Session 2: In Which Janan Explains Things

6/4
Recap:
Leif researches in Xanadu Library with little luck
We sail for Ao-Manasa
Halden convinces Kheriim that Leif is a terrible person.
Janan convinces Halden that Janan is awesome.
Janan also convinces Kheriim of many spur-of-the-moment tall tales.
We arrive at Ao-Manasa

[unsure of order of events, but decided this made most logical sense, even if it might not be how it happened]

We talk to Taevin whats-his-name, who gives us more info about a different artifact, a staff. It has the power to control bees. (and does other stuff, but really, BEES. obviously more important. and awesome.)

Janan convinces Kheriim to go to a bar with the rest of them. (Leif is there to stop bad stuff from happening?)
Halden tries to start a fight with the whole bar.
Janan tries to seduce Halden while fighting him.
Halden passes out, really really drunk.
Janan and Aed start fighting about...something...semantics, mainly, on the return to the boat.
Kheriim ends up casting a spell, as does Leif, in order to convince them to return faster.
(Also at some point Janan inadverdantly implies that Sigrid sleeps around and Leif attacks him to defend his mother's honor. Janan is very confused by having somehow given insult and is Not Pleased with being attacked--ends up with a knife to Leif's throat and Aed's magical intervention.)
First plan is to find an island full of bees. Second, more logical plan is to make sail for the tomb of Ozymandius.
On the way, we are attacked by a White Pudding. (much more vicious than it sounds) We eventually prevail, but not without Janan ending up hanging upside down from the crow's nest and Kheriim sulking a hundred feet up. Good times. :D

Notes:
Ridalou-god of finding island full of bees (spelling?)

scrap of paper found by Leif in Wines of the South:

…(torn)…simply destroyed the Staff, and indeed, it has not been seen in a long …(smudged)…doubt that an item of such power could be destroyed by such a man, at least without any fanfare or record. This is particularly so when considering the nature of the Staff’s reputed powers…(smudged)…on several occasions that the object would bring doom upon any would-be destroyer. In any event, it is also known that the priest, Tai Lakquar, disappeared unexpectedly during the early…(smudged)…that he was a victim of Meren’s political ambitions, close as he had been to the new emperor’s father, but perhaps…(torn)…

info on scrap of paper as determined by Aed with object loresight:

• 2000 years old
• Last touched by: Leif
• Race of last to touch: human
• Creator: Tai Qualir
• Race of creator: human
• Purpose: to preserve knowledge
• Made of: paper/ink
• Location: Xanadu Library

info from Taevin about staff:

• forged for the first emperor of the hora quan
• Before the Aur Xica, son of first emperor created that
• Had a number of powers: storm controlling, attuned to positive energy, controlled bees
• Everyone assumes son had staff destroyed or hidden, because son went bad

Quotage:
"...Pantsless engineering?" -Oddysey, re: some note in her dm prep [context? what context?]

"...I think we're going to consume alcohol." -Artemis, Kheriim
"Sweet."-Oddysey, Halden

"What is this...watch?" -Artemis, Kherriim
"Watch! It's totally awesome. You see the person on watch gets to go up in the crow's next--the round thingamajig up there--and watches." -maggienotmegan, Janan
"For what?"-Artemis, Kherriim
"Whales."-maggienotmegan, Janan
"...big fish?"-Artemis, Kherriim
"Yeah! Sort of."-maggienotmegan, Janan
"Why?"-Artemis, Kherriim
"Because whales are magical. You have to watch real close, and don't blink, and if you see one, you yell out the magic phrase and they'll grant you a wish!" -maggienotmegan, Janan
"...what's the magic phrase?" -Artemis, Kherriim
(whispers)"Supercalifragiliousexpialidocious" -maggienotmegan, Janan
"Watch sounds like fun."-Artemis, Kherriim
"Well, tell you what, seeing as you've never done this before, I've got first watch, but I'll let you take it instead."-maggienotmegan, Janan

"The more the merrier! Well, really that's for orgies, but never mind that!"-maggienotmegan, Janan

Halden! am I right or am I right?"-maggienotmegan, Janan
"You're completely right! Getting drunk is exactly like reading!"-Oddysey, Halden

"You want to fight? Alright then! What're the stakes? Tell you what, I win, you have to kiss me, I lose, I have to kiss you."-maggienotmegan, Janan, to Halden re: his drunk fighting challenge

"Why is he running around screaming?"-Artemis, Kherriim
"Don't worry about it. Longstanding tradition of bartenders."-maggienotmegan, Janan
"He looks angry. And he's yelling at you."-Artemis, Kherriim
"Naw, don't worry about it! He's just expressing his appreciation of our complete enjoiment of the bar."-maggienotmegan, Janan
"And he's mouthing I'm going to kill you."-Artemis, Kherriim
"Sign of affection."-maggienotmegan, Janan


