Antorling Clan writeup

Play writeups for the first block of the Antorling Clan game.

6/10/04 - First session - Sea Season 1611

Characters: Gervain (Pete) and Venharl (Neil)

On the first day of the year the herders needed help getting the herds out to the high pastures. Gervain and Venharl were press-ganged into helping move a large flock of sheep to a high pasture near the wild woods bordering the Brambleberry Hills.

On the way Venharl succumbed to the urge to play a practical joke on one of the other herders. Fortunately for Venharl it failed, but in the confusion two sheep slipped away and mmade a bid for freedom, heading up the hill towards the wild woods. The herders sent the two boys after the escaping sheep, mainly to keep them out of their hair while they got the rest of the flock into the high pasture.

After chasing the sheep across a couple of fields it became obvious that the sheep weren't behaving naturally. They were running in a far more purposeful way than sheep normally do, and they didn't seem scared of the woods.

Our two heroes lost track of the sheep as they entered the wood, but continued tracking them. As they penetrated (oo er missus!) deeper into the wood both of them thought they saw a single figure standing on a bough. Venharl's magic made him aware of being watched, but he had no idea of by who or what.

Continuing, they almost bumped into Estok, who was a bit cagey about why he was on the tula in the first place. Estok said that he and two friends had been ambushed travelling through the wood. Venharl offered him hospitality according to Heort's laws and the three of them continued on to the site of the ambush.

There they found the two arrow ridden bodies of Estok's companions and the pair of sheep in a clearing that made a good natural camp. Venharl scouted the area and then gave the camp a once over. Examining the arrows he found that they looked as if they'd been grown into the shape of arrows with leafy fletching and barbed thorn heads. At Gervain's suggestion he extinguished the fire and (assuming the assailents were Elves) shouted a greeting and appology for disturbing them.

Estok then admitted that he'd stolen the sheep (the travellers rations had run out) using Finovan's magic.

Venharl and Gervain started walking back to Fairjowl with him to meet the clan chieftain.

13/10/04 - Second session - Sea Season 1611

Characters: Gervain (Pete), Venharl (Neil) and Harvald (Mark)

The gruesome twosome made it back to Fairjowl, with Estok in tow. There they piled into the Chieftain's hall, along with about half the women and children in Fairjowl to see what Estok had to say. After being dropped in it by Venharl ("Oh, and he nicked a couple of sheep...") it turned out that Venharl's band were refugees from Pavis, a city several hundred miles away recently invaded by the Lunars. His parents had been Antorlings and moved to Pavis about 40 years previously. Harvald, one of the junior God talkers recalled stories of several families moving out about then, and Estok's family fitting into the clan geneology, supporting his story. Orlost (the clan chieftain) gave Estok a bed with the weapon thanes.

Later that day, Orlost addressed all the children in Fairjowl, warning them of a new danger in the wildwoods bordering the Bramblebury hills and telling them to stay away.

The next couple of weeks passed without incident. About halfway though the season is the first clan moot of the year, during the first night of which all the eligible children become adults. The first day of the moot saw Venharl seducing some poor girl, Gervain diligently repairing a tinkers cart wheel in return for a decent lump hammer and Harvald trailing Petronius, the new inhabitant of Moonstead around the market. Petronius looks like a retired Lunar tribune and even in the spring in Sartar dresses like he's in a nice underfloor heated house - i.e. all toga and sandals.

That evening, the children who are nearly adults were summoned to the Chieftain's hut and a huge nosh and cider up occurred. By late evening, after Kostad the God Talker had sprinkled some herbs on the fire, all the children passed out, stuffed with pork and cider. Gervain held on long enough to hear Orlost telling Istir, one of the retired weapon-thanes to look after them when they visited Erik and Arfritha.

When Gervain, Harvald and Venharl awoke, they were alone in the stead, the fire long cold, wind and rain hitting the roof. They also heard the sound of several dogs (!) outside. When Venharl tried lighing a fire from a pile of chopped up furniture, a drop of rain hit the back of his hand, making it sting and redden. Searching the stead, Gervain found a backpack of iron rations and a couple of gallons of old but still fresh water. Venharl found an Alynx kitten perched on a beam before shimming up the center post to look around outside. As far as he could tell, there were several dogs circling the stead, most of which looked totally ruined.

From what Venharl told the others, Harvald worked out that they were in the Great Darkness, near the death of the world. Recalling a story about King Heort travelling to the edge of the world, meeting Hengall, the second son and fighting in "I fought we won" the three of them decided to fight their way out through the dogs and head for the edge of the world, away from Kero Fin, the great mountain in the center of the world.

They left the building, Harvald and Gervain trying to form a (rather crap) shield wall while Venharl skirmished. Harvald and Gervain made rather heavy work of holding the dogs, but Venharl, used to shooting poor defenseless fluffy animals took several of them out. The last dog, having been brained by Gervain's shield, was somehow tamed by Gervain with a bit of food and tagged along after them. (Heortlings liking dogs?? Never happened in my day...) Gervain called it Lesley, 'cause he's weirder than a weird thing.

