Azimuth 2 - Session 40 - The Bull Race
General Summary
New Keeleon
Droklosug Field
On the Droklosug field, Demitri was tossed the ball and the last round of the match started. Black-clay players started to rush forward in the thick mud and clay. Demitri didn’t know how to play, but he quickly trudged through the mud as other white-clay players moved to make openings. As players tried to tackle Demitri, he sidestepped around and headed into the melee. Mahdbar, the star player, bodied an opposing player to open the way for Demitri shoulder a player into the mud and punch through the line. Two players guarding the goal flag rushed him. Demitri rolled over the back of the first, then grabbed the arm of the other to maneuver beneath him. With a slide to the flag, Demitri touched the ball to the pole. The drums sounded to signal the final score and end the match. The crowd cheered and roared. Mahdbar lifted Demitri up as the other white-clay players came to celebrate. Along the fence, the crowd scrambled to congratulate the players. For winning the match, Demitri was awarded an orcish boar-fur kilt, the Droklosug Champion’s Kilt. As the crowd began to disperse, Demitri rejoined the Lightbringers. Chaka offered to clean some of the mud from him with magic, and Arwin congratulated him. Demitri said it was a fun experience, and he sincerely thanked Arwin for pushing him to play.The Mud Ward
As dusk approached, the group went south to the Mud Ward, the poorer section of the city outside of the brick wall. Across the Orc Highway was a wooden starting gate for the upcoming bull race. Nearby was a staging area, where they saw the bulls and riders preparing. In disguise, Mortimr approached the pen where Kuad was tending to Bessie. Kuad appeared distracted and nervous. Mortimr introduced himself as Tim Tarbuckle, and said, “I can’t help but notice, you seem a little nervous for riding such a specimen.” Mortimr asked if there was anything he could do to help get Kuad ready for the race. Kuad said he was trying to get his head into the game, as it was all he had left. When asked about the name, Bessie, Kuad said it was the name of his daughter, then was shocked he had been able to say that. Mortimr could tell he was hiding something as Kuad tried to deflect. He pried further, and Kuad said he hadn’t talked about his daughter for years. She had been sick “for a long time” and Kuad wished to see her again, but he didn’t know where she was or if she was still alive. Mortimr said, “I have a friend who’s a private investigator. He might be able to help you.” He continued, “Whatever you did, I’m sure she’d forgive you. I mean, she’d probably want to see you again, too.” He convinced Kuad to meet at the Blue Bricks Tavern after the race.The Bull Race
Romulus Wild Shaped into a broad and proud bull, and Arwin spoke with the attendant to enter the race. After a quick examination, Arwin and his bull, “Rooomy”, were registered. With odds given on all the registered racers, several of the party placed bets on Arwin and Romulus before heading to set up along the track to watch the race. The bulls were entered into the starting blocks. The crowd gathered along the highway throughout the city. At dusk, a single firework shot up and burst in green and gold sparks, and the bull race started. Immediately out the gate, a spellcaster in the crowd created a patch of ice on the road. Arwin pulled on Romulus to dodge the ice, as other bulls slipped and slowed. Three bulls quickly left the others behind as they raced through the Mud Ward: Arwin and Romulus, Kuad and Bessie, and another rider on a bull decorated in reds, Murk and Fireball. Bessie recognized Arwin from earlier at Kuad's Farm. Bessie swerved hard into Romulus and pushed them towards an oncoming building, but Arwin pulled back just in time to miss it. Romulus shoved them back into the track and raced through the gate into the Pipestones. Running through Resilience Park, Arwin angled Romulus sharply and Bessie was rammed into the crowd, sending food stands flying, but the bull quickly maneuvered back to the track. Chaka, Ilmendwyth, and Demitri helped to spur Romulus on as they raced by. Gertrude stopped a dishwasher from the Far Bar Inn from tossing a bucket of water at Romulus. Romsca howled as they passed. Bessie was slowly falling farther behind. Romulus sensed a gathering of fey energy, before Kuad and Bessie burst forward with a Misty Step spell. Again side by side, the three leading bulls came together to fit through Argil’s Gate. Arwin threw ball bearings forward into the gateway in front of them. At the same time, Mortimr cast an illusion spell to hide the metal balls. Romulus jumped over, but Fireball and Bessie slid out through the gate. In the last stretch north of the city, the three bulls raced to the finish line. It was neck and neck, until a final ball bearing caused Fireball to stumble. Romulus pulled just ahead to come in first, leaving Fireball in second and Bessie in third.Award Ceremony
