T A C: Session 03 -- A Brief, Underestimated Journey — Report
General Summary
The deadwood branch had given me a decent supply of ‘roots. Three were in my pack, six were packed away in waxskin for next month. The last one I kept in my paw. I have weakness for the ‘root. I shouldn’t smoke them but I can’t resist them. I lit it with the brand-flask my brother had given me. The ‘flask had served me well over the course of many travels. It had lit my evening fires and torches besides. As I puffed at the ‘root, my ears detected the approach of bootsteps. That was very odd indeed. Boots are worn by Races and not so much by the folk that live ‘round me. I waited to see whether these boots belonged to veer, vast or man. As the two came upon my spot I smelled the tang of humans. The men were two in number. Clad in armour and dressed for troubles. I had hoped at least one would be a female as these are always preferred. No luck on this occasion for me. I greeted the fighters. They stared at me oddly. It was as though they could not understand me. I spoke reasonably well the tongue of the Races, or so I believed. I removed the ‘root from my maw and tried again. Success! This time they responded in a more friendly way. They asked after my appearance. I am a reasonably average wotta. I told them my name. “Banded.” I said.” The flat-bow armed man said, “Bandit?” This was not surprising, many had offered the same wrong name to me before. I liked them well-enough, ‘though I must admit they were the strange ones here, not me. I gently made it clear to these men that they were the unusual ones in our conversation. They stared at much of what I was doing with my ‘farming. Every time I threw a pool-leaf into the puddles around me they watched closely. If I so much as moved my foot within the pool, they would fall silent and attentive. Humans are funny folk. It became clear that they were new to the city. So new that they didn’t know that where they had descended to was a city! I didn’t want to confuse them. Humans can be obstinate. Let some other, brighter Legionnaire try to explain it. I offered to take them to the pepsha, the folk who inhabit where we were. This seemed to surprise the men anew. I laughed to think that they thought my kind were the owners hereabouts. My kind were far off. My mind does not hold any detail of where that place might be. The masked man of the pair asks me, “Are you of Tebbaren?” I say, “Never heard of it.” I talk some more of the pepsha and they seem eager to meet with the folk of the pools. I lead them up the road. I make sure to pack away my jar of fingers. Never know when I will find more food so best to preserve that which I have… No, I did not offer the humans any ‘fingers. Men do not eat such. I know this already. We travel for an hour or so. The road widens before the pepshas’ stronghold. It can be seen rising in the distance but our trip stops before reaching it. Off the side are the pepsha ‘caves’. These aren’t proper caves. The pesha have built their caves from old-fashioned stone blocks. These serve them as cool, shaded places where they can see to their ‘farming when they are away from the stronghold. At one cave’s entrance stood a pepsha warrior. I knew his name was Weeit but he did not seem pleased to see me or humans. Weeit stood easily eight feet tall but he was not at attention so he seemed about the height of the humans when we found him. His snakey body coiled under him to hold him upright. He didn’t offer to clasp arms with me. He looked angry. Inside was a healer. She was busy tending to a fallen pepsha male. He looked badly off. An arrow stuck deeply into his neck. The healer didn’t look too happy about him.
Missions/Quests Completed
- Arrives in Alone Shrine Cellar. Upstairs Praetor meets Geraquey the Shrinekeeper.
- Walks to the Alone Crossing.
- Beyond the 3-way intersection, he meets Banded the Wotta.
- Banded leads him to the Pepsha 'Caves'. He meets Pepshas: Weeit a warrior and apothecary Sashien.
- Walks to the site of the attempt on the wounded Pepsha. Praetor finds a black, matt feather.