After leaving the stead, the ground became glassy and slippery. After a couple of days travelling, the adventurers made it to the edge of the Tula, which had been replaced by a huge chasm they could barely see across. Walking along the edge for a while they could smell meat cooking and came across a huge bonfire with two whole cows spitted over it. The owner of the meat, one Hengall, son of Vingot got up from where he was sleeping in the next vale dip, standing over 100' tall. He greeted them as his kin and asked them to join his last feast before the world ended.

20/10/04 - Third session - Sea Season 1611

Characters: Gervain (Pete), Venharl (Neil) and Harvald (Mark - not present)

The next morning, after talking and festing with Hengall, the three saw the red moon rise in the north west. They made there way back in the direction of the moon and found a Lunar Pavillion with three young Lunarised Heortlings encamped in it. Most of the session involved Venharl trying to hurt the Lunars and Gervain trying to stop him, telling him they were kinsfolk and should be respected as such. In the end, Gervain succeeded and kept Venharl at bay. On talking to the Lunars they discovered they were some of the children taken hostage by the Lunars 8 years ago after Ergolf's failed tax rebellion. Gervain (with no small amount of hinderance) persuaded the Lunar children to come back to Erik's stead with them. As soon as they agreed, the sun rose and the world was reborn.

The adventurers and their rescued companions spent the rest of the day returning to Erik's stead. The glassy gound broke up around them and there was a riot of new plant growth. When they got back to the stead they met Erik and Arfritha who told them they'd been expected before now. They also met various Thunder Brothers and Yinkin thanked Venharl for saving the young Alynx. Everyone had a big feast and the adventurers fell asleep, to wake up back in Orlost's hall, where they'd left a couple of weeks earlier.

A couple of other bits

• Gervain was given a young pup a Cinsina merchant had on him
• The three "rescued" Lunars were found under Erik's tree
• The three adventurers became full members of the clan and heard what sounded like Erik's voice coming from the tree
• All three of the adventurers became Worshippers of the Storm Pantheon

02/11/04 - Fourth session - Fire Season 1611

Characters: Gervain (Pete) and Venharl (Neil)

Venharl started to a strict campaign of chatting up Ceinwynne. Unfortunately, this season's efforts were largely hampered by her telling him that she thought of him as a son. While out hunting he also caught a glimpse of Istir (the bloke in charge of the initiation ritual) going into Moonstead and talking with Petronius.

Gervain spent his time, when not fixing and making things for the rest of the clan, attempting to make himself some metal armour.

In the middle of Fire season there was a bit of a fuss around Fairjowl. Several important people turned up (including Kallai Rockbuster, King of the Colymar and Kallyr, Queen of the Kheldon) for a summit. Orlost made them welcome and asked Venharl and Gervain to explain what had happened during their initiation. Somehow, Kallyr seemed fairly taken with Venharl, but there's no accounting for taste. From the parts of the converstaion they could hear, the adventurers got the impression that something big was about to kick off "oop north."

The next day Venharl saw Istir visiting Moonstead again and dashed off to tell Orlost. Orlost wrote the incident off as Istir was one of the few people in the clan that could speak New Pelorian. In a sulk, Venharl bumped into a group of Namolding cattle raiders and outran them to muster the Fyrd and weaponthanes. Gervain (somehow) managed to inspire the fyrd to keep the chase up and four of the younger raiders were captured.

A couple of days later, Arrim, chieftain of the Namoldings, turned up to ransom his men for a couple of cows. One cow was given to Venharl for raising the alarm and Gervain got a bag of coins for holding the pursuit together.

Orlost pronounced that Orlanth had indeed marked the pair of them out for greatness.

09/11/04 - Fifth session - Earth Season 1611

Characters: Gervain (Pete) and Venharl (Neil)

Venharl's single minded pursuit of Ceinwynne continued. Venharl chased all the vermin out of a granary and cooked up a scheme to try and make Bella look daft and incapable of protecting Ceinwynne. Despite that cock up, declaring his undying love for her and Gervain spreading a rumour that he fancied Bella instead, Venharl made quite an impression on Ceinwynne, almost to the point of winning her over.

In the meantime, Gervain finished off a decent suit of chainmail for himself and took several commisions for other suits from the weaponthanes.

Dark Season 1611

Venharl and Gervain went on an infiltration mission to Istir's stead under the cover of Gervain looking for work. While Gervain spent his time fixing a broken plough Venharl managed to search Istir's gear and found a bag of newly minted Imperials and pocketed a couple.

Istir returned home and invited them to stay for the night. During the evening meal and the drinking that followed he seemed to be trying to work out if they'd be interested in converting to the Lunar way, which they weren't (Venharl quite beligerantly so). During the night they were woken up by Istir having a case of night terrors but neither were able to hear what he said clearly.

The following day they returned home and bumped into a couple of Tusk Riders and their Tuskers on the way, which they managed to kill. Both of them found this slightly weird as Tusk Riders hadn't been seen in these parts during their lifetimes. Being kindly souls they nicked the Tuskers tusks to boot!

