Adventure World: Caravan session 1

Adventure World - Caravan session logs Session 1 Next

Summary

For the last few weeks, the Oglaf caravan has be encamped at the small dwarven village of Halidun on the northeast border of the realm of Metsämäki, just south of the Fyrnlac. Early in the month of Ater, the caravan members have labored alongside the villagers to bring in the wheat harvest, working long days and enjoying the cool autumn evenings.

The last of the harvest came in yesterday, and this evening the village is having a festival to celebrate. Preparations are underway, but the Oglafs (and associates) find themselves with less immediate work than the last month has seen, though there's always the usual chores to be done.

Early in the morning, Kirar wakes Frond to see if she wants to join him for sunrise medications, and they agree to get a little carried away before they are interrupted by [[Tsukav Oglaf|Tsukav] doing his morning exercises.

Tsukav finds his father Lubash and they talk about where the caravan is headed next.

Verex Oglaf takes a moment to check on with some of her grandkids and tell them variably that they are working too hard Aan and not hard enough Chlyde.

Chlyde wakes her cousin. Once she's (grudgingly) awake, Brauni's mother brings her to visit a local woman who has a water weird issue

Krusk asks Qog to help him shoe an oxen.

Whisper tells Varka about the importance of breakfast. Chlyde offers to help him check his snares if they can be back before her band practice.

That evening is the Halidun harvest Festival with various games and snack. Viscous Mockery gives a debut performance that is not well received, but their moms are very proud! Some of the local youths are curious though, and Qog checks on Aan after he runs off when the performance is over. Verex checks in with Whisper about his drinking (and fairy lights).

Brauni realizes that Caena and her wife missed the celebration, and the next morning her mother sends her to take people to go and check on them. After gathering a PC posse they find the house empty, signs of a struggle, and her skeleton familiar hiding in the rafters.

Session

Session date: 2023-07-09

In Game date: Early in Ater

The Best Part of Waking Up (And An Interruption)

Kirar: will gently shake Frond's shoulder just before dawn.

Frond: hmm?

Frond: rolls over to see what he wants

Kirar: Sorry to bother you, tagur ('darling'), but I was just going out for morning devotions. Care to join me?

Frond: oh... sure

Frond: (is this usual for us?)

Josh: (It's certainly usual for him, it's when he prays for his spells. Up to you whether it's usual for Frond 😉 )

Frond: (I'll say yeah, she probably does usually get up for morning prayers etc.)

Frond: gives him a kiss before we actually get up, though.

Kirar: smiles, holding the kiss for a moment for sitting up and beginning to get dressed.

Frond: anyway you aren't bothering me 🙂

Kirar: You looked really peaceful, I felt guilty disturbing you. It's been a busy couple of weeks.

Frond: chuckles at that

Frond: It has. We'll be moving along soon, I guess.

Kirar: nods companionably.

Kirar: Bit of a shame. Halidun's nice enough. Any word from Ohr or Keth? (One of your uncles and fathers respectively, though Keth was an uncle before he was one of your dads) Do we know where we're headed next?

Frond: (have I heard anything?)

Josh: (Not currently. You know they both headed east to scout and look for a good place to go next. They tend to range a fair bit from the caravan at any given time, doing that job.)

Frond: I'm not sure... Probably eastward, but other than that, no idea.

Kirar: nods.

Kirar: Northeast wouldn't be bad, to get to see my family for a little bit, though the weather's turning.

Frond: nods

Frond: Are you feeling homesick?

Kirar: smiles wistfully.

Kirar: Not especially. I like it out here on the road, with you.

Kirar: Shall we?

Frond: nods and will go with him

Josh: The morning air is crisp, with a light breeze blowing from the south. On the edge of the camp, Frond and Kirar get the closest thing they can really manage to quiet and solitude, saying their prayers as the sun rises over the hills and fields.

Kirar: smiles contentedly when you're finished.

Kirar: This is nice. I like the quiet. Wasn't a lot of that to go around back home, and I'm sure we won't have mornings to ourselves for too much longer.

Kirar: 's smile turns a little fragile.

Frond: nods hopefully

Frond: I hope that you're right.

Kirar: You serve the Great Mother. I'm sure she'll see fit to bless you soon.

Frond: I feel like I must be letting you down...

Kirar: Not at all. I feel like I'm letting you down. And your family, and my family, and...

