Well now, intrepid adventurers, you have 600km to traverse overland just over half of which is forested (not jungle anymore, but temperate-wet forests - like California Redwoods). I'm going to stick to my previous number and say you guys make 25km/day (you are faster over the plains, but much slower through the woods, it evens out). Thus you have 24 full days of travel ahead of you, to arrive on the 25th day at your destination - the landmark Inari's Grandmother, about 10km away from the Grand Chantry. You can look on the map to get your bearings.
The purpose of this 4th-wall breaking post is to begin a conversation about what you do with the journey. Use the comment threads to tell me, and each other, how you spend the evenings and nights. What do you chat about? How do your relationships with each other change as you get to know one another in long conversations? You may feel free to actually post story entries describing the journey if you are moved, but at least drop me a comment so I know where to pick up with you at the start of next session.
I am not saying that the journey goes smoothly and nothing happens on the way there. I will deal with any events that happen along the way separately, but for the remainder of the time spent walking and walking some more, I want to cover it out of game so that the actual session can focus on interesting action. Lacking Peter Jackson's budget for panoramic landscape shots, this section of the story will be much less interesting than when the Fellowship walks for years on end.
Discuss.
12 comments:
If I get time I might post something with more detail, but in general, Moses is relaxed and curious. He's not that interested in going back to Geneva Prime ever again, so he feels like he needs to learn more about the Karians. So he'll ask questions about the Prill, learn funny words in their language ("what does a Prill say when he hits his finger with a hammer, or drops something heavy on his toe?") and find out what kind of weird rituals they'll put us through to prove we're not Defilers (he firmly believes that all Karians have weird rituals - the 'trial' of the zipsum, the hospitality trials of the gogajin, being pounced upon by jevumm, etc.)
He definitely doesn't want to talk about the symbol on his head, and at some point he'll find an undisturbed pool and see his reflection and look at it quietly for a while.
He's interested in learning how to find food in case he's ever separated from HD and Una for some reason.
He gets very good at building shelters every night and breaking them down in the morning.
He needs to find some oily nuts that he can crush up and use to help weatherproof himself and prevent rust.
He starts eating meat again, but always sits quietly for a few minutes before he does so.
He's slowly becoming more articulate.
@ Doug,
I'm sure Mokuzai can teach you about the Prill, and the language.
The Symbol is eerie. It glints in the sunlight.
Moses is at a disadvantage learning to hunt, because he makes lots of noise, smells, and scares everything away. He can be taught how to be an effective forager, though.
The shelters get as elaborate as you like.
HD can certainly find you oily nuts to crush.
It is interesting - this is the longest period of quiet reflective time Moses has probably ever had. Geneva Prime is crowded and noisy, it's unlikely you were ever alone much, or in places that were truly quiet. Out here, especially in the plain, if none of your companions is talking it is very still.
Rei spends most of her evenings digging into the journal of Inase Spark, trying to gain access.
She tries to continue learning Karian languages, never having found herself to be unexpectedly good at something before (in this case, languages) - she enjoys the feeling.
She is also determined to learn some basic wilderness skills. She's not out to become an expert per say, just wants to make sure that if she's ever separated from the group, she won't fall headfirst into a nest of man-eater ants and wind up with feet covered in parasites, and will have a reasonably good chance of being able to find things like food and water (one dot in wilderness survival). She's interested in hunting as well, but not so much for the acquisition of food (she can't eat meat) as for the kill.
She spends a few evenings talking to Una and High Dive instead of working on the journal, asking where they came from and what it's like to grow up in a Karian village.
Rei also bugs Moses a lot, asking him about his own family, and wanting to fill in the blanks around the initial briefing on him that she received when she was given the assignment to kill him. She's mainly trying to understand what the Other Thing in his brain is that occasionally shows itself to her telepathic senses, and hides it really poorly to anyone who's not Moses or Kiyoshi (she's a surprisingly poor liar to anyone who is not Cheldrun: that is, to anyone whose thoughts she cannot read).
She's willing to talk about her own childhood a bit if asked, but her stories in that regard will be a bit... strange.
Mokuzai is doing what he loves to do most. Teaching and explaining. He realizes that most of the party will be at a severe disadvantage in Prill society if they're completely ignorant of the taboos. Like never entering another's dwelling without wiping your feet (dirty or not) and never taking a bite of your meal before an elder or more distinguished person has tasted theirs first... and then there was that thing about talking while someone was singing and asking that songs be sung for entertainment... yeah, lots to go over there.
If nothing else, he occupies as much of his time as possible with explanation to keep his mind off the horrors his presence may visit upon his beloved home.
At the full moon, performs his ritual. He walks away from the encampment a short ways for some solitude, but makes no requests that he be left alone.
... and is thoroughly horrified if/when he hears Rei's desire to hunt just for the kill rather than the food. Mokuzai will simply refuse to teach anything of the kind, but is more than happy to assist Moses in foraging.
He also takes some more time to examine his staff. The Kyo-Tee-Shee may have done something to it, and he wants to be damned sure that its condition is pristine before he sets foot in the Grand Chantry.
And finally, any time he has to himself he spends poring over the book from the Guardian's hut, occasionally singing a few notes aloud to test the rhythm, pitch, and any of the dozens of other variables inherent to Prill music.
@ Paul
Rei may certainly learn language and wilderness survival from anyone willing to teach her, though, willing teachers may or may not be forthcoming.
As for the journal of Inase Spark you've given it a few pokes in game and on the blog now, so I'll send some love your direction in the next few days.
@ All
Due to Mokuzai's tutelage anyone who so desires may take a rank in Foreign Cultures (Prill), as well as language (Prill). Heck you could take a rank in music, whichever skill that is, as well.