"Look, you break it, you buy it, right? So when you break something, it's like you bought it! so it's like you're giving them gold--except that you arent and it's broken, but not the point. Breaking things is perfectly fine." -maggienotmegan, Janan, to Kherriim, re: burning the bar down

"He started the undead thing."-Oddysey, Taevin
"Did he start democracy too? Because I heard democracy and undead, you know, are like that."-maggienotmegan, Janan
"...Democracy is not something I associate with the undead."-Oddysey, Taevin
"One corpse, one vote!"-Foole, Aed

"I'm very, very offended! I'm hurt!-maggienotmegan, Janan
"No,no! I'm going to kill you!"-Artemis, Kherriim
"...that's the sweetest thing anyone ever told me!"-maggienotmegan, Janan

"That. is a. bee sound. I know a bee sound when I hear one. I know a bee from a bonnet, a hawk from a handsaw, and the wind doesn't have to be north-north-west either"-maggienotmegan, Janan, to Halden, under the influence of ale & a ghostly sound spell

"whales whales whales whales that's not a whale whales whales whales"--Artemis, Kherriim, sung while watching for whales

"Do whales make thumps and slithery sounds?"-Artemis, Kherriim

"Way to sink the ship!"-maggienotmegan, Janan, re: magic water attack
"It's water. Water doesn't sink ships." -saganatsu, Leif
"Yes, it does! Water sinks ships all the time!"-maggienotmegan, Janan

Don Marko and Gorzams Gang War

Don Marko:

Sons of The Family are often left to their own devices, and are never given anything for free, unless they somehow “convince” people to give them things. Eventually, one of a generation is ruthless enough, clever enough, or well-liked enough that they are chosen to be the next Don (by the current Don). Don Marko’s first name also happens to be Don, and he won his status through more benevolence than ruthlessness. That is not to say he is any sort of pushover or pacifist. He is a fair person… for a pirate from Gorzam.

Don Marko is a few years younger than Blank, and has only been Don for about 15 years. Before that, he was in the traditional second-in-command position, running the Black Market on Gorzam’s main street. In the year 7, Iliam assassinated the old Don, and tried to claim that title as his own. But most of the inhabitants (and all of the Family patriarchs) recognized Don Marko instead. With the help of Blank, Don Marko hunted down and defeated Iliam. Shortly after, the Hora Quan officially annexed Gorzam.

 

Gang War:

Year 16: Two Brothers, Maurice and Gabriel Antolini, have a falling out at age 18. They become bitter rivals, and opposing gangs form around them. As time goes on, Maurice becomes more violent and ruthless, more than the Family usually is. There is a bar run by Maurice’s gang that is rumored to have rum, despite the shortage. It’s very expensive though, and has tight security. Gabriel stays true to the old ways, though he is less lenient when dealing with his brother’s gang.

Year 20: Patriarch Pazzesco disappears one moonless night. He is found months later, wearing animal skins and wielding a staff while chanting to a fire, in the footsteps of the mountainous region to the northeast. He is convinced to come back to Gorzam, but he begins recruiting people into his cult. Little is known about the cult, other than they occasionally lure Yetis down from the mountains to cause havoc, and that they have cabals out in the mountains footsteps.

Year 22: Gabriel becomes less patient, Maurice becomes more aggressive, and Pazzesco is becoming a greater problem, though he is seen less and less in Gorzam. Don Marko is trying to keep the peace and remain neutral, but he fears that a cleansing bloodbath is inevitable.

Geography:

The city is on the southern end of the island.  There is a main street that goes from the main port (1) to the black market city section (2), then angles to the east. The black market city section is where Don Marko’s headquarters are, and the family has a tight hold on that section. South of that section on the west side of the main street (3) is controlled by Maurices gang. The entire city on the east side of the main street (4) is where Gabriel has the most influence. The north section (5) is controlled by Pazzesco and his cult. That is to say, Pazzesco has little presence elsewhere, and it is the area with the most Yeti problems.

Outside of the city, to the west, is the rural area (6), where people lead a very similar life to those in the city, only they live on and operate farms, and are less affected by the politics of town, and more dominated by personal control of ones own farm. On the west coast of the island, is the Pirate Cove (7), currently under tight security by an unknown pirate. North of those areas is the Frozen Wastes (8), which are designated by no other geographical marker than it’s where things stop growing, so the rural folk have no reason to venture in there. North east, are the mountains (9), where vicious creatures such as Yetis, and some reclusive humanoids live in caves.

Memo to Soern Re: Heart of the Sea

Master Soern here are the readings of the Heart you requested.

Midmorn : 5500 mega-thaums.  Well within normal parameters.

Latemorn : 1000 mega-thaums. Drastic drop in power accompanied by a dimming of light. 