Kirar: sighs and shakes his head.

Frond: looks saddened

Kirar: I'm sure everything will work out.

Frond: If anyone is giving you trouble, I'll kick their ass.

Kirar: I'm sure you would, and could, but I need to fight my own battles, at least in this regard.

Kirar: Save your saving me for when it's for more than my pride.

Kirar: leans in to give Frond a kiss on the cheek.

Frond: smiles a little at that

Josh: The sounds of the camp stirring reach the two of you, fires being stoked, animals clamoring for their morning feed, etc.

Frond: I guess we should probably get back...

Frond: says slightly reluctantly

Kirar: Work to be done, but this evening should be fun.

Frond: nods

Frond: I'm looking forward to it.

Kirar: Me too.

Kirar: grins.

Kirar: Work to be done for the time being, though.

Frond: Okay, okay... Here I was, thinking we could take a little longer to get back and no one would notice, but you're probably right 😉

Kirar: Well, I don't mind being a bit late to breakfast...

Frond: It's like... a KIND of veneration, right?

Kirar: Luthic is a goddess of fertility... 😉

Frond: right!

Frond: see, it makes perfect sense...

Tsukaav: jogs by, sweaty and wearing only a single cloth around his waist.

Frond: Hey, watch where you're going, Tsukaav! :p

Kirar: Oh, jeez!

Kirar: kind of covers himself with his nearby jacket

Tsukaav: Ahh ... blessings on your morning, sister.

Frond: yeah well, we were TRYING :p

Tsukaav: shrugs.

Tsukaav: Best to get our exercise in early.

Frond: rolls her eyes

Kirar: manages to chuckle at that.

Frond: keep on jogging!

Tsukaav: smiles.

Tsukaav: Wise words. I need to focus both on strength and agility. Wouldn't want to get stiff.

Frond: oh my gods

Kirar: So to speak.

Frond: I will literally murder you

Tsukaav: As you say, sister.

Tsukaav: Well, I will see you back at camp, then.

Tsukaav Talks to Lubash

Josh: Tsukaav, you can continue your morning run, lets say literally around Halidun, likely getting a few stares (both appreciative and scandalized, sometimes both) as you do.

Josh: As you return to camp, you spot your father Lubash, sitting and sharpening one of his axes.

Lubash: Showing off the goods, ki? Little late in our stay to advertise, isn't it?

Tsukaav: It is never too early nor too late to glorify Rull, poch.

Tsukaav: If seeing me inspires one of these folk of Halidun to the same goal, then the greater good is served.

Tsukaav: Do you think we will be leaving today, or tomorrow?

Lubash: Definitely not today, probably not tomorrow, but soon, I'm sure. There was some talk of staying for guard duty, but I doubt Halidun can support us for too long. Might be some raiding to be done to the east.

Tsukaav: nods.

Tsukaav: I don't mind the farm work.

Tsukaav: But a change would be good too.

Lubash: nods.

Lubash: It's easy enough for us, and it's not dangerous. Still, I'd rather we get something to get the blood pumping wherever we head next.

Tsukaav: So you think it might be east next?

Tsukaav: No one tells me anything.

Lubash: Well, I have more of an in.

Lubash: Plenty of border stuff we could get into. Dracasholt or Guimaraes.

Lubash: Though, who knows? Maybe we end up in one of the internal disputes. Work's work.

Lubash: shrugs.

Tsukaav: Well. I should get back. Unless you need help here.

Lubash: No, don't let me keep you from your chores and such, but I wouldn't mind a bit of sparring before the party tonight, if you think you can stand up to it. 😉

Tsukaav: I shall not be the first to falter!

Tsukaav: Until then, father.

Tsukaav: adjusts his garment to ensure modesty on the run back to camp, then heads off.

Lubash: Best hope Rull is in a blessing mood if you want to beat me, kig ("little son").

Coffee Talk

Josh: For the last few weeks, the Oglaf caravan has be encamped at the small dwarven village of Halidun on the northeast border of the realm of Metsämäki, just south of the Fyrnlac. Early in the month of Ater, the caravan members have labored alongside the villagers to bring in the wheat harvest, working long days and enjoying the cool autumn evenings.

Josh: The last of the harvest came in yesterday, and this evening the village is having a festival to celebrate. Preparations are underway, but the Oglafs (and associates) find themselves with less immediate work than the last month has seen, though there's always the usual chores to be done.

