Episode 6: There's a Moose Loose

27 Jan 2020 00:18

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Setting

Mostly on Fireday of Disorder Week.

Earlier in the day there had been an attack on a farm outside Apple Lane, by two Tusk Riders, who had kidnapped a farmer. He had been rescued, and the group repaired to the Tin Inn. Saronil, who had not been there, was escorting a group from Clearwine.

Plot taken from Chaosium GM Pack. This was the actual Defending Apple Lane plot as written, with last week's used as an expanded preamble.

IC Play

Saronil, Laika Pigwife (no close relation to the famous Leika) and Rastar the Entertainer were on their way from Clearwine to Apple Lane when the weather came down hard, and they had to force their way through the snow. About an hour away they saw shapes in the trees, and Saronil made the decision that they should not investigate, but press on despite the weather. They met a horseman coming the other way in the dark, and he had met Saronil before - he was Hendroste from Apple Lane. He took them via routes that were mostly clear of snow, and they got into the Tin Inn safely, if a little cold. Hendroste reported to those who were there that he could not get through - the shapes in the trees were probably Tusk Riders. Instead, he had brought back Saronil the warrior, and some famed members of the Ernaldori.

Introductions happened - Laika was chiefly famous for having negotiated with a Stone Goddess and brought her into an alliance with the Clan, while Rastar claimed to be an entertainer, but had a fine sword with him, and armour to wear as well as his bright clothes. Laika said she was there to try to arrange to buy cattle. Ethrava recognised the story, and knew that Laika was enmeshed in politics. The Colymari knew a little about each other already.1

The group prepared for the coming fight, with a warding in front of the Tin Inn and one at the back gate.2 They spent much of the night pouring water onto the ground where it could freeze under snow. A wagon was pulled into position to help bar the big front gate, and the Sun Elk, Gnasher, was tied just behind the wagon.3

Around dawn, six Tusk Riders came, along the road and then filtering through the trees. They stopped out of spirit magic range to put on their own magic, and then charged. The first one in line slid on the ice4 and came in sideways, and was hit by the fourth in line, also sliding5. The other pigs managed to charge the gate but did not do much damage. Meanwhile, Androus peppered them with arrows6. Saronil leaned down to Repair the gate, using his spirit magic. After one of the tusk riders was left dead the group split up with some going around to the back while others stayed at the front.

Saronil and Ethrava dashed for the back, and Androus stayed up top on the wall. The biggest Tusk Rider took down his shield and he aimed for that man as they charged. Things got a little complicated as the gate took hammering after hammering. At the back a tusker managed to break the gate, but came to a dead halt as it did, only to run itself into Ethrava's befuddle spell, blocking the doorway. Its rider leapt off to face Saronil, and Laika stepped up to be the Humakti's back-up.

Despite Hendroste and Androus' defence at the front, the main gate gave way, but there was only one Tusk Rider there as a second lay dead on the ground with an arrow in his eye. On the ground were Rastar and the Sun Elk, Gnasher. Rastar stepped up and put his sword through the last Tusk Rider's abdomen, but got his sword stuck.7 This made very little difference as no sword could have helped him - the tusker completely mashed his head, destroying his helmet on the way.

Saronil managed to bring the Tusk Rider down, eventually. Laika calmly stepped in and finished the job when the man just refused to die. Ethrava then befuddled one of those who was going back around to the main gate.

Varaema threw herself off the wall where she had been crouching in case the archers were injured, and cast Harmony, making everyone calm. Everyone except Gnasher, who calmly ignored the calm peace offered by Chalana Arroy and threw a tusker into the air, damaging it badly.

The end result was a very dead Rastar, a sleeping Gnasher, and the bodies of several8 of the riders and tuskers. Androus saw one of the Tusk Riders pulling away the body of the leader, dead with a Yelmalian arrow through his eye. His geas to challenge darkness creatures to a first blood duel kicked in. With Saronil alongside and Asprag the farmer as a tracker, they set off into the snow. Pretty soon they saw the body of the leader of the tuskers, but they had to keep following the trail - three of the beasts had left this way.

Laika and Hendroste escorted Varaema and the body of Rastar (with extra bits in a bucket) to Clearwine, as fast as they could, with the body tied onto Varaema's High Llama. As they cut through the forest they found they were being followed by something, or else something huge was going in the same direction as them. Once they were out of the trees they could hurry along, but Hendroste was very apologetic over the danger he had put them in.

In Clearwine, Varaema had the body brought into the Lightbringers' Temple, where she used Heal Body to give Rastar a head back. They asked for their friend to be brought back to life, and on the spirit plane, Rastar met a goddess dressed in white. He recognised her as Chalana Arroy, and took an apple from her and ate it, on her instruction. This reminded him of the world, and it was delicious but strangely heavy.9 He woke with the taste of apples in his mouth.

Meanwhile the group had successfully followed the trail of the Tusk Rider who got away, but only Androus could keep up, so he ended up pulling ahead of his comrades. He managed to draw blood on his enemy, but the tusker charged him, the rider kept using some sort of spell10, and Androus turned11 and found Saronil again. They did not pursue further.

Back at the inn, Ethrava had calmed people down, helped make sure all was going well, and settled in. Everyone gathered there, and shortly there was a party in their honour. Hastur Lawspeaker arrived the next day to thank them on behalf of the Queen, and ask them as great killers of pigs to deal with Red-eye the boar.

Right at the end of the session, on Godsday, a letter arrived for Saronil. It was from Lord Eril, asking him to call on the Boldhome Temple as a personal favour.12

Other Things

Laika has decided to pick up Command Swine. Rastar has decided that Eurmal stole his Divine Intervention Rune Point, and is sulking. He is also rather poor again, having spent his ransom. He and Laika did some serious talking about wills and property if they should die.

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