6. Partition the Northmen Clans
General Summary
Written by: Pluto Trellman
fter fighting the Sons of Avlar, the Company of the Broken Banner reconvenes once again, where Manannán asks for our help in uniting to clans of the north to deal with the threat the Sons of Avlar pose.
Our best and brightest diplomats step forward to go with Manannan to Aegis Meer, Elara Windwalker, Buffman Beefalot, Lucian, Roknar, & Pluto Trellman. Orvasa Inkeelah being the Broken Banners current political wiz and unable to attend leaves the group with some extremely detailed scripts and talking points to ensure the clans understand they need the BBC.
As the diplomat party make their way across the rivers and sea to Aegis Meer, they witness a magical phenomenon that few to the south have ever witnessed known as "The Staircase to the Moon”. An orange-tinted moon rises in the East and reflects off the endless waves within the bay, creating golden horizontal lines along the water. On our way to Aegis Meer, Manannan tells us his clan, Clan Scáthach will give us some lodging for our stay, and informs us that we will be there during the Festival of the Protector. A large festival where all clans (not Clan Fury) gather at Aegis Meer to celebrate and revere the Gods.
As we enter the port, Roknar thinks it may get quite cold here, and spots a fur trader and purchases a beautiful pelt, making sure that this coat has been ethically procured. As we continue our way through the city and towards the town hall, Manannán warns us that our presence as outsiders has very much been noticed, that clans are skeptical of us and that our actions are being watched closely. The various clans are proud people, and it will not be easy to have them follow us, Manannán informs us the clans have 3 core virtues; Reverence to Gods, Strength of Body, & Boldness of Heart.
The religious and administrative leader of Aegis Meer, Grenilka the Wise, greets the party and informs us our task to unite the clans is an uphill battle. The clans have only ever united once before, and this was 300 years ago to fight against Avlar’s rise to power. Grenilka tells us that to achieve what we want, then we need to unite the leaders of the 3 largest clans; Aelfred, of Clan Gŵidhir, Jolmir, of Clan Wybren, & Venghen Wulfhelm, of Clan Blaidd.
As the party gears up for the festival at Clan Scáthach’s abode, there is a heavy and lengthy debate on how we should present ourselves to the clans to show respect, while also showing our pride of the Broken Banner Company. The consensus after an undisclosed amount of time is to present ourselves in neutral Northmen colours while wearing our own trinkets and odes to our own gods to showcase our first core value of ‘Reverence to Gods’. Most notably Buffman Beefalot strutting around with a nipple chain adorned with shields dangling across the chain.
With the festival well underway, beverages are flowing, many are dancing, theres gatherings around the various shrines and churches, wrestling pits, and lastly what catches the eye and intrigue of many members are large hookah circles and dens, with barrels filled with an unknown and mysterious purple herb. The party decides it best to showcase our first core value and heads to the church to show our reverence to the gods. As the party approaches the entrance, the crowd seems to go quiet as Jolmir and Clan Wybren come up the steps, giving us a brief cold look as they enter. Elara takes charge and heads in to show respect to the astronomer, with Pluto, Buffman, and Lucian not far behind. As the four party members are praying to their respective gods, they keep an eye on Jolmir praying and as he finishes his prayer with a loud shout, Lucian tries to mimic Jolnirs prayer and outdo him so to speak to prove that he reveres the gods just as much if not even more! Elara steps in after Lucians attempt at befriending Jolnir. Elara (utilising Orvasa’s speech and talking points) uses her womanly and magical charm to convince Jolnir that the threat of the sons of Avlar is real and that it requires the strength of Clan Wybren to defeat. Jolmir is impressed with Elara’s courage and strength to approach him in this place of worship and agrees to consider the request. Buffman offers Jolmir a cookie. He refuses.
Waiting outside, Roknar has been hearing the cheers of the wrestling pits and is getting a little too excited to prove his (core value 2) ‘Strength of Body’. As the party is heading off towards the pits, a strange womanly voice calls out “Pluto! Pluto! My dear son!!!!”. Having been told both his parents were killed 12 years ago, Pluto can’t quite seem to get many words out. After a very short discussion, Pluto begins to get heated, shouting at his mother having just been told his mother had chosen not to come home to him as she couldn't bring herself to face him and his grandfather after losing Pluto father. With the party in utter shock too, although this shock was not quite the same as Pluto's… Buffman Beefalot’s nipple shield chain tingling and jingling at the sight of this absolutely stunning MILF, he cant quite seem to understand how anyone could be mad at her.
