Session 11 - Departure from the Viper Pit
General Summary
Vladimir spends most of the day after the attack back in his cell, studying his Irii.
Meanwhile, Nikifor Ivanovich - the steward of the Prince of Ladan' had charged Vadim with trying to find where Sigurd Karlsson's men were lurking outside the city walls. It is notable that Sigurd and his men stood by while the bishop was attacked by a bear; the bear is believed to be a shapeshifter, although a different bear-shifter than the one who attacked Anastasiya Sviatoslavovna's son.
Vadim goes outside the city walls and camps in the forest. Eventually, he finds a lean-to that looks like it was recently used by Rovers. He reports the same to the steward. The steward encourages him to try and kill some of Sigurd's men. Vadim is game for this, but other party members, including Hrefa and Vladimir, whom he consults after returning to town, discourage this line of thinking along the line that this will be traced back to Vadim, and that it will actually increase the risk of religious strife. They express and interest in going back to Bychii Brod. Vadim is very torn about what to do, but eventually shrugs his shoulders and goes with the flow. The Prince of Ladan' probably doesn't want Anastasia's retainers to come to harm, and a lot of harm can come to people on the road. (After all, Sigurd's rovers may be laying an ambush somewhere).
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Leontii had a dispute with his father and is adventuring to prove himself. His brother was sold into slavery and he is looking for him and thus for the slavers. A slave merchant directs Leontii to talk to Sigurd if he wants to find the recently enslaved. He approaches Sigurd, shares that his brother named Stanislav was taken about a month ago. He was previously a caravan guard.
Sigurd recruits Leontii to guard their shrine on the other side of the river (this is the direction in which the bear, who attacked Bishop Feofan swam). Shrine guards try to dissuade Leontii from going in. But Vasilii steps out of the shrine. He sees Leontii is a 210 lbs, 6'4", muscular, greenish skinned man. The shrine is a temple of Veles.
Leontii now enters, and soon engages in a discussion with Hrefna about potential pending war between the Veles worshippers and the Gaalites. Leontii goes to Radogast, introduces himself and offers protection services.
Meanwhile, back at the cathedral, Hrefna disguises herself as a nun and tries to see if someone at the cathedral can open the box she found in the caverns beneath the shrine of Perun. So soon after the attack on the bishop, she is physically searched, and complains - who does that to a nun!, The searchers soon discover that the robes are a magical illusion, and after being confronted, Hrefna decides to flee. She seems to be magically slowed as she attempts to flee the cathedral, but makes it out the church and in an alley changes back into normal clothes.
Hrefna and Vasilii go back to the temple of Veles. They meet Leontii and discuss potential trouble for the Gaalites and the citadel. They express their intent to go back to Bychii Brod via Staraya Sloboda - Vasilii's village, so he can consult the priestess of Mokosh. Hrefna, for her part, convinces Radu to accompany them back. We march on through hours of rain, supported on the road by a tarp suspended by a floating disc conjured up by Vladimir. The party makes it to Vasili's village.
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