Some Stories Are True

[MacConnell]

Askari... checking... studying... finding...

Volki... examine... making haste...

"Agreed..."

Hiroshi... offers... gathers...

Spoiler: Alchemical Sensitivity

This determines if a mineral, ore, plant, or piece of an animal is tuned to a particular proclivity of waylines, meaning that the item may be used to enhance the manipulation of Waylines or augment the developmental abilities of its bearer. For a positive result, the effectiveness must be equal to or exceed the sum of 60 and the multiple of rarity and 20. The numeric value for the effectiveness of this task is calculated by adding the Alchemy (Learning) task, the Analysis (Mysticism) task, and a random d100.

The specific proclivity may be determined by multiplying the rarity factor of the item by 10 days and then dividing by total effectiveness. This value, when expressed in hours, must be equal to or less than the character’s effective Will. Effective will is the sum of Mind, Will, Discipline, and Resolve. This task may not be performed in conjunction with any other active task but may be performed during any leisure activity, including sleeping. While sleeping, the divining Bender will dream of the nature of the item, waking briefly upon conclusion. Even while sleeping, analysis time, in hours, may not exceed the character’s effective Will.

Ecology: Mind + Learning + Knowledge
Analysis: Essence + Mysticism + Adhesion
Effectiveness: Alchemy + Analysis + d100 => 100
Analysis Time: 20 days / Effectiveness <= Will (when expressed in hours)

Askari: 22(alchemy) + 22(analysis) + 66(d100) = 110, success
Time: 20 / 110 = 5 hours, fail
Hiroshi: 21 + 29 + 71 = 121, success
Time: 20 / 121 = 4 hours, fail
Oorvid: 21 + 24 + 62 = 107, success
Time: 20 / 107 = 5 hours, fail
Volki: 22 + 23 + 49 = 94, fail

Late that evening or even into the night, each person feels an undeniable compulsion to keep the various collected trinkets and talismans, but no one can explain as to why, so they are aded to the already carried collection of items.

It rained some during the night and the morning breaks a bit damp with a low lying fog. The dampness brings a quiet to the forest that seems to have a calming effect. Only the myriad of songbirds are unaffected as the flit and sing as usual, maybe even more than usual.

After about three hours of slowly walking in a general northeasterly direction, sound of civilization reach the ears of the party before anything can be seen. Astrid notices a hidden sentry and makes a simple bird call that the party knows as halt. She whispers the direction of the sentry and everyone is able to locate him. Oorvid waves a greeting and holds up the woven basket of tubers.


The sentry steps from cover and motions with his head for the party to approach but does not lower his guard or unknock his arrow. He keeps his distance behind the party as everyone passes. This behavior is expected. When the party enters the tiny village proper, standing in the middle of a cleared area, speaking grandiosely to a group of seated villagers is none other than the Storyteller. Seeing the party, he waves and says in Spiofthest, "Dia duit, a phaisti." (Hello, children)


Noticing Askari and Volki, who recognize the man from his past visits to the Ansylin village, he says, "Askari and Volki, vedo che ti sei iscritto, Buono." (I see you have joined. Good.)

The strange, elder Spiofthest motions for the party to come join him and then turns and continues to speak in the unfamiliar language of the local villagers. Parts of it sound similar to Centrin and Ansylin. With the Storyteller hosting conversations, he introduces the party to several members of the village of people he identifies as Rheini. He begins to use Shimadow when speaking to the party so that all can understand. The man demonstrates fluency in four different languages. It is uncanny. The people are grateful for the return of their food and offer to share the drink with them. The drink is rather good.

This village is centered around a collapsed pergola. Underneath, it is suspected to have a buried tunnel that would have connected it to the site occupied by the defeated Shimadow, which explains why they had traveled overland.

Spoiler: Character Data

Askari: full wellness
Astrid: full wellness
Stones: 20
Hiroshi: full wellness
Javelins: 3, stone: 3, ularin
Oorvid: full wellness
Tunic: 70 - 1 - 1 = 68%
Volki: full wellness
Tunic: 50 - 2 = 48%
Wrenn: full wellness
Tunic: 60 - 1 = 59%
Arrows: 14

Spoiler: Collections

41 marks: currency
Aluminum: 1 brick, ??