23/11/04 - Sixth session - Dark Season 1611

Characters: Gervain (Pete) and Venharl (Neil)

The first thing Venharl does on getting back to Fairjowl is start bellowing "The Tusk Riders are coming!" While Kostad goes to consult the winds on what's going on with the Tusk Riders, Orlost talks to Venharl and Gervain about what happened. Finally, in the face of all Venharl's accusations, Orlost agrees to summon Istir to a moot to find out what's been going on and sends a pair of Weapon Thanes to go and get him.

Realising that he may have bitten off more than he can chew, Venharl asks Yerest to act as a witness at the clan moot. Yerest agrees based on their long and tiring association. Gervain, meanwhile, continues working on another suit of chainmail.

The two weaponthanes sent to fetch Istir return with Jenesta, Istir's grandaughter who (around being hit on by Venharl) tells Orlost that her grandad went out hunting yesterday after Gervain and Venharl left and hasn't been seen since. Kostad tells Gervain everytime he asks Orlanth about Kostad he hears nothing but the sound of the empty wind, as if Orlanth has foresaken him.

Ceinwynne asks Venharl to go into the Brambleberrys and see what the Elves are doing there. Venharl fetches the leader of the Elves out of the woods and meets Gervain, Ceinwynne and Bella by the skull of Gouger. Arion tells them that his gang are rootless Elves who've lost contact with Aldrya who're trying to hear the song of the forest again by keeping the Tusk Riders away from Gouger. Arion also alludes to something that happened up North near Alda Chur last season.

Ceinwynne takes Arion to meet Orlost and they hold an impromptu moot. Orlost sends messengers to the Malani tribe and the Namolding and Lysang clans to the north warning them about the possibility of Tusk Rider attack. He assigns two weaponthanes to guard the skull at all times and sends messengers to every hearth to keep the spears and hats ready to form the Fyrd if trouble arives.

The next day (shroud day if you're interested) a single Tusk Rider turns up with Istir slung over his pig. The Tusk Rider, Agrajag, bargains Istir's life for the tusks Venharl and Gervain took off the riders they fought a couple of days ago. Istir is locked up in the press room until he's well enough to face the moot. Agrajag tries to negotiate access to Gouger's skull but is blocked by Orlost. He says he will return next year and see if the clan will change it's mind, waving a spear at them with enough spirits bound into it to keep Dorris Stokes going for months as he leaves.

30/11/04 - Seventh session - Dark Season 1611

Characters: Gervain (Pete) and Venharl (Neil)

Gervain and Venharl convince Orlost that the Tusk Riders need to be taught a lesson. Erik, from his tree, tells Orlost that there are only four riders and Tuskers left on the Tula. Orlost Gervain and Venharl off with Elinor and 5 other weaponthanes to kill the Tusk Riders. Venharl finds the Elves and brings them along for the punch up while Gervain rigs a dog sling to carry Leslie on his borrowed horse.

When they find the Tuskers, they take them mostly by surprise, Venharl shooting from the woods with the Elves and the Weaponthanes and Gervain charging from cover. Gervain's heroism (no doubt helped by his nice new chainmail) helps end the fight really quickly. Arion is impressed with Venaharl's shooting and gives him a vine to wrap around his bow, a charm of Speedart. He gives Gervain a couple of builder tree seeds, telling him that whatever wooden item he desires can be grown from them. As a cunning ploy, the clansmen salt the Tusker's meat to help cover Lunar taxes before Arion disposes of the rest of the carcasses.

The rest of the season passes quickly. Istir reveals all as he eats dirt for his crimes again the clan. In front of the Clan he admits to taking money from Petronius to reveal the secrets of the intitiation ceremony. Orlost fines him all of the cash he earnt from the Lunars, commands him to retire as head of his bloodline and is oath bound by Elinor to not advise his nephew, who takes his place, on any matter relating to the Lunars.

Storm Season 1611

Venharl, with the gift of a Tusker Scrimshaw carving he made and the way he behaved contacting the Elves finally thaws Ceinwynne's heart and she opens up to him.

Elinor talks to Gervain and asks him if he'd be interested in meeting an associate of hers in Jonstown who specialises in making swords. She feels that his combination of crafting talent and honour would make him a good Humakti. Gervain says he'll think about it.

Some news comes from the north. Harvar Ironfist, a stinking light worshipper, has betrayed a rebellion against the Lunars around Alda-Chur and taken control of the northern tribes.

Sacred Time 1611

The end of the year cermonies go without a hitch. At the end of the sacred time Venharl can't be found. Neither Ceinwynne or Yerest look too concerned although Bella, the axe maiden looks quite gleeful that she's got her "mother" back to herself.

Unresolved Stuff

• Venharl's out for a year. If he survives he becomes an Initiate of Yinkin
• Will Gervain take up Elinor's invite to the psycho-fun fest that is Humakt?
• What are the clan going to do about the Lunars and will the Tusk Riders return?