Josh: (Heather, where do we find Aan this morning?)

Aan: is probably doing some camp chores like cleaning up after breakfast stuff

Josh: That is a pretty big task, likely left to Aan and the younger kids, though Aan is probably more conscientious about it than, say, his younger siblings Nil and Resh whose argument about...something has devolved into a wrestling match between the nine-year-old twins.

Verex: is sitting near one of the campfires watching the (mostly) organized chaos of her family beginning their day, smiling contentedly while smoking her pipe.

Aan: huffs at the kids and keeps working :p

Verex: smiles at Aan and pats the space next to her on the blanket on which she's sitting.

Aan: eyes her, then will put down the pot he was cleaning and go and sit with her :3

Chlyde: crawls out of the tent groggily and goes to look for coffee.

Verex: You can let the younger kids handle more of it this morning. It won't be your job for too much longer, I don't think.

Aan: eyes where they are wrestling, and makes a little dubious sound

Verex: How have you liked Halidun?

Aan: shrugs slowly, looking a little unsure

Verex: Better than the bigger towns, at least?

Aan: mmm.

Aan: nods

Aan: hugs his knees and wraps his tail around his feet

Verex: nods towards Chlyde.

Verex: You sister certainly has no trouble making nice with the locals.

Verex: favors Aan with a conspiratorial smirk.

Josh: (Sorry, cousin*)

Aan: looks over at Chlyde

Chlyde: strolls over with a cup of coffee in hand and ruffles Aan's hair.

Chlyde: Morning Shrimp. Morning kaur. Looks like I missed breakfast again.

Verex: So long as you don't miss chores, you're the only one losing out, uburug ('little daughter'/granddaughter)

Chlyde: Yeah, yeah. I'll be done before the festival. Are we gonna be hanging around here much longer?

Aan: checks his pockets and offers Chlyde a piece of dried cheese

Chlyde: smiles and takes it from him with a wink.

Verex: I'll be talking to Gossan (the village elder) about it later at the festival. Best to discuss such things when she's in a good mood and had a couple of pints, hmm.

Chlyde: Mmmm.

Chlyde: Brauni up yet?

Aan: (idk - Hazel?)

Brauni: (snores)

Aan: enn.

Aan: shrugs

Verex: (to Chlyde) Did she not spend the night in your undar ('wagon', but tends to be used colloquially to mean a family's wagon, tent(s), etc.)

Chlyde: Probably. I got back late. She's probably still snoring.

Verex: Why don't you go wake her? Plenty to do before tonight. I assume you'll all be performing?

Chlyde: I was hoping to. You up for it, Shrimp?

Aan: looks towards the village and nods.

Aan: aa.

Verex: pats Aan's knee affectionately.

Chlyde: Good kid.

Chlyde: takes a sip of coffee and sighs.

Chlyde: Alright, time to go kick her ass out of bed then.

Chlyde: will head off to do so.

Brauni: is snoring loudly

Josh: (I will nudge y'all towards ic3 🙂 )

Verex: (to Aan) Are you looking forward to performing tonight?

Aan: looks at her, then nods

Verex: smiles with approval and takes a puff of her pipe.

Verex: (in Infernal) Good boy.

Aan: smiles

Verex: Resh! You put that mug down right this instant! No weapons, and no breaking things!

Verex: sighs.

Verex: Best you go take that from him and set them to washing.

Aan: nods and hops up. he will stop to pat her on the head and then go sort out the kids :3

Chlyde and Yevelda Wake Up Brauni

Brauni: snores loudly

Chlyde: will go back into the tent

Chlyde: walks up to a large pile of snoring blankets and kicks it lightly.

Brauni: FUCK OFF

Brauni: 'm sleepin here

Chlyde: Oi. Get up. We got a gig tonight. You got chores.

Brauni: sits up, frowning

Brauni: I thought we were finished this gardening crap.

Chlyde: We are, but we'll probably be moving on soon. Need to break camp and all that.

Chlyde: And we should probably get a practice in.

Brauni: Yeah, always time for more practice...

Brauni: throws off the blanket and throws on some clothes

Chlyde: Well, if your giant fucking fingers could form a decent F chord maybe we wouldn't need to.

Chlyde: says with a grin.

