Jan 8, Monday; Snowy wind, eclipse of Kythera
- Though with some trouble, but we persuaded the Amazons to sell us one of their tents.
- They advised us to go north around the swamp and then west towards their city, and so we said our goodbyes and went.
- By noon, we discovered an old but well-tended, wooden temple with a painted dome sitting on a low hill (#3.12) and were greeted by the attending priests, who offered to let us consult with their oracle, should we wait for the evening mass.
- The temple belongs to C'ro, a formless deity of Magic. In the depths of the temple's sanctum, it is said that it speaks wisdom through an animated skull of its ancient high priestess.
- Saoirse insisted on attending the mass and we even persuaded Menja to seek out a healer for her worsening cough.
- Saoirse borrowed money from me and Menja to purchase a proper sacrifice, but the oracle's ramblings offered nothing but nebulous omens. Perhaps the eclipse had something to do with it?
- Still, a night under a roof is a night under a roof. We scrubbed ourselves clean and slept comfortably.
Jan 9, Tuesday; Wet snowfall
- We spend the whole day following a road west towards Odawara, the city of Amazons. (#2.11, #3.10, #2.9, #3.8, #2.7, #3.6)
- We met no one, probably due to the gods-awful weather, and arrived late in the evening.
- The guards didn't want to let us in at first, but Saoirse's charming song and our pleas brought them around.
- We found the first inn and went to sleep.
Jan 10, Wednesday; Sleet
- In the morning, Fenja and Chani bought enough food to last us a week and some leather armour, but that left us nearly out of money.
- In the meantime, Menja visited the town hall and turned in the location of the machine-god (#6.13) for a reward of neat 10 sp, while Saoirse spent some time in a pub. She heard about a quest from a local apothecary, a Dendrassi named Ali-ilil, whose apprentice got lost to the north-east of the town. There are rumours of bandits on the roads, so maybe they did something to her?
- We set off around noon and left the road for trackless grassland in the afternoon, going further north-east.
- Soon, though, we noticed a few boars rolling in the mud. They were upwind and haven't noticed us yet. After some deliberation, we decided to kill and sell them.
Note: I use HD damage, so "2 damage" actually means "2 dice of damage". The boars were pretty deadly, but the party felt cocky.
- Fenja and Menja rushed and killed one boar immediately and Chani landed a throwing knife in the other's side.
- Saoirse spoke some strange ancient words, but the last beast seemed too afraid or enraged to listen to her commands.
- Menja, though, was quick enough to win the initiative over the ambushed boars, slew a second one and wounded the last one, who promptly failed morale and ran.
- Fenja still managed to wound it as it fled, but it was quickly getting away.
- Chani, being the swiftest and stealthiest, was sent to run it down. She managed to sneak up on the exhausted animal and finished it.
- It took us the whole rest of the day to drag the heavy corpses back to town, selling them for 12 silver, which was actually enough to nearly double our funds...
- We treated ourselves to another night in the tavern. The apprentice can be saved tomorrow.
Jan 11, Thursday; Icy & cloudy, shooting star
- All day, we travelled north-east through the plains (#2.7, #2.8, #1.9, #1.10). It was an uneventful journey.
- We saw a shooting star as we set camp, though. A good omen, or an ill one?
Jan 12, Friday; Icy & cloudy
- Another day of uneventful travel (#1.11, #1.12, #1.13). The low, grassy hills eventually just started to melt together.
- In the evening, we were hailed by three Amazons on riding lizards.
3x Lizard: HD 4, AC 8, AT bite, ML 7
Reaction: Untrustworthy. Will try to cheat you. May behave friendly at first.
- They were returning to Odawara, the city of Amazons, and offered to camp together for safety. We gladly agreed. We were looking for bandits in the area, after all, and didn't want to get jumped. Unfortunately the Amazons have seen neither bandits nor a girl who would appear lost.
- We were jumped in the night. By the Amazons.
- They took everything but our clothes. Told us that once we escape our bonds, a day's travel south is a temple and good luck to us.
Fuck.
- At least Chani managed to conceal a knife, so we will get out of these ropes quickly.
- We set off southwards with dawn, to get to the temple of C'ro as soon a possible. Of course it had to start snowing again, to make our hike all the more pleasant.
- We arrived in the afternoon (#2.13, #3.12), but were treated to a rather cold welcome when we explained how we lost everything and how we need provisions to travel back to Odawara.
- We were told that a wagon will be going to the city for supplies in three days and we can hitch a ride. Until then, we can help around the temple for food and lodgings.
Meanwhile, in Odawara...
This party will be indisposed for a few days by their lack of funds, so I mad a second one. I'm rolling for sex randomly and got another women-only party. I guess the dice know what they're doing, given that they're starting in a city of Amazons.
This time, the whole party is just rogues, because why not?
They met in the Watering Hole, their favourite tavern in the town. They got down the first round of ales before starting to exchange news and gossip.
