange daily outdoor sessions for Yehna and the children. She explained to T’Dwarf that the current situation is unhealthy for humans. She also demanded that Yehna be provided with human company and suggested that Venlar be the one to arrange it.  T’Dwarf compromised by arranging a sun lamp and more time in the spaces with “views” of the outside. It’s not enough, but it’s what is available for the moment. He held his own counsel on Venlar’s worth.

When the others arrived at Dwarf Mine, Maalira, Xenofos, and Berra were escorted to the throne room, where Varanis was just walking in. T’Dwarf told Maalira and Xenofos to not share the information they were about to learn – Yehna is here. They were all tasked with finding her human company from the Cannon Cult. En route to the cave where the cultists are, Maalira worked out that Berra was not asked to be silent, even though she arrived with them.  Xenofos asked Varanis about Yehna, and Maalira asked Berra.  Both admit to knowing that Yehna and the children have been here for some time.  Maalira was impressed by Berra’s secret-keeping, and Berra was surprised that anyone can’t keep secrets.

Inside the giant cavern, they met Faldar of the Support Group, Priest and Camp Cook and his wife, Megran, holder of the condiments. Between them, they worked out how to accommodate Berra and Maalira’s food restrictions, which require variations in daily orders, and an ‘ailments diet’ for Maalira.  Varanis had to explain what hospitality is.

They had dinner and were treated as a zoo exhibit. As far as the Canon Cultists could determine, Maalira was obviously rich.¹e.g. She lived very close to the surface and wears clothes made from clouds, which are large white sheep in the sky. Berra and Varanis were poor.²They wore metal and the like – stuff that can be found anywhere. Xenofos was assumed to be an overseer of some sort.³He has a scribal case, etc. Clearly, Maalira had to be the one in charge and the rest of the party were her servants.

Xenofos played the kithara, which led to a few of the people being shown around humming along. There were only two groups.  Megran came to talk to Maalira and didn’t understand what Chalana Arroy is. The woman suggested they “see the sights” so her husband can talk to people.⁴presumably the volunteers Varanis rather cheekily offered to escort the fine lady, Maalira, on a stroll. They spotted the cannon on their tour and Berra got curious, while Xenofos looked unhappy.

As they continued their stroll, someone peered out from a gap in the wall. He summoned the White Lady and invited her into what appeared to be a temple. Varanis used spirit magic to ensure that they aren’t enemies, then she opted to take the lead. Inside the temple, the speaker said that Maalira must be there to bring about the end of times, but also that she will swear to follow the Dwarf. She saidno, and it suddenly became apparent that there were some people here who were angry and ready for violence. Just about everyone spotted it, with Varanis noticing first and Berra being told by Humakt that there were now assassins present.  Varanis ordered Maalira to back out, while Xenofos and Berra stepped up beside Varanis to guard the way.

Four people launched themselves, whilst drawing daggers – two going for Maalira and two for Varanis and Xenofos. Berra intercepted the two who were targeting Maalira. Varanis blasted one in the left arm with a warning shot of lighting. The last kept coming and so Xenofos stepped in to intercept one with his shield, successfully pushing him out of his path.

Maalira cast sleep on one of the attackers, while Berra crippled the other. The three who were still conscious attempted to flee, but the statue of T’Dwarf shot them. It went to shoot the sleeping one, but Maalira blocked its path, so it pointed the gun to the ceiling and did not fire.

Others came charging in, including Faldar and Megren, and there was a lot of talking at once. Varanis yelled at them all to shut up. She attempted to explain what happened, but ended up in a fist fight with Dalin of the Fixing Chains (the priest(?) who lured them in). Once things calmed down, Varanis took Xenofos and stomped off to demand T’Dwarf come address the issue. Her message was passed along via some humming and tapping on the walls, and then the Mostali who passed the message along slit his own throat. Varanis was horrified and yelled for Maalira.  Berra had been pointing out different metals of the different suits of armour here, including what was probably adamantium.

Maalira came at a run for Varanis, leaving her sleeping prisoner unguarded. The simulacrum shot the now-wakeful prisoner, which Berra did not manage to stop. Varanis asked Maalira if she could save the dwarf – the answer was no. They laid the body out as best they could while they waited for T’Dwarf. When he arrived, he observed that it was all a bit of a mess. Varanis made her report and also demanded to know why the Mostali killed himself. T’Dwarf answered that he ordered it; the Mostali knew too much.

They followed T’Dwarf to the temple, where it turned out that he knew about the little cult. He had words with Dalin and told Varanis she should go finish her current mission.⁵i.e. find companions for Yehna Varanis asked Faldar to introduce her to his candidates – he had identified six. While she and Maalira talked to them, Xenofos hunted down the more recently arrived Esrolian and had a conversation with him. He had not been told to volunteer and therefore could not. Thus in the discussion Xenofos learned that the word volunteer has a different meaning for the Cannon Cult. When Xenofos returned, he mentioned the man, but Varanis had already made her decision. She’d picked Chellink (who has a couple of children who no longer live with her) and had the woman pick two others (Gelzim, who cooks well and tells stories, and Hooryam, who smells ok).

Berra did not acquire a new set of armour, but T’Dwarf let her stare at the Adamantium for a while.  She sat down and talked to the three people Varanis had chosen, trying to get an idea of whether Yehna would like them.  T’Dwarf, as he left, mentioned to the other three they should keep all this quiet because people would come down to investigate, and those people would die.

• 1
  e.g. She lived very close to the surface and wears clothes made from clouds, which are large white sheep in the sky.
• 2
  They wore metal and the like – stuff that can be found anywhere.
• 3
  He has a scribal case, etc.
• 4
  presumably the volunteers
• 5
  i.e. find companions for Yehna