Pluto seeing red at this point storms off to the pits towards Roknar already in line. Roknar being called up to the plate first, takes out his first opponent in a spectacle unlike the crowd had seen in a long time, putting his opponent into an anaconda grip. He stays in the ring to face his second opponent, all while showboating off to Venghen Wulfhelm, of Clan Blaidd as the clan leader is somewhat impressed so far. As the second round starts, this time Roknar is not quite as elegant, slipping on a moss covered stone he falls flat and his opponent strikes and grabs him quickly putting him into an arm bar and tapping Roknar out. Pluto is now up to bat, barely even present in the moment he comes up against a small young woman and swiftly breaks her, and then leaving the ring as silently as he entered. Last up for the BBC is Buffman, with his shield nipple chain tingling again possibly having never stopped from seeing Pluto’s mother, he comes up against an elderly man who is looking fiesty. Ding Ding Ding! And it’s Over! Buffman gets to celebrate the quickest round of the night, as the old man falls over busting a hip getting startled by the ring of the bell.
With Roknar failing to coerce Venghen Wulfhelm to get into the ring with him, it is Buffman Beefalot that finds common ground with the clan leader and builds trust and respect, leading to Venghen considering the request as well. Buffman offers Venghen a cookie. He refuses.
With two out of the three clans down, the party decides to relax a little and heads towards the bonfire where beers and mead are flowing amongst the dancing crowds. Getting a little buzzed the party see Manannan dancing very closely with the red-dressed Aelfred, of Clan Gŵidhir. Elara takes this chance to steal the beautiful Aelfred away from Manannán for a classy and formal dance. During their dance, Elara uses her elf magic to further understand and be empathic to Aelfred’s position on the request for aid, really showcasing her boldness of heart (Core value 3!!!). Pluto having had many beers, finds one of Orvasa’s scripts and tries his best to be the good little diplomat he was sent to be and falls short on words, at which point Elara swoops in again and with a speech no short of William Wallace’s Freedom speech from Braveheart manages to bring Aelfred onto our side to fight with us against the sons of Avlar. Buffman offers Aelfred a cookie. She accepts the first cookie of the night! Truly a testament to Elara’s speech!
With all the politics out of the way the party begins to truly enjoy the festivities in full, and upon seeing a group of elderly northmen smoking the purple herb spotted earlier in the night, they are warned that the first time can be quite intense. Lucian, Pluto, and Roknar all take a big puff of the hookah immediately, taking no notice of warnings. Buffman after seeing the others take a puff decides to join. Elara being the good little Elf she is, is unsure whether to partake, but having also tried Ale for the first time tonight, decides its a night of experimentation and joins in. The entire groups eyes roll into the back of their heads...
Grenilka welcomes the group back to the land of the sober, and bids they follow her as they must discuss a matter of importance. Following Grenilka through town, and through a number of somewhat secret tunnels and locked doors they arrive at a cliff with a strange stone tablet covered in inscriptions, called the Lightbringers Rest. The tablet has overwhelming feelings of power oozing from it. Grenilka tells us the story that this is where the Protector was killed. The Darkness was so powerful, that the light needed to hold it back killed the Protector, leaving behind this tablet which holds the power of the light within. Grenilka asks us for help in defeating the Darkness and asks us to believe in her faith, she gestures towards the cliff. In their hungover state Pluto and Roknar need hear no more and jump immediately off this cliff, followed soon after by Elara and Buffman. Lucian isn’t sure he wants to jump, having just seen his entire party fall to their potential death along with Grenilka having off'd herself now too. After jumping the four party members and Grenilka are saved by a magical barrier at the bottom of the cliff, and after waiting 1, 2, 5, 10 minutes, there is no Lucian coming.
“So you have all made your decision” Grenilka says.
Report Date
13 Sep 2024
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