We have a new guy! Mike (mar-Wyf sif-Del sif-Tur sif-Firil Grenwyf)has joined us, thanks to Paul's (Marik) diligent efforts. For his own part, Paul didn't sleep until 06:00 this morning, so he's not all with us today. Tim (Antok Six-Hearted) appears for lunch, but is so upset by this that he forgets his power supply. Everyone else is as normal as they can reasonably be: Chris (Gruul), Chuck (Galen) and Bruce.
Things get off to something of a slow start as everyone falls into a lively discussion on how to map World War II Europe onto Yaggo's Boat. Everyone agrees that the Gaurgast are the Americans. Tim thinks that the thrux are the Japanese, and that they're surely going to go "oasis-hopping" through the Garden. Paul wants to figure out how to trick the thrux into attacking the Aft Gallery, waking the sleeping giant and laying the seeds for their own eventual doom.
Antok Six-Hearted spends experience to improve his Simple Illusion skill.
The session starts out on the 6th day of the 3087th Stay. In Eafan reckoning, it is currently the middle of Firil of the year 1608. The characters are staying in the village of Jat on the banks of the Eohel River. They are traveling with the paurkend Venturers Pilgren and Welgren, for whom they have developed quite a healthy sense of disgust. The rest of their company includes forty bausker bearers in the paurkend's employ (led by Talhilchuk), twelve bausker bearers in the characters' employ (led by Jielshefthra, Culchichuk's younger sister), and six gaurman guards (led by the shifty-eyed Boss Gunk).
The characters wake to find that the caravan will not be ready to depart for Eohel for another hour. Marik asks the other characters, "Don't we want to stop and gather information while we're here?" Gruul looks up from his breakfast and grumbles, "Why would we want to do that?" Marik is taken rather aback, "Uhh... Because we know nothing?"
At this point Pilgren approaches the characters and tries to sell them information. Or actually, the promise of information. He explains that he and his brother are expecting to meet with a Yierdo dwarf named Rassback Longwinded when they get to Eohel. Rassback has already been in Eafa for a couple of days, and is sure to have learned all sorts of valuable stuff. For only 400 clavars, Pilgren claims that he will be more than willing to pass along the juiciest bits. The characters fail to understand exactly why they should be paying him anything. Pilgren starts hitting them with a lot of doubletalk. Gruul steps in and interrupts him before he manages to reach his stride, commenting, "Whenever I talk to a Merchant and my head starts to hurt, they're trying to cheat me. I'm going to leave the barn and not come back for fifteen minutes." Antok Six-Hearted asks him, "You're going to count to 1000?" Gruul corrects him, "Ten."
This is enough to send Pilgren away. Enjoying the sudden peace, the other characters explore some thoughts on hiring a local guide. They reason that an escaped slave would be cheap, and probably more knowledgeable about the things characters care about than one of the elite would be.
When Gruul returns, Antok mentions, "You know, that merchant has a lot of brass." Gruul observes, "You notice that he never answers a question with any useful facts." The characters decide to talk to the village boss about hiring a guide. It develops that a cousin of his was planning on going to Eohel in a couple of days anyway, and could probably push up his departure time. Marik tells him that this sounds like an excellent idea, and is promptly introduced to sif-Yohef Hifuf, a young tsian aristocrat armed with a shortsword. A really nice shortsword. For no particular reason.
The characters promptly translate his name to "Hank", and find that they suddenly feel a much deeper connection to him than they did before. Gruul takes note of Hank's polite manners and nicely tailored cloak and mentions to Marik, "He's coming on to you, dude." Marik disdains to glorify Gruul's comment with a reply.
After a day of hard marching the caravan approaches the city of Eohel. Along the way, Marik has been using the Tongue-Twisting Circlets to speak with Hank. He learns that there are three common languages in this region. The tsians and their dugun servants speak Ealhallen, many of the dugun laborers speak Low Gulfel, and the savages in the uplands speak Irhul. The other characters absorb this wisdom, then suggest that they might be able to find some other player-character types in the uplands.
From a distance, Eohel is quite a sight. It is a substantial metropolis, with a population of 8,000 tsian and another 12,000 dugun. Half of the city falls into the Old District, built up on a series of islands in the Eohel River, and the Working Quarter, sprawled out along the southern bank. Even the cheaper buildings of the Working Quarter are works of art with beautiful curving walls and slender towers, all painted in brightly-colored abstract spiral murals. The streets are crowded with tsian residents dressed in short robes of interesting cut and fascinating weave, interspersed with dust-covered dugun laborers wearing loincloths and crude cloaks.
Marik looks over the city and exclaims, "We brought the wrong trade goods! These people have a serious shortage of beggars!"
Gruul puts on a Tongue-Twisting Circlet and asks Hank if the dugun are their own masters. Hank explains that they are good craftsmen and excellent laborers, but they are like children and need someone to take care of them. Antok sneers, "So the tsians are like the pimps of Eafa?" Hank seems offended by this notion and once again explains that the tsians have an obligation to take care of their inferiors. It is quite clear that he has a very patronizing attitude towards the dugun, but at the same time honestly thinks that the current social order is in their best interest. Antok suspects that if real crisis ever hits Eohel, it will be the dugun who get on the life rafts and the tsians who end up drowning.