Noon: 4200 mega-thaums. Slight increase in power, still low but approaching normal.

Early afternoon: Sudden spike to 7000 mega-thaums. My Prayers to Samani were answered as the Heart of the Sea did not explode and the Heart's power levels quickly returned to 4700 mega-thaums.

Late afternoon: 3000 mega-thaums. Low power accompanied by random fluctuations of colour.

-Aed

Diplomatic Log 1

Mission remains questionable. Soon after having arrived in Xanadu opportunities presented themselves. Upon arrival to the summit, we were greeted by the Lady of the New Hora Quan Empire. Once preliminary talks ended, she stormed off to put an end to another gathering that apparently was called by Commandant Blank and/or the younger prince. A mere two decades in, and already the empire seems to be suffering power struggles. 

After the Lady and Commandant returned, Kheriim was sent along with the presumed heir on his trip to calm the empire's Commandant, presumably with alcohol. The reliance of such a highly placed officer on this substance may prove to be an opportunity to be exploited later if necessary.

Lord Gannen was suspiciously absent for the entire greeting ceremony. He did appear for the dinner but barely spoke or moved. He did not seem well, and preliminary observation suggests that he may not last long. Dinner was interrupted by the sudden entrance of a man claiming to represent the rebels of Skaraven. Lady Sigrid avoided making any promises but seemed sympathetic to their plight.

That evening the Lady created a group to hunt down a relic related to the Heart of the Sea. This group consists of both princes, along with the Skaraven representative and the magister's apprentice. Kheriim was also sent with them, she seemed reluctant but it will allow her to develop a closeness to the heir. The Commandant's child was also sent along in order to keep the princess distant. Hopefully the child will not be a negative influence on Kheriim, though she will likely be smart enough to keep her distance.

Sigrid's Journal 1: Another Dollar

Sixthmonth 1

Why do I bother spending weeks making elaborate plans? It's all for naught. Someone will always ruin everything anyway. And by "someone" I mean Commandant Blank. He knew I was having a peace summit and just couldn't leave well enough alone. He decided it would be an excellent time to throw a crazy party. I may have let it slide and written it off as another of his acts of idiocy, but he had to involve my son and create a nuisance in my city.

So, I left my summit and shut down the party. It had to be done. I dragged Blank to the summit, seeing as he was *supposed* to be there in the first place, but quickly sent him away with Leif and the human ward of the Verrik representative. Leif will never understand why Gannen and I tolerate Blank in our Empire. Leif wasn't around 22 years ago, and I doubt I'll ever be able to fully explain to him the kinship of adventuring. Blank was essential in bringing back the Hora Quan Empire. Without him, none of this would have happened. Without him, I wouldn't have Gannen.

So, anyway, after I sent Blank away, I left to double-check on dinner and get Gannen. He had to make an appearance at dinner. It would look bad if the delegates who came to the summit never saw him, after all. Gannen seemed less than thrilled to see me. I know he doesn't like these dinners, especially now. We argued a little about why I'd had to have this summit anyway and why he had to go to this dinner. Unfortunately, we both knew he had to go.

I wish I could say that dinner went off without a hitch, but of course it didn't. Blank and Soern had to go launching themselves out the window. I could have probably laughed that off and been fine, but then some guy burst into the banquet hall and started ranting about harrid. After some confusion, I figured out that his name was Stavros. He lives in Skaraven, where they've apparently been having a lot of problems with the harrid lately. I told him we could discuss the matter further after dinner, and order once again reigned supreme.

Soern returned, followed shortly by Blank, Anika, and a teenage boy. Soern and Blank then decided it would be a good idea to start loudly telling a story about Anika and the boy (Janan, apparently Blank's son) "hooking up" on his boat and somehow lighting it on fire. Yes, they decided to interrupt my dinner and bother my guests with this. If they're mad at my daughter for something, they could have come to me in private. I felt myself growing increasingly angry at Blank. Why does he insist on making my life even more complicated than it already is? I was about to explode. I was shaking with anger, about to just let Blank have it. Gannen must have sensed this and reached over and held my hand. It was a comforting act, and it was a restraining act. I looked over at Gannen and he slightly nodded, letting me know everything was fine. I calmed down. I invited Blank and Soern to take their seats again, effectively putting the subject to rest for the time being.

At the end of the evening, Gannen and I talked to Soern, who has been trying to arrange a meeting for awhile. Apparently there's something not-quite-right with the Heart of the Sea (though he doesn't quite know what). Whether this is related to the giant incursion last year remains to be seen. Soern thought we should try to find another artifact tied to the Heart (like the Aur Xica).

Consulting Ghalib, we discovered that there are at least four, though the only specific one he knows about is a magical cup. It's a relic of power and can heal, kill, and answer questions. (Note to self: Healing ability could be useful) Unfortunately, he doesn't know where the cup is.