Ant Stingers: 4, {toxicity x2}
Bandy Skull Talisman: 1, ??
Bat Guano: 4 measures, ??
Jay Skull Talisman: 1, ??
Rodent Tooth Necklace: 3, (Health +1)
Songbird Talisman: 1, ??
Spider Claws: 3 sets, ??
Spider Fangs: 3 sets, ??

Coal: 5 bricks, ??
Bloodstone: 1, (Health +1)
Dark Green Stone: 9, ??
Dull, Gray Stone: 1, ??
Emberstone: 1, ??
Slickstone: 1, ??
White stone: 3, ??

Dried Leaves: 1 measure, ??
Flowers: 2 measures, ??

OOC: Everyone receives 5 DP and acquires Rheini at 2%. State idle actions and communal intentions and provide 1 random roll.

 

[MacConnell]

OOC: 1 square = 1 hour of travel

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Wrenn, whom has been unusually quiet, and very contemplative, breaks his reverie at last upon seeing the Storyteller. He smiles at the man, and bids him greeting in the Shimadow language. The greeting translates loosely as "Good to see you again, wise one."

Wrenn will take the opportunity to explore the village, and to talk with anyone whom will listen. He is interested in learning the language of these people, because he foresees a time when he will probably want to return here.

Wrenn will also try to discover what sorts of bows these people employ, and compare them to his own. He will also inquire as to whether or not they have any extra arrows they'd be willing to sell.

Last but not least, Wrenn will walk out about 100 meters from the village to gather herbs and edible plants.

Spoiler: Random Roll

85

 

[Thaco Deathsave]

Askari will kind heartedly greet the Storyteller.

Vecchio pazzo. Dove in questa terra non stai vagando?

Spoiler: Translation

Crazy old man. Where in this land are you not wandering?

Askari will try and be social, communicating the best he can given the language barrier. If he can gain the help of the Storyteller as a translator, he will try and learn if these raids happen often; and if so, is it the same group every time?

When he see Wrenn go to gather herbs and plants, he will offer his assistance.

Being raised in the desert, I’m not yet very familiar with the edible plant of this region. If you don’t mind the help, I would love to learn.

Spoiler: Random Roll

97!! (+77 luck) = 174

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Wrenn smiles, "I welcome the help. Come, I will show you what to look for."

Wrenn graciously accepts Askari's help, and begins showing him "the ropes" of woodland herbalism.

Spoiler: Another Random Roll

67

 

[MacConnell]

Posting for @Osthelerin Hawke
Hiroshi waves to the Storyteller, "ut se habeat diem, Relator?"

Spoiler: Centrin

"How fares the day, Storyteller?"

He shifts all of his javelins to his left hand and makes a universal gesture of peace. He shows the people the supplies the party has turned and listens intently as the Storyteller translates the inquiry of Askari about the raids. He points to the ularin head of a newly acquired javelin and attempts to ask if the Rheini people know anything of the metal.

OOC: 75

 

[Astrid]

"Greetings once again Storyteller. You always seem to appear when we least expect you"

 

[MacConnell]

Wrenn... explore... what sorts of bows... extra arrows... about 100 (strides) ... gather...

Askari... try and learn if these raids... offer his assistance...

Hiroshi... points to the ularin head...

Oorvid is more curios as to how this village came to be centered around the collapsed pergola and if the Rheini are aware of any such other structures.

The Rheini people seem to be as open and benevolent as the Spiofthest and Centrin. Though Askari and Volki are not specifically familiar with these other tribes outside of this group of new friends, they find that the Rheini treat them like family, despite that Volki and Wrenn are Shimadow.

With the remarkable language skills of the Storyteller. The Rheini people tell the story of finding this flat rock and seeing a white elk standing upon it. This was taken as a fortuitous sign to stop wandering. The village had been bountiful and pleasant until the raids from the Shimadow Rovers started last season. They had been coming once a tenday, taking mostly food and leaving quickly. Pursuit proved fruitless, as they seemed to vanish from the forest.

The Storyteller explains to the party that the Rheini are normally suspicious of stone structures; and though having discovered the pergola to the southwest and another structure due south, they have not investigated them. They claim that the building to the south, about a three hour walk is haunted.

