Cast
PCs
NPCs
- ‘Greg’
- Crow of Cabra
- Weaver Koh
- Inok
- The Chatelaine Hisvet (mentioned)
- Riona, of the Benevolent Shroud (seen)
Summary
A new day dawns. To the west, the city of Stone Palm rouses from sleep; grovetenders, sickles freshly whetted, walk the manifold paths which cut across the pampas and delineate the city from everything it is not.
North and then east, barely visible in the morning haze, and cast in a wash of scattered blue light, lies Memǒar. Before it stands the enormous guardian which watches over that odd garden. Within and without the attendants of the place move to their tasks, handed down to them from who knows where.
And finally south: a runnel of gray smoke; starting thin and rising upward into diffuse waves of gray—the seasonal burns make this a common sight, but isn’t there an additional malice to it now, when behind every obscured thing might hide the snarling face of a wolf?
And what else might be found within smoke and fire? The homunculus silently wonders this to itself. This place is a perpetual cycle of rain, of smoke, of fire—every year old gives way to new, every thing has its place. But what of the things outside of life and death, where do they fit? Where does it fit, what cycle does it belong to?
It does not know. But it wonders
Everyone wakes in an odd mood—bad dreams once again. Veda and January discuss their nightmares, hypothesize on the nature of dog curses, and make a pact to tell one another if they notice anything weird going on.
Inok warns the party that he senses an evil presence around their camp, and urges them to go see the Weaver for assistance.
The last leg of the trip to Stone Palm is interrupted by a grasslands fire that the party helps keep under control. They arrive to the city sooty, smelling of smoke, and tired.
The whole party goes to see Inok, and in doing so learn that not only is there a Chatelaine here, a rare thing indeed, but that she is here to meet with members of The Benevolent Shroud, a faction with much sway in Uisgetaigh.
After seeing Inok they travel to the hut of Koh, who believes that current events have something to do with an old hero of the pampas named Tyshiqat. She shares that both the Chatelaine and the Benevolent Shroud have come to see her, and have differing opinions on how to solve the problems currently facing the land.
- Koh would see the threat, whatever it is, destroyed.
- The Chatelaine wants to have the academy come handle things, contain the threat, and then secure it where no one can find it.
- The Benevolent Shroud believes that there could be an opportunity to research whatever the source is, and wants to try and use it.
They depart from Koh’s, everyone refreshes themselves, and they meet back at The Verdant Spring. Everyone has a long island iced tea (named after The Long Island, one of the largest landmasses in the southern archipelago).
Crow shows up, gets sorta drunk, and shares with everyone a story about his past: that he left Cabra in disgrace, his family ousted by a trusted general. He has been a wanderer ever since, but wonders sometimes about returning. Brim suggests that everyone goes on a big trip together.
Everyone gets rooms at the Spring, save for Jan, who travels back to the boat alone.
Notable Moments
- Brim buys a chainmail beanie
- Veda buys plate armor with cutoff sleeves.
- Brim shares the story of Tyshiqat with Koh and the rest of the party.
Tip
Noble Tyshiqat, hero of the pampas:
One their brow they wore a diadem of stars, in their hand they carried a sickle as fine as the waxing moon. With these tools—and perhaps more—noble Tyshiqat did face and strike down the magus Pandelume, servant of the Dark Star: who stockpiled the secrets of the old world in his fetid tower, and who spread darkness and fear across the grasslands.
That day the pampas did burn ,and the flames consumed the mage’s tower. His servants, unable to stop this, and no longer privy to their master’s power, faded away as the morning mist.
Art