Brauni: Look who's talking Miss Flat for Days

Chlyde: pauses for a moment.

Chlyde: I can't tell if that's a dig at my voice or my tits, but either way I don't hear anyone complaining.

Brauni: I'M COMPLAINING

Brauni: not about your tits though they're fine.

Chlyde: laughs.

Chlyde: Whatever, get done with your shit before lunch so we can practice.

Brauni: Yeah yeah yeah

Brauni: YOU'RE NOT MY MOM

Chlyde: Thank fuck for that.

Chlyde: will leave her cousin to get dressed.

Brauni: never gonna meet a decent man in these little backwaters, ugh

Brauni: mutters to herself while she gets ready

Yevelda: Never gonna meet a decent man if you're sleeping the day away, either.

Yevelda: says, entering the tent.

Josh: Despite the morning chill, your mother is bare-chested and painted in all manner of ritual designs, nonchalant in her (to the locals) bizarre appearance.

Brauni: Might as well sleep with the prospects around here

Brauni: grumbles

Yevelda: Have you seen my kurar agak (a type of medicinal/ritual plant) ?

Brauni: Uhhh... It was on the... thing

Brauni: scratches her head.

Brauni: By the big cook pot.

Yevelda: groans.

Yevelda: For the last time, people, my herbs and cooking herbs are not the same thing!

Yevelda: grumbles mostly to herself.

Yevelda: Your cousin got in pretty late. You didn't stay out with her?

Brauni: No. Like I said, no prospects.

Brauni: Uuuggghhhh I'm NEVER gonna find a MAN!!!

Brauni: Where ARE they all???

Chlyde: <From outside> Lower your standards!

Brauni: NEVER

Brauni: I do not settle

Brauni: huffs gruffly

Brauni: There's gotta be one out there... somewhere...

Yevelda: There's lots, but you do have pretty high standards...

Brauni: So I'm a romantic. So sue me.

Yevelda: Maybe think of your first husband as a trial run. You can always improve on the first one. 😉

Brauni: I want him to sweep me off my feet. Literally.

Brauni: Ugh, no thanks

Brauni: I don't want no fixer uppers

Brauni: I'm BUSY

Yevelda: With sleeping?

Brauni: with ART, MOTHER!!!

Brauni: and I need to REPLENISH my CREATIVE ENERGY!

Yevelda: Well, perhaps you can replenish your creative energy from the well I have to go cleanse. One of the outlying farms has a little water weird problem I need to take care of, and you can carry my things.

Brauni: SIGH

Brauni: FINE, I guess I'll just BE A MULE

Chlyde: <From outside> Haha! You got water weird duty!

Brauni: I'LL WEIRD YOUR WATER!

Yevelda: Don't be silly, dear. The mules are quieter.

Yevelda: grins and favors Brauni with a wink before heading back out.

Brauni: ARRGHHHH!!

Brauni: throws her beefy arms up in semi-exaggerated frustration

Brauni: straps on her breastplate and follows Yevelda out though.

Brauni and Her Mother Water a Weird

Yevelda: will, true to her word, engage her daughter's services to carry her ritual gear out to a farm on the edge of the stable territory around Halidun.

Josh: The farm is a little homestead nestled into the edge of a forest. A scarecrow made of straw, cloth, and bones stands sentinel over a small field, a single crow defiantly perched on its arm as Brauni and her mother approach.

Josh: A smiling dwarven woman looks up from where she's feeding chickens, squinting in the morning light under her broad-brimmed conical hat.

Ceana: Yevelda! Good morning. This must be...Brauni?

Josh: A small skeletal animal crawls up over the woman's shoulder, its empty eye sockets fixing you both with a silent stare.

Yevelda: Ceana, good to see you, and, yes, this is my eldest daughter herself. And where's your lovely wife this morning?

Ceana: Left early this morning to go pick mushrooms, leaving these little buggers to me.

Ceana: throws more feed to the chickens.

Brauni: waves

Ceana: (to Brauni) Your mother is a lifesaver, coming to take care of our little well problem. I don't know how the bugger got in there in the first place.

Brauni: What's in there?

Ceana: A water weird, just a bit bigger than I can handle. Do you know what they are?

Brauni: uh... I just thought she said the water was weird.

Yevelda: It's an elemental. Water is the most common, though there are all kinds. Like a snake, made of whatever substance it nests in.

