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Old 03-14-2020, 01:53 PM   #31
coronatiger
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Default Session 16 (2020-03-08)

23rd of Mitra’s Second Month, year 412

O Ashtar, Mother of Snakes, Keeper of Death’s Door, hear my confession!

I woke in the middle of the night, realizing the cart had stopped rumbling. The farm boys were gone, scared away by Xipil’s glowing eyes. He had meditated too long, again. I poked his shoulder and snapped him out of it. Xipil said he needed to get to a chapel, and I told him we’d find one in Guling. Our voices roused Grogg and Lunari, and Lunari got the horses moving again. I went back to sleep.

I woke again when the sun came up. Xipil had stayed awake while we were driving, and feared to go to sleep outside holy ground.

Finally, Guling appeared ahead of us. I directed Lunari towards the only gate in the city wall, which wasn’t very difficult, for that was where the road lead. Lunari asked everyone to wash themselves and put on clean clothes before we went to the Evening Fort. Going before nobility, we should look our best. The Evening Fort was aptly named, for it lay on a small island just outside the city, and the only access was a land bridge that only appeared at sunset. As it was still early in the day, we had some hours to spend before we had to go down to the seaside.

We left the horses and the cart with the guards at the city gate, and proceeded through the city on foot. A smile and some polite words to the guards rewarded me with a promise that they’d take care of the horses and the cart. Although Guling covers less ground than Sam, its population is about the same; people just live closer together, and the buildings are generally taller here. I led the way to the Wheel and Staff Inn, and agreed to come back with Xipil to meet Lunari and Grogg an hour before sunset.

Xipil and I trekked back towards the gate, to a chapel I knew near there. We washed thoroughly and entered. This early in the day, we were alone with the snakes. There were several exotic species there, and I sat down with them, full of fascination. Xipil told me about his vision, that someone tried to harm someone else. He claimed it was connected to the Digging Rat, a star sign that only recently became visible in the sky. I informed Xipil that I was going to the park to wash our clothes. If someone entered before I returned, he should show them Your sign, and if necessary, let them know I’d be coming to explain soon.

At the park, I did what the locals did, undressing to wash my clothes and Xipil’s cloak. I realized I should have brought something dry to wear on my way back, for I got a few looks, dripping wet as I was. I had washed every item of clothing I owned. I washed again when I returned to the chapel, which I suspected was in fact a temple. Not that the difference mattered when I was with Xipil. I hung all the clothes to dry, and sat down to play with the snakes again, letting Xipil sleep on.

Someone did arrive, after a while, a young man and an older woman. As I was kneeling among the snakes and letting them climb all over me, I felt decently covered, but the fellow couldn’t stop staring at me while the two of them spoke their prayers. I don’t even think he registered that there was a sleeping lizard man in the room. They didn’t stay long; the woman dragged him out.

Remembering that I needed to make as good an appearance before the nobles as I could, I dressed and went back outside. I located a seller of makeup in the marketplace and provided for his starving children for a month or more, spending the gold coin the boat captain had given me. On my return to the chapel, I just did a quick wash before going inside to wake Xipil. We had to leave now to make our appointment with Lunari and Grogg. Xipil told me he was still concerned about his vision, and I had to admit I hadn’t received inspiration regarding it. We stopped by the market again, so Xipil could buy a piece of thread. He claimed he planned to use it to practice knots. I thought to myself that a thin rope would be more convenient, but the thread only cost him a copper piece, so I figured he could afford a rope as well when he figured it out for himself.

We met Lunari and Grogg at the Wheel and Staff. Xipil mentioned something about a box. “What box?” I asked. Lunari said he didn’t want me to know unless I bound myself to helping them. Lunari explained that they had two tasks, one was helping the people at the Evening Fort, and the other was to locate a magic star box; he didn’t know much about the box, but it seemed to me that it was filled with magic power from the stars. None of these tasks seemed to interfere with my duties to You, so I told the others I would help them.

