Day 4 — The Doom of the Bunyips

PachinkoJimminyRyutoOona Katoa

Chapter summary

After surviving the bunyips, the expedition reaches Bloombark and meets Queen Killipella and Don Gregorio.

Connections

Session notes

Pachinko has found his hidden accent. We’re lifted with the carcass. We are able to harvest it.

Campaign source artwork

We go to sleep after all this. We’ve had a rough day. The Bunyips are now gone from the shore. Let’s go to the boat. We make it ashore and hide our boat.

The beach is at the estuary. The village is somewhere up the river, maybe half a day upstream. We’re walking through the jungle along the river. Ruyo tries to find the special wood but is unable to identify the trees. It’s a celery village. There’s lots of evidence of human life. We’re waylaid by Elves.

Your Kazir breathes so loudly we could have shot her in the dark, they say. Ryuto is now going to chat with the Elves. He mentions we’re emissaries of trade. Una is the emissary of Moa’tor and tries to reason with them. We are being brought to their leader. We go through the jungle wading through a hard path.

The Celarians live in harmony with the environment with well integrated orchards and other features. The children play with Pachinko and Jimminy. We’re all speaking the same island common language. We’re reaching a building with a center bonfire, an audience chamber with a throne-like object. We go to the chieftess who waves us forward. The leader has two unworthy children. They regard the other islanders as the ones who knelt. She thinks we’re representing the king. We have two representatives of the conquerors.

She is surprised to learn that Malty is dead. Malty was the most rude guest. One of the children, Ronghi speaks up, she says “Mother, we must not succumb too low and deny guest rights”. The chieftess growls and allows us to stay the night. We’ll get an abode at the end of town.

Ronghi walks with us to the dwelling. It’s not very impressive. Punx tries to make conversation. Ronghi apologizes for Mother. She was not always like this. We ask about Malty. He was thinking that he was better than everyone else. Ryuto offers his tea to show his good graces. Ronghi is unfamiliar with the concept of tea. Ronghi asks Una how she ended up with this group. Ronghi also lost her papa recently. Ronghi is interested in the ships she sees in the water. Someone is going to come visit us and we should meet him.

There’s no furnishings on this dwelling. We’re making tea while some of the guards are watching us. Is everyone hostile? Not! Some of the populace might be friendly.

The children are very curious and eager to approach. There’s not many old people. Only the warriors are actively hostile, they have scars on their person or their equipment. Una tries to communicate with the warriors. When Una approaches the populace on her own, they seem more open to communication.

There’s a guard with an open scar on his shoulder. Una inquires about the scar. Some of the scars are from the boggarts, there are constant raids. There is meanwhile a tea squabble between Punx and Ryuto. A voice in the crowd is volunteering to be the judge of tea. A man wearing the same clothes as the villagers come forward, but it’s not a celery or of islander descent. He wears a priest badge of the eternal fire, a Missionary of that religion. It’s Don Gregorio. He is very interested in tea.

He favors Punx’ tea over Ryuto’s. He is trying to convert some of the villagers and might be interested in Pachinko’s help. Gregorio has only been allowed to stay there but has not been able to convert anyone. They are proud people so offering help is hard to them. They wouldn’t be happy to learn that Punx is Varangian. 2 years ago the old chief was killed by a Varangian slaver in a raid.

Meanwhile, Una continues her conversation with the guards. The boggarts have a nearby village called Utu, about a day of travel from this one. Una convinces the guard that we’re strong fighters.

Don is now talking to Una. He is from ancient Carolingian. Three of his brethren have perished to flame. Don is interested in joining to the sacred land of the Moa. This is not kosher though so this priest is being misled. Oro could be swayed and convince his mother to let us stay. We could even help more with the great ships of Carolingia.

Pachinko can go talk to Oro about letting us stay.