At the gate it is clear that the tsians have quickly adapted to the notion that they will be seeing quite a large number of outlanders in the near future. In addition to a variety of tsians in both official and unofficial roles, several folks from Yaggo's Boat are loitering around the gates. One of these is a Yierdo dwarf with wildly-braided black hair who is obviously Rassback Longwinded. He detaches himself from the crowd and heads over to talk to Pilgren and Welgren. Once again, Pilgren makes an attempt to sell Rassback's services to the characters. Antok waves a Tongue-Twisting Circlet in Pilgren's face as they blow him off (again).
On Hank's recommendation, the characters and their bausker employees obtain lodging at a Travelers' House owned by the Tassef family. They are an aristocratic household to which Hank is barely related.
There are quite a few folks already at the house when the characters arrive, including mar-Wyf sif-Del sif-Tur sif-Firil Grenwyf. He is a shockingly big tsian. Though he is clearly aristocratic, he has a much wilder look to him than the locals. The characters are quite relieved to see that big though he may be, he is still smaller than Gruul.
The characters circulate among the locals, using gestures and Tongue-Twisting Circlets to communicate as they can. Marik manages to learn that the craftsman hul-Chaufesh Mefef is able to make fitted plate and half-plate armor that weights 25% less than normal, albeit at 50% greater cost than normal. He is instantly convinced that a shopping trip to the fellow's workshop is in order.
Unfortunately, the characters know that they will not be able to do any shopping until they manage to find something to trade. Hearing this, Grenwyf mentions to them that Eohel is noted as a source of the rare iridescent tayfal gemstones, but that there hasn't been much of a supply of them available ever since the trouble out at the mines. Marik listens to Grenwyf's description of tayfal and gets a faraway look in his eyes. He breathes, "Ooooh... that sounds really nice."
The other characters try to talk to Grenwyf about finding master craftsmen, but quickly determine that he is uninterested in discussing the subject, as there are so many of them. He also don't know anything about trading magical items, but suggests that the only people able to afford them would be the leaders of a great house. Galen groans, "Why do we always run into these problems?" The characters also learn that most of the local magicians are of the Tuelo lineage, and currently have very limited powers (they aren't in season). Grenwyf comments that their hosts are of the Firil lineage, and might have access to magicians who are in season, if they really need to find one.
The characters discuss the matter until Antok points out that the object he'd like to sell is Tettek's Great Staff. He reasons that it shoots magical stones, so it is rather easy to demonstrate that it is magical.
The characters resolve to sell Tettek's Great Staff to their hosts. Grenwyf helps introduce them to pfaf-Tassef sif-Tansan sif-Firil Jiruj ("George"), who is willing to talk and apparently able to negotiate deals for objects like the staff.
Things get off to a rocky start when pfaf-Tassef George examines the staff and asks Antok, "What is the story of this staff? Do you have the Bard skill?" Antok adopts a desperate expression, his eyes shooting from side to side, until he realizes that he has a way out. He announces, "No, but I ate his brain!" Antok draws upon his memories of Tettek's life and tells a rather un-riveting story about the thrux Librarian. At the end of it he upbraids himself, "I can't believe I said the word 'ummm' so many times..." The other characters nod their heads and agree. Pfaf-Tassef George refrains from comment, but still appears to be interested in purchasing the staff.
The characters determine that "fair market value" for the staff is 105,020 clavars (Staff-15, Stone Missile-15 with +1 Speed and +1 Power, Clumsiness-15 with +1 Power, Paralyze Limb-15 with +1 Speed and a 15 ST dedicated powerstone to power it all). In exchange, they want fitted plate armor made by master craftsmen. Marik handles the negotiations. They go well, except for when he agrees to buy a half-dozen intricate metal wire statuettes decorated with glass beads for $2000 each, double the normal price. Pfaf-Tassef George agrees to provide the remaining value of the staff in the form of armor, though specifics remain to be worked out. For reference, a steel corselet (breastplate) from hul-Chaufesh Mefef's workshop will cost $1950 and weight 28 lbs. It will provide PD 4 and DR 6.
During the conversation with pfaf-Tassef George, the characters once again broach the subject of the dugun and their place in society. As with Hank, George very clearly considers the dugun to be vulnerable, easily-confused children who need tsian guidance to survive. Marik asks a few questions about how magic works in Eafa, and whether or not the dugun make good magicians. George's response makes it clear that there couldn't possibly be any dugun magicians.
The characters are left with the nagging suspicion that there really are dugun magicians, and that they might not be as tightly season-bound as tsian magicians are. They have no doubts that pfaf-Tassef George would never admit this possibility, even to himself.
Their dealings with pfaf-Tassef George mostly concluded, the characters open into a debate on what sort of trade goods to bring back. Antok thinks on the value of the spiral-woven cloth and suggests bringing back some slave dugun craftspeople. Marik listens to this and indicates that it's time for another of those "morality" talks. He suggests that Gruul might also have some problems with slavery.