@ Mario,
The full-moon ritual is rejuvenating, and centering as it often is, but even more so in these times of crazy strife.
the Staff is in excellent condition. Your "sacred space" is unviolated when you visit it. The Kyo Tee Shee didn't leave a scratch.
The music in the book is fascinating and multi layered. You begin to piece it together, bit-by-bit. It will take a long time (Prill spend their whole lives studying this stuff). But you are more and more convicted that the stuff in here is valuable. Indeed, it will probably garner a lot of attention at the Grand Chantry if you let it be known that you have such an artifact. At a quick guess - though you could be wrong - you'd say the primary content of this tome is a form of history.
Rei isn't going to ask about hunting until she's comfortable with the basics, mind you.
But once she's reasonably sure she won't instantly die thanks to Jungle Awfulness, she'll express an interest. After a few hunting trips, however, though she doesn't actually say anything (unless asked, in which case she replies honestly), it's obvious that her interest in the activity is definitely not on the level of food. If Mokuzai is teaching her, it probably ends there. If it's High Dive or Una, on the other hand, well, that may or may not be different.
@ Rei
Yeah, Rei has said she can't process meat enough times for even Moses to wonder why she's hunting :)
If possible, Moses will work out some kind of collapsible structure that he can break down and rebuild every evening. It'll be a lightweight, wooden frame that he fills in with a roof and wind-break from natural materials.
Probably:
Foreign Cultures (Prill) 1
Languages (Prill) raising it to 2
Wilderness Survival 1 (Shelter)
Maybe Performance (Song) 1 because that would be funny
Kiyoshi will try to learn enough about Prill culture to not offend anyone (probably default to my Etiquette skill) and shows minimal interest in Wilderness Survival.
He spends a good amount of time talking to Una, Moses, and Mokuzai. About anything and everything, really; it is obvious he is trying to get to know them better as people. Rei and Highdive he mostly ignores.
And of course he practices his sword forms every day, meditates, and burns some aromatic grasses in honor of the First Minds. He seems focused. Determined. And ever vigilant against danger from any direction, but especially from behind...
@Rei
Yeah, sorry, your vegetarianism has come up many times, and was especially noticed by the raptor. Una will teach you how to track a bit and how to set traps for large creatures. Although in truth the chances of a Karian falling for these very simple traps is next to nil, she doesn’t want Rei to feel totally put out; Una has a feeling that keeping the biomade assassin at a distance would not be good for all the progress she’s apparently made lately.
@All
During this journey you finally notice some of Una’s vorax-ness coming out. Many times during the evening you’ll see her scribbling in her journal. If asked she explains that one of the main tasks of the Vorax was - is (she corrects herself) - to keep karian lore; so she is recording all the tidbits of information that she gleans from you. Her people obviously didn’t used to keep records on the Cheldrun, but she figures that they’ve been here long enough, they count as at least Karian inhabitants.
Even if you don’t care about the journal-writing, you (except maybe Moses?) notice your conversations with Una being filled with a lot more odd questions than before. For example she asks Kiyoshi how burning grass honors smart people. “If they can see what you do, isn’t it enough that you live well? Vorax ancestors are always on the wind high above watching.” Then her gaze drifts up…”The skies are so crowded right now…”
She also resumes what she calls The Search (you can hear the capital letters when she says it). Several hours of the day she is out flying large circles looking for any evidence of living Vorax. Though truly, now she’s just happy for ANY evidence that Vorax exist on Karia.
Camping so many days in a row, you may finally notice that Una looks quite haunted and haggard almost every morning. Sometimes it’s haggard-sad and sometimes it’s haggard-angry, though for the first few days it’s always haggard-angry. If you keep watch you might hear her mumble and/or thrash in her sleep. Occasionally tears slip down her cheeks during sleep and you may wonder if she cries in her dreams too.
@Kiyoshi
Since he tries to get to know Una better, added to the above she fills him in on more of her own culture – or what it used to be. She tells him that the main skills that all Vorax children need to learn are hunting, lore-keeping, and wind-playing (that’s wind instrument to you non-Vorax). She wistfully recalls her own Fledgling Day – apparently some type of coming of age ceremony – when the wind instruments played sitting in a circle around her. When the Fledgling closes their eyes they are supposed to hear the wind as it sounds when one is flying in open skies, through trees, over grasses… She looks through you, then at you, “I wish you could have a Fledgling Day.”
Another time she also asks if you would let her try to restore your hair?
@Una
"I should very much like that, I think." He looks uncertain for a moment, then "Una, there is something I have been meaning to ask you. I cannot help but notice that, from the beginning, you have treated me... differently... than the others. I truly appreciate your friendship; I do not think I have ever been closer to a Karian than I am to you. But... I do not understand why you seem to have singled me out, why you sometimes treat me as if... I do not know, as if I was more than just your friend. I... I will not press if you do not wish to speak of it, but I would like to know your intentions." He finishes in a rush, blushing slightly.
"My intentions?" Una can't help but smirk since Kiyoshi so rarely blushes. Then she gets a bit more serious knowing that he put himself out on a limb to ask, and looks at him kindly. "My intentions are to take care of my family Kiyoshi. A very long time ago, it seems forever now, something strange happened:"
"Before I woke up from my fall into the mine, I was dreaming that I was breaking out of my egg -yes- hatching. When I finally broke through, I woke up, and your face is what I saw. Now, um, how to describe this... Do you know how you can foster a baby bird if you raise it from an egg? Well my whole being seemed to feel some sort of bond like that with you."
"Daitokuji Kiyoshi, you feel like my very own brother. And I hope you can understand that since my own blood brother died taking care of me, how I am very dedicated to keeping you alive...not that you make that very easy," Una mock glares at him. "I hope you don't find my feelings horribly offensive." Given the blush Una is a bit worried that Kiyoshi might have misunderstood her affections.
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