More fireworks signaled the end of the race as the riders reached the Cereus Compass. Nalt Oknar Rulla was waiting there for them. Though she was initially surprised that Arwin had a bull, she congratulated him for winning the race. She presented trophies to the three finalists and then addressed the crowd.“This event is so important to our country. Orcs have been threatened again and again in our history. And we always keep standing. We’ve shown again and again that all orcs share the tenacity to keep fighting for this country that we’ve built. And with the help of those like the Zenethian Champions of old, we can keep standing like always have. In that spirit, I want to call out this group that has provided great help not only to our city, but to other cities of the queendom. This group, with only the desire to help, saved city officials, risked their own lives, and given New Keeleon the reigns to our own economic future again. This city will not bow to outside influences but will always accept the help of outsiders. I want to officially thank the Lightbringers for their help in ensuring New Keeleon can still celebrate our history like we have today, so that orcs can continue to stand again and again.”The crowd applauded and began to disperse. After number of onlookers came to congratulate Arwin, Rulla said she’d heard they were making progress on the Rill Priory. She informed Arwin she wanted to speak to their group and would come by in the morning.
Blue Bricks Tavern
Leaving the festivities, the group returned to the Mud Ward to get their betting payouts. Mortimr asked Romsca to join him for his meeting with Kuad at the Blue Bricks Tavern. They entered the bar and felt they stood out as non-orcs. The bartender watched as they went to a table in the back where a sleeping Kuad was waiting. They woke him, but as they started their conversation, Mortimr could tell the bartender was intently watching. She seemed able to read their lips. He alerted Romsca, who went to the bar and intimidated the bartender to leave them be. Kuad asked if they were able to help find his daughter and offered his third-place statue as payment. He explained that his daughter had been sick, and no healer had been able to help her. In desperation, he brought her north to other towns. In the Kumbon Forest, Kuad was approached by a hag named Mewling Mamie Millie. She offered to save his daughter, but at the cost of never being able to see or speak of her again. Kuad was desperate to save his daughter’s life and agreed. Millie accepted the contract and also gifted Kuad a bull named Bessie. Though Bessie was a skilled racer, Kuad felt because the bull shared his daughter’s name, the hag had done this on purpose to sour any enjoyment he would’ve gotten. Recently, Kuad was somehow able to once again speak about his daughter. He worried that if the contract had been broken, his daughter may again be in danger. He was too old to journey to find her himself but wanted to hire a group to seek her out. Though they couldn’t do it themselves, they suggested a Hero Hunters posting for the task. Romsca appraised the value of the bronze statue, and Mortimr and Romsca each gave extra gold to Kuad to use as a reward. Mortimr said he could reach them at the Rill Priory if he ran into any trouble.Rill Priory
The Lightbringers returned to the Rill Priory. The contractor Barg had been hard at work and replaced some of the furniture and doors. He said he’d be back in the morning to continue work and talk about pricing for the additions they’d previously mentioned. Romsca gathered the lead she purchased and some scrap wood to cast Fabricate to line Mortimr’s room. Mortimr thanked her and let the rest of the team know that this room should be safer from divination magics. In short order, the group went to rest. As Gertrude was buzzing from the energy of the celebration, she went to sleep and eventually began to dream. She was back in Endor, the First Mountain, moving through side streets with her lover, Bori. He was a working-class dwarf with a bright smile and some roguish skills. Bori led her to a private garden and picked the lock to let them inside. Next to pink flowers and a fountain, he set up a simple picnic. They shared a bottle of Konburian salt wine, which was terrible, before they switched to Gertrude’s own ale. Bori told Gertrude he would be leaving on a job that he hoped would pay enough money to “impress that longbeard of a father you have”. He also showed her a work in progress gift, a glowing pink gemstone being carved into the likeness of a flower. Bori said he would finish it by the time he returned. The pair ate and drank in the garden until at the next guard rotation, Bori whisked Gertrude back into the city.
Report Date
26 Feb 2025
Primary Location
Related Characters
19 Adroth 5A 352