A further problem develops when the characters determine that pfaf-Tassef George flatly refuses to sell them a spiral loom, and goes on to explain that nobody else will either. It turns out that the tsian have the same sort of attitude towards their looms that the English did towards theirs around the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Antok steps out to the stable chat with Jielshefthra. He asks her if she figure out how a spiral loom is built if she had a chance to see one. She considers, then chirps back, "Yes, if we could take it apart." Antok allows as how that might make the tsians mad. Jielshefthra is unbowed, "We could put it back together again..."
The characters start debating stealing a loom and bringing it back to the boat in pieces. Deciding that they'd better not discuss this in earshot of any tsian aristocrats, they adjourn to the stable for a bit more privacy.
While the characters are talking in the stable a dugun servant approaches them with great trepidation. The characters are quickly able to determine that she has something she wants to tell them, and that she probably wants to get away from her life as a servant in a tsian household, but she clearly has a lot of trouble talking directly to Grenwyf, and even more trouble talking to the scary foreigners. The characters' habit of asking very direct questions in loud voices doesn't do anything to help the situation. The characters are shocked to realize that even the bausker Jielshefthra scares her: the bauskers are always hanging around in groups, they're snaggle-toothed, and they look like they might eat flesh. Gruul and Antok refrain from laughing at the idea that anyone might find a bausker threatening.
The characters finally manage to determine that the servant is of the Helten line. She gives her name as tef-Tessef Geta (Geta, servant of the Tessef), but it is clear that among dugun she is geth-Helten Geta (Geta, freewoman of the Helten). This sparks a lot of interest when the characters figure out that the renegade vul-Helten Osk is related to her. This sparks even more interest when Grenwyf tells them that vul-Helten Osk was the leader who took control of the tayfal mines out at Drumbek. The final straw is when she mentions that vul-Helten Osk was once a weaver.
The characters decide that they need to go to Drumbek and have a conversation with Osk.
Drumbek is two days' travel away on foot. Or barely an evening's travel on a flying carpet. The characters persuade Grenwyf to go along to provide some local guidance. Antok disguises him as a Faian human to avoid provoking immediate hostility from the dugun renegades. He disguises himself as a dugun to try and create a bit of sympathy. Galen persuades pfaf-Tassef George to let Geta come along by lying to him ("None of the other servants can prepare our rooms as well...") Gruul stays behind, complaining that something he ate didn't agree with him very well.
The characters find that the mines at Drumbek are scattered along the banks of an old river gorge. Only a tiny trickle of water remains where a mighty river obviously once flowed. The tayfal are scattered through the banks, and over the years the dugun laborers have dug dozens of tiny tunnels into them in search of the gemstones. Marik tries casting Sense Earth to determine the location of the nearest tayfal and discovers that tiny fragments of the gemstones are so evenly scattered throughout the sand of the riverbed that the spell simply returns a diffuse glow.
The characters are able to see some of the effects of the dugun takeover very quickly. There is clearly no actual mining going on, and two of the three wooden mine buildings have recently been burned to their foundations.
Marik sets down his flying carpet on the sand near the buildings. Galen and Grenwyf walk out onto the sand, followed by Geta. It is clear that something dramatic happened recently, as the sand has been disturbed. They also know that the dugun renegades managed to massacre a party of tsian warriors sent to retake the mines only a season ago.
Things start to look dicey when Galen spots a finely-worked tsian helm half-buried in the sand. He is concerned to see that it has been crushed, and that something punched a hole clean through it. He is even more concerned when a scorpion the size of a horse heaves itself out of the sand in front of him and grabs him with its massive pincer. Two more scorpions follow the first, rushing to the attack.
The characters react decisively, hewing and hacking away at the creatures while Marik hovers off nearby casting Stun spells at the scorpions and Haste spells at his friends. Geta contributes to the effort by scrambling up a stone outcrop and getting as far from the scorpions as she can. Antok decides that his best strategy is his usual strategy: he rushes from the flying carpet to execute an aggressive floor lunge at one of the scorpions. He is more than a bit distraught to find that this tactic betrays him, leaving him securely grappled by another scorpion. Galen shatters one scorpion then turns to him, calling out, "I'll save you Antok! Wow, I've been waiting my entire life to say that." Ghelgul's Terrible Heartseeker makes short work of the creature.
In short order, the characters manage to dispatch all three of the creatures. Antok, deducing exactly how a bunch of dugun renegades might have defeated well-equipped and well-trained tsian soldiery, downs an Argos potion and looks around the valley floor. He is horrified to see that the entire area is scattered with giant scorpions. He is only barely reassured to see that none of them have been alerted by the characters' recent activities. All of the characters swiftly join Geta and Grenwyf atop the rock outcropping.
The characters are gathering their breath when a voice calls out from behind them. They turn to see a white-haired dugun sitting high upon the outcrop, apparently watching their performance against the scorpions. They realize that they must be looking at none other than vul-Helten Osk.
The session ends with the characters on the verge of speaking with vul-Helten Osk. Each character gains four experience points. Gruul gains only three experience points because Chris (sadly) managed to miss all the excitement with the scorpions.