Day 18 — BBQ

PachinkoRyutoOona KatoaPunxsutawney

Chapter summary

A blood-boar victory feast brings grief, trade, Punx’s departure, and urgent news from Oro.

Connections

Session notes

It’s time to celebrate the hunt but first Punx is sad. Phil’s ship was sunk in naval combat and they could only recover the cap belonging to him. Punx is sad, he takes his letter and walks away from the table. He is reminiscing about Phil and growing up together, predicting weather together. All the good times they had together and how right they were almost more than half of the time. He is contemplating the stars. Rito senses the need for tea and offers him a cup. He brews some of the worst tea he has brewed so far. It tastes like sadness. Punx puts it away as he doesn’t want to drink it and tells Ryuto the news. Meanwhile, Oona is partying in the background. Meanwhile, Pachinko is doing tricks over the fire.

Ryuto makes a bad comment about the fate of Phil’s brother and Punx is now feeling better but not drinking the bad tea. There are villagers from Bimbo and Hilltown now visiting Bloombark to celebrate the killing of the boars.

Lillypad is here with the Boggarts and they are mostly tolerated. They eat insects and worms. They are saying goodbye. They are too few of them. They are going to go back to the west, to the west side of the Elephant isles where the jungles are much more dense. The Ranti are the higher class in the west, the snake people. The Boggarts escaped that world but now they have to go back. They are not amused by Pachinko’s suggestions to follow them and help them upend their fate as slaves. In the west, the blood boars are not even a threat as they are eaten by lesser rocks which in turn are eaten by drakes. Real drakes, not like the dragon people of the isles.

The three chieftresses of the villages, Killipella of Bloombark, Zun of Bimbo, Pokko of Hilltown. They award us with one of the most precious things of the Elephant Isles, an Elephant, a young buck of 12 feet height. Oro is happy to keep the elephant for us as it is a great honor. Punx did not enjoy Pachinko’s suggestion to name the elephant Phil but instead we decided to call him Jumbo. Oro will be the elephant’s caretaker.

We’re talking to Maliko, the new Chief of Staff of the embassy, the replacement for Stoa. Ryuto offers him a decent cup of tea. Perfectly adequate tea. Maliko is happy we’ve kept relationships and protect the Contessa. We’re curious about the most recent developments:

Lady Selandia of Albian immediately wants to send more troops into the city to protect her people.
The Carolingians, the truly aggrieved party, have been measured in their response and they’ve been quiet. They took the remains of the Saint and are waiting for word from the authorities on their land.

Maliko is thinking about using the resources of this island as a bargaining chip to avoid giving more of Moa Toa. However, the Celestials are interested in these islands. Maybe there’s a gambit where the foreigners fight each other. Punx mentions we’ve been here for several months.

We know of the following treasures in the island:

A powerful herb that healed Punx, the counteraction to the Blood Agu.
The blood magic in the west.

Maliko says we shouldn’t worry too much about all this, we should just maintain good relationships with the locals. Maliko offers his condolences and Oona learns about Phil’s disappearance. Punx is sad that there’s no corpse to burn as is the Varangian way. Maliko offers a ship back to Moa Toa or to Varangian’s Ear Isle. Maliko is interested in Punx’ special gift. They’re trying to build a new fleet with borrowed money from various foreigners. Maliko is offering employment on these ships if he stays in the islands and don’t come back to his lands.

Punx decides to leave and pursue new roads, as a final service to the crew, he starts to create a market and buzz for lemon truffles.

We’re sad that Punx is leaving, he leaves with some harsh words about Ryuto’s tea.

Oro approaches us.