Brauni: Oh, yeah, okay, sure.

Brauni: nods as though she completely understands

Yevelda: This is a good thing to know about, Brauni.

Ceana: I'm sure she has other important things on her mind, Yevelda. 😉

Ceana: Your mom tells me you're a musician?

Brauni: Yeah, I have a band with my cousin and little brother.

Brauni: We're Viscous Mockery.

Brauni: says proudly.

Brauni: We're playing at the festival tonight, you should come check it out. It's going to be sick.

Ceana: Looking forward to it. Floraigh does like to cut a rug.

Josh: (Floraidh, rather)

Yevelda: Well, that water isn't going to weird itself. Or, I guess, de-weird. It already weirded itself. Come help me lay out my things, Brauni.

Brauni: Yes'm.

Yevelda: will direct Brauni on how to do that, laying out a simple ritual banishing circle around the well's perimeter, chatting with Ceana as she does so.

Brauni: is being the good daughter :3

Josh: It's a relatively simple ritual, and Brauni watches the weird rise out of the water in the well as though charmed, ultimately fading away back to...wherever it goes, Brauni doesn't know.

Brauni: Huh. Well, that was weird, I guess

Yevelda: gives Brauni a -_- look

Ceana: Thanks so much, and I'll bring you those herbs everything else we owe this evening.

Yevelda: Sounds good, and happy to help, of course. Brauni and I should get out of your hair so you can get your own work done, I'm sure.

Brauni: waves jauntily

Ceana: Take care you two. Nice to meet you, Brauni, and I can't wait to hear you play.

Brauni: Yeah!! Get ready to have your brains rocked out!!

Ceana: gives a bit of a confused look at that, but smiles and waves anyway.

Qog and Krusk Shoe an Ox

Josh: (Matt, what would Qog be doing this morning?)

Qog: Checking on the oxen and just generally seeing where he can help out

Josh: Krusk, one of your grandfathers, and your mentor as a smith, will have asked for your help reshoeing one of the oxen.

Qog: Sure thing! What can I do?

Krusk: Well, I'll leave it up to you. You can hold him steady while I fit the shoe, or do you think you're up for taking a crack at it?

Qog: I'll hold him steady -- I don't want to mess this up and be down an ox.

Krusk: nods, but will give a look of concern when Qog isn't looking.

Josh: Qog has a good rapport with the oxen, and they're well-trained, so it's no problem for Qog to hold him steady while Krusk works.

Krusk: Luckily, we're mostly done with the repairs the villagers needed, though there's still a couple tools that need seeing to.

Qog: Anything I can do?

Krusk: Always work to be done, and I appreciate your help. Here and with the tools, and, well, everywhere.

Qog: Well, I just wanna make sure I'm doing my part, so thank you for showing me how to handle stuff around here.

If repairs are done, does that mean we'll be moving on soon?

Krusk: nods.

Krusk: Verex hasn't said just yet, but I get the feeling the village will want us moving on before too long.

Krusk: Not the worst place to spend some time, though, hmm?

Qog: Yeah, it's nice, but I try not to get too attached to places, just 'cause I know we'll be moving again.

What's the longest you've ever stayed in one place?

Krusk: has to actually take a moment to think.

Krusk: That's a good question...we spent six months guard duty in Harcourt once. That's probably it.

Krusk: Would you rather be staying in one spot, instead of moving around?

Qog: Sometimes staying put seems nice ... but then I wonder how boring that would get. I think I'd rather keep moving, seeing new stuff.

Krusk: Doesn't mean you shouldn't get attached, though. I've known Marl, Halidun's brewer, for years. He keeps a small keg aside for me for whenever we come through.

Qog: I guess. I just ... I'm not great at meeting new people, you know? And like you said, not everybody really wants us around. But I get what you're saying, Kúurgru.

Krusk: smiles and nods, bending to gently tap in the last nail.

Krusk: All right, you can let his foot down. Good boy, Har.

Krusk: pats the ox's flank affectionately.

Qog: I reach over to scratch the ox behind one ear.

Josh: Har leans into it a bit and waggles his ears in appreciation.

Krusk: smiles, looking at Qog.

Krusk: (mostly under his breath) Good boy.

Qog: If Qog hears that, he doesn't say anything, but he smiles a little.