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Episode 5: This Little Piggie - 18 Jan 2020 17:16
Setting
The characters had arranged to meet in Apple Lane in early Dark Season, after the harvests, to greet those who would be on their land and formalise the relationships. Saronil, who was not present, was assumed to have been held up.
Plot came from Chaosium GM's guide.
IC Play
The various farmers met up with the group in the Tin Inn, a large place with a ridiculously expensive roof that had hammered tin tiles on it. They were Asprag, Farnona, Ellinya, and Drostos, on the hides of Ethrava, Androuranos, Varaema and Saronil respectively. Everyone seemed to be competent. Varaema gave up the share of the Royal herd she had to her companions on proviso the tithe to her Temple was paid. Asprag was worried, which Ethrava and Varaema both noticed. He had had a minor argument with his husband, who should have arrived but had not. Varaema standing on her High Llama could not see anyone coming along the roads, so they headed out to the farmers' house with the last of the light. They could see smoke as they approached. Ethrava managed to get the Sun Elk to move at speed for once, and even in the right direction. She was the first there, and Asprag was close behind.
There was blood on the snow and evidence of someone having been dragged away. The thatch was smouldering but not burning properly, it being Dark Season and everything being wet. Inside Ethrava and Asprag found his spear was missing, and so was his money. However, Androus found a bill hook that had been used as a weapon, and pulled off the part of the thatch that was burning. They found the trail of large trotters leading away.1 The group wanted to send Asprag back to the hamlet to warn people, but his husband was missing and he was having none of it. He demanded they burn the house as a warning, so he could come with them, and after a quick round of discussion2 they agreed to this plan.
In the near darkness they were able to follow the trail until it went into a copse of trees and did not come out of them. Asprag blurted out his fear that it was tusk riders who had taken his man, and he and Ethrava explained a bit about what was known of the Bloody Cult. As they were making up their minds how to approach, they heard a thin, wailing scream. Asprag ran for the woods and Ethrava managed to wrestle him down. With Androuranos still on his horse, they crept, loudly, into the forest.3 Ethrava had Spirit Sight to see what was up ahead in the darkness, which gave them warning there were five spirits up there, two moving like people, one not moving like a person who was tied up, and two moving like pigs. In short order, they were charged. Androus drew one away on horseback while shooting. To his annoyance several good shots were blocked by the rider's shield. Meanwhile Ethrava and Asprag fought the other, with Asprag putting his bill hook through the man's abdomen and getting it stuck there. Varaema ran around to see to the tortured man, who had been burned. She dealt with that by casting Sleep and then tending to the problems mundanely.
Androus out-rode his opponent in the woods, and finally managed to do enough damage the rider turned tail and fled. He put an arrow through his opponent's spine and chased down the tusker as well. Meanwhile, Ethrava had had a disaster with the tusker, which had broken her arm so badly it was shattered, and she had passed out from shock. Asprag managed to get his bill hook back, and killed the giant pig, and Varaema arrived and set the arm by using magic, and then Androus got back as well. They rescued the farmer Saraskos and put him onto a travois to take him back to town.4 Ethrava tried to heal him by Spirit Magic and then Rune Magic, but found that neither worked. They were met partway out by Hendroste, on horseback.
A quick planning session happened. Hendroste volunteered to go overnight to the Black Spear clan, to fetch warriors, and the others settled to make decisions, fortify the Tin Inn, and prepare in case more Tusk Riders attacked. Aileena and the god-talker of the Temple of All Gods, and Squinch, all had a few ideas. The villagers were moved into the inn for safe keeping for the night. Ethrava set up wardings across the front gate and Squinch across the back gate.
Other Things
A modest amount of loot from the Tusk Riders included two signalling horns, two broadswords, and the spear from Asprag's house, but the armour the riders wore was left, as they were in a hurry.
Tags: 1625 aileena androus asprag dark drostos ellinya ethrava farnona god_talker hendroste saraskos varaema