Brenna and Nissa, apprentices to Ali-ilil the apothecary, told the other two about Sabatha, the third apprentice who was sent to gather some lotus in the northern mountains a week ago and failed to return. Three days ago, some foreigners took interest and promised to find her, but they were gone in the wind. Ali-ilil was getting nervous.
"So now you two are to go search for her and he's willing to pay for help?"
"Well, he told us we can borrow the cart and take his old tent," Brenna grimaced. She was a head taller than everyone else at the table. Used to be a woodcutter.
"Maybe you'd be interested in helping us out?" Nissa put on a smile she thought was disarming.
The puppy she was petting, Pinkybone, was quite cute, though.
"No money, no interest," said Maera the blacksmith, "sorry."
"I want to help," Cori - the farm girl turned stable hand turned housemaid - piped up.
"Thanks Cori," Nissa smiled.
"Why?" Maera asked.
"I can't just want to help?"
"I know you, Cori. What's up?"
"I might have stolen a horse and I need to get out of town, for at least a few days."
"You stole a horse."
"Yeah!"
"Why?" Maera asked.
"He looked sad and I'm pretty sure they were not feeding him enough! Also the donkey liked him."
"Which donkey?"
"The one I stole!"
Maera just pinched the bridge of her nose.
"So... When are we going?" Cori asked.
"We need to get some supplies first. Tomorrow morning?" Brenna said.
"At least I'll dust off my maille," Cori beamed. "Haven't yet had the chance to really wear it. Sorry, Mae."
"Yeah, I want to buy some armour too," Nissa said. "Wait, you have a chain shirt, Cori?"
"Yeah, and Brenna has one too. I've seen her train in it."
"Where did you two get chain shirts? They're pretty expensive!"
"I've got it as a gift," Brenna said.
"Me too! Mae made it for me," Cori smiled.
"Y'know, Maera," Nissa slyly said, "I will have nameday soon..."
"You will get maybe a knife," Brenna scoffed. "I only got the chainmail when she was trying to get into my pants."
"And?" Cori laughed.
"Admittedly, she was rather successful."
"She's quite the wooer, she is," Cori winked.
"Hey, I want a chain shirt too!"
"You've got no chance, Nis, sorry. Mae's got a type. Just look at me and Bren - blonde and scarred both. We're basically twins!"
"Fuck you both," Maera grumbled, burying her flushed face in the tankard.
"You wish," Cori grinned.
"Sounds like too many people in one bed to me," Brenna said, "but I'm not saying no."
"If there's a chain shirt involved, I'm game," Nissa wiggled her eyebrows.
Maera threw up her hands. "Fine, I will make you a maille. But that'll take time."
"We could buy you some leather," Cori offered.
"Could we?" Brenna asked. "Because I would pitch in, but I'm more or less broke. I'm basically drinking through my last silver here."
Cori faltered. "Speaking of... Could someone maybe borrow me a few coins? I kinda only have a single silver on me, total."
All heads turned towards Maera.
"No way am I buying you all ale and the supplies for our trip!"
"So you're going!"
"Of course I'm going. You would die twenty yards out of the city gates without me."
"I guess I could pawn my ring," Brenna grimaced.
"Don't worry, Bren," Cori hugged her around the shoulders. "We will get your ring back. Just think about how many sweet, sweet hardtack wafers your ring will get us!"
"I'll drink to that," Nissa raised her tankard.
They all drank.
"So the first thing tomorrow morning, we load the cart with food and blankets, and off we go!"
"And some firewood," Brenna said. "You never know in this weather."
"Sure, that's a good idea!"
"And my shrunken heads," Brenna added.
"Why do you have a shrunken head?" Maera stammered.
"I have six of them!"
"...Why?!" Maera asked.
Jan 14, Sunday; Light snowfall
- We gathered soon after dawn. Between the mule-drawn cart, horse and donkey, nobody needed to walk, so we quickly and comfortably covered the distance between Odawara and the temple of C'ro. (#2.7, #3.8, #2.9, #3.10, #2.11)
- On the road, we came upon a beggar who was also going to the temple. We took him with us.
- We arrived in later afternoon and found out that the foreigners who should have been looking for Sabatha were in the temple, completely bereft of possessions.
- They were apparently robbed, possibly by bandits who might've kidnapped Sabatha. That's a lot of maybes, but it's as good a first clue as any.
- They wanted to come with us, but we really don't have the supplies for so many people nor the money to purchase them, so we arranged for at least one of them - Menja - to guide us to where they last saw the bandits.
- Menja's small dog, Úlfi, became fast friends with Nissa's puppy, Pinkybone. Menja insists that her dog might be small, but it's very vicious, but I think it's mostly cute.
- We bought Menja a blanket and Brenna lent her her axe, though she was very insistent it's just a loan and she wants it back.
- Unfortunately, it seems that very little fun is to be had in this temple, so we went to sleep. We want to set out early tomorrow.
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