The land bridge was still under water when we arrived at the seafront, so I fished out my mirror and set to work with my new makeup kit. I went for a discreet look that accentuated my natural beauty.

The moment the sun met the horizon, water fell away, revealing the land bridge, and we started walking. The guards at both ends of the bridge ignored us. Climbing the road up to the plateau of the island, we passed old fortifications, but they had long since fallen into disrepair and were abandoned. On the plateau lay fields and orchards, and a cluster of houses where farmers were enjoying an out-door dinner in the nice weather.

We approached the cliff on which the Evening Fort stood. A cat man loped down to meet us, and Lunari asked if he was the fort’s charmer; Lunas had told him about the cat. His name was Nujan, but he called himself charmer, habitual liar and master thief. Lunari showed him the letter he had received from Lunas, inviting him here. Nujan scanned it briefly, then snorted and stuffed it in his pocket. He claimed the Lord wouldn’t have time to see us.

There were guards at the gate to the fort, but they ignored us when they saw Nujan was with us, turning to watch the sunset, which was rather beautiful. I saluted the dying day. Nujan recognized the gesture and told me that the people of Kajar, the country where I presumed that he originated, respected “Hasshtar”.

Grogg asked Nujan for crow’s toes, but was told to ask someone called Groman Burk, a dwarven scholar who apparently had put his books away after an unfortunate incident. Grogg spotted something strange through his magic ring, which he passed to Lunari, who passed it to Xipil after having a look. Nujan took it from Xipil’s hand and observed Kraa. He suggested that Grogg should have Kraa snoop in Groman’s money. Grogg sent the vermin off with a few words.

Nujan pointed at various places, explaining what was where. He told us that over there, on the second floor, we would be staying. If we were allowed. Or we could just take a room. Xipil asked if it wasn’t very easy for thieves to operate here, considering how little the guards paid attention to us. “Why do you think I like it here?” Nujan replied. The cat man climbed quickly to the roof of the hall, and sat down to watch the sunset. It was an impressive feat, and I got the feeling he liked showing off.

Lunari called up to Nujan that it was nice meeting him, and we continued inside. Finally, someone challenged our presence. I couldn’t determine if they were servants or artisans, but we explained ourselves, and they told us where we could sit down to wait for Remi, the chief of staff.

Remi was a finely dressed sixty-year-old, and brought another high-ranking servant, a woman I put around thirty. Lunari introduced himself and Grogg, for they were the ones who received the letter from Lunas. Although we didn’t have the letter anymore, Remi knew about it, and reasoned that they had to be who they said they were; others wouldn’t know about the letter.

Remi wished us all welcome to the Evening Fort, and showed us where we would stay. Food and water would be brought up. Remi told us we could go where we wished on the island, except for the inner courtyard. Xipil asked for someone named Pak, and Remi replied vaguely, finally introducing his companion as Mina.

Remi and Mina left us, but three other servants, not so elegantly dressed, appeared soon. Most of the rooms in the guests’ hall were empty. Lunari and Grogg decided to share a bedroom, but Xipil and I got rooms for ourselves. Mine had a huge, canopied bed, making me feel like a princess for staying there. I dropped off my backpack and was about to return to the others when a knock came on the door. It was Xipil, who asked if I wanted to come with him to look for Pak, who according to rumor has a fascination for death, which after all was a topic close to my heart.

Going down the stairs, we met three soldiers. The sergeant gave his name as Markus, and wondered what we were doing there. I told him we were on our way to see Pak, but that didn’t satisfy him. I said he had to talk to Lunari about our reason for coming to the Evening Fort, and the man lit up. “Lunari! Is he here?” I gave directions to Lunari’s room, and Markus and his underlings rushed up the stairs.
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You don't need to spend 100 CP on Status 5 [25] and Multimillionaire [75] to feel like a princess, when Delusion [-10] will do.

Character sheet: Google Drive link (See this thread for details.)

Campaign logs: Chaotic Pioneering / Confessions of a Forked Tongue

Last edited by coronatiger; 03-17-2020 at 10:45 AM.
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