I'd love to go myself, unfortunately, that's out of the question at the moment. Instead I formed a task force. Leif and Halden are going. They have got to work through their problems with each other. And even if they don't, if they're away at sea, at least I won't have to deal with the problems between them for a time. Besides, adventuring together might bring them closer. I've also sent Janan. I don't want him near Anika. Sending him away on a boat accomplishes that. I'm also sending Aed for some additional magical talent. I'm sending Stavros to give him a chance to prove his loyalty. I will be more than happy to assist him with his problems once he helps us with this. I've also sent Kheriim, the human ward of the Verrik, to give them a chance to prove their honest intentions. They'll be going with Ax.

I've given them the only leads we have. I suggested they talk to Taevin Brightfind. He's good at finding things. I also told Halden he could talk to Halas as an absolute last resort. Hopefully these kids are as talented as I think, otherwise, we'll be needing a lot of pearls.

Session 1: Captain Blank's Guide to Parenting

"Just because they're stupid, doesn't mean they're worthless." Commandant Blank

"Okay, Mr. Pirate, what's one of the greatest dangers at sea?" Sigrid
"Kraken." Blank
"Fire." Sigrid

"I followed you." Blank
"I flew!" Leif
"I didn't say I did a very good job." Blank

"Nobody like harrid. Not even harrid like harrid." Stavros Xanthis

"Commandant Blank. It means I own the ocean. The entire ocean." Blank

"You clearly don't understand the principles of piracy, if you think it's better sober." Blank

"So, any ideas?" Blank
"Well, could you unfreeze my boots." Janan
"Oh, uh, can I? Huh, maybe a strength check?" Blank/AJ

"Oh, I get it. I'm Gannen's long lost brother." Blank

"Right. I am . . . listening to you." Blank

"You just need storm over just his boat. It happens all the time." Sigrid

"Alright, you. Rum. It's good." Blank to Janan

"Yes, yes, I scratch your back, you scratch my back, only we don't scratch each others backs we just do favors for each other." Stavros

"Magic sex would be pretty awesome if you ask me," Janan

"You said you've divided the sea into four quadrants. Is there a reason for this, besides the directions?" Janan
"I've got four admirals." Blank

"A flaming ship! Makes it look like it's going faster!" Kaperi

"Don't they all look alike? Human, human, human, they all look the same to me." Kaperi

"Oh yeah, she's the one who's already getting kidnapped. She inherited that gene from Gannen." AJ

My Parents Are Ruining My Life

So, I think mom's mad at me again.

Yeah, I probably should have told Blank to buzz off and find his own place to trash, and just gone to the stupid party and talked to mom's stupid enemies. She says it's a peace talk or something but it's pretty obvious that everyone there hates us. We keep fucking their stuff up, of course they do. But they don't even hate us enough to make it interesting. I mean, like, if war was going to be declared there or something, I would have gone. But it's all just "of course the giants respect Xanadu's sovereignty" and "Xanadu engages only in lawful border actions." Boring. And stupid. If people would just say what they meant it would be over a lot faster.

Anyway. I "let" Blank throw his party and get drunk and trash the place, and that was pretty cool, even when mom showed up because at least it's a ruler of a small country who's shut down your party. Not everyone can throw a party like that. And then I got grounded again, which I was pretty much expecting but they always forget about it halfway through, and it doesn't matter anyway because I don't have any friends. At least it got me out of that stupid official dinner. Although that did end up being interesting, so that sucked.

I wasn't there (duh) but this guy Stavros showed up from Skaraven or something, looking for help overthrowing whatever oppressive dudes hang out in the south. Mom'll probably figure out some way to get out of doing anything other than maybe sending a boat or two down, "because we have our own problems." (But mostly because Dad's stopped saying anything about stuff like that. Used to be every so often he'd sponsor a revolution or something just to get the fuck out of the city. Skaraven's too far away for him to do that, but still. I can see why he'd want to.)

Oh, and Blank's ship caught on fire. Anika's fault. (Got to admit, that's better than some party. I need to find a way to upstage her.) And she was with this other dude Janan who claims to be Blank's son. Wouldn't surprise me.

Figuring it out'll keep me busy. Mom drafted him into some task force along with that chick who came with the Verrik, Aed, Stavros, and Leif. And then she went and stuck me on it, too. I'm supposed to "get along" with Leif. How am I supposed to "get along" with someone who doesn't want to get along with me? He treats me like an idiot when he pays attention to me at all. (Hells, that was another reason to stay away from the reception/party/bullshit summit/thing.)

Yeah . . . probably shouldn't have thrown that party. Getting stuck on a boat with Leif is way worse than getting grounded. At least Ax's there too. Ax is okay.