The Rheini are happy to speak at length about their bows and proficiency in archery. They are competent hunters. Their bows are made from thin rods of decreasing length bound together to form a stronger bow than the simple manufacture of the one carried by Wrenn. In exchange for the return of the lost materials, the people offer him a stranded bow. Disappointingly, they have no technological advancement with regard to metal and know nothing of the ularin. Their own arrows are stone tipped.

Oorvid offers a suggestion to his friends. "If I am correct, we cannot be more than a day or so from the Spiofthest village. We could arrange to establish trade between the two, like there is between the Spiofthests and the Centrins. Once we check out this "haunted" structure to the south, we could also see about trade with the village of Askari and our own."

Spoiler: Prospecting

This represents the desire to locate almost anything useful to the character, that may or may not be hidden from view or even require labor to collect, including anomalies, plants, minerals, ores, etc. Success is determined by meeting or exceeding the predetermined rank requirements of the tables found herein. The numeric value for the effectiveness of this task is calculated by adding the Prospecting (Learning) task, the Analysis (Mysticism) task, and a random d100.

Prospecting: Mind + Knowledge + Learning + Mercantile
Analysis: Essence + Adhesion + Mysticism +
Effectiveness: Prospecting + Analysis + d100
Askari: 22 + 22 + 174 = 218
Wrenn: 24 + 24 + 85 = 133

One older and a younger Rheini accompany Wrenn and Askari as they explore the area. Openness and a friendly nature does not mean foolhardy. Perhaps it is only curiosity but perhaps it is some degree of protectiveness that provokes the two to go along. Either way, once the nature of the exploration is discovered, the Rheini speak at length about various shrubs and vines. The language cannot be understood, but the nature of the subject seems obvious by the way that the various plants are touched. It is quickly determined that the villagers regularly harvest the useful plants in their vicinity.

Some compulsory force seems to direct the attention of Askari to a small patch of bright yellow mushrooms, almost hidden next to the trunk of a large tree. He does not know what draws him to them but after he picks some, he spits on his hands and wipes off his fingers on his clothing.

Spoiler: Character Data

Askari: full wellness
Astrid: full wellness
Stones: 20
Hiroshi: full wellness
Javelins: 3, stone: 3, ularin
Oorvid: full wellness
Tunic: 70 - 1 - 1 = 68%
Volki: full wellness
Tunic: 50 - 2 = 48%
Wrenn: full wellness
Tunic: 60 - 1 = 59%
Arrows: 14

Spoiler: Collections

41 marks: currency
Aluminum: 1 brick, ??

Ant Stingers: 4, {toxicity x2}
Bandy Skull Talisman: 1, ??
Bat Guano: 4 measures, ??
Jay Skull Talisman: 1, ??
Rodent Tooth Necklace: 3, (Health +1)
Songbird Talisman: 1, ??
Spider Claws: 3 sets, ??
Spider Fangs: 3 sets, ??

Coal: 5 bricks, ??
Bloodstone: 1, (Health +1)
Dark Green Stone: 9, ??
Dull, Gray Stone: 1, ??
Emberstone: 1, ??
Slickstone: 1, ??
White stone: 3, ??

Dried Leaves: 1 measure, ??
Flowers: 2 measures, ??

OOC: Everyone receives 5 DP and improves in Rheini by 2%. State idle actions and communal intentions and provide 1 random roll.

 

[Thaco Deathsave]

Askari nods to Oorvids words

My people should be very open to trade.

Once he finds the mushrooms, he will ask Wrenn and, if needed, the Rheini through the Storyteller, if they’re familiar with them.

He will then check over his equipment and refill his water skins, in anticipation of heading to this “haunted” structure at daybreak.

Spoiler: Random Roll

68

 

[Gigeaux]

Volki is relieved that her worries of being misunderstood because she is Shimadow were for naught. She finally begins to truly enjoy her time speaking to and listening to this new language has spent a great deal of time in the village chatting with many new people to gain the best proficiency she can. Establishing new trade routes to different villages is an exciting prospect that she knows the elders of the village will be proud of them for. She decides to restock supplies for the upcoming trek to this “haunted” ruin. Then she does a bit of exploring around the village herself for anything that seems to call to her.

Spoiler: random roll

81