Miroslav checks on the progress of the god post. He is overjoyed to see that Radvila had worked through the night, stopping of course to feast, had finished the post. Less than an hour after sunrise the post was set in the ground near the mouth of the great silty river Phasis.

As he gives Radvila leave to get some sleep, Miroslav rouses the sleeping victims of the Hedonite's feast. Some get a gentle nudge and some get the point of a booted foot, regardless it is morning and time to get a move on with the days activities.

Dyanna looks at the idol and says,

"The idea of offering to such a god is not beyond my scope of understanding, indeed, i have come to know the Moist Mother Earth of the Rus very well since last year. This seems more of the realm of Cuivi or even Barmak who made the suggestion."

A'kos awakes, Jaleh cradled in the nook of his arm, her head upon his chest.  He's surprised to find that his head does not ache; strangely, much as he might try he failed to lose his wits during the evening feast.  All he'd really accomplished was to stuff himself, and in so doing exhaust himself so that he swiftly fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Surely Jaleh would give him grief about that!

Still, he grinned, and carefully woke the tiny woman, enjoying the look as always of her disheveled hair and her dark eyes.  After a moment he said, "Come, little doe, a new day dawns and new adventures await!"

Standing, he offers a hand and helps her stand, then makes his way to where Miro is gathering the others.

"What news, Miro?" he calls as they approach the others.

Awake, Loukas felt unexpectedly refreshed. These Hedonites have something worth understanding! He quickly stretched and joined Miroslav and the rest of the party, "Very impressive, Radvila. The god will certainly note your efforts."

Nodding in agreement with Dyanna's comment he turns to the Chude shamen, "Yes, Cuivi, would you please lead us here? I am happy to assist, if you wish."

OOC: Do we still have the bull we purchased as a sacrifice or did we lose it when the Amazons attacked us"

Miroslav fetches the bull that was acquired from the Amazons. It's eyes are covered and it is being lead on a chain attached to a ring in it's nose.

He leads it to the waters edge near the god post.

Jaleh got up when A'kos awoke then began getting ready for the day. It was several minutes before she came looking for A'kos. Unlike her lover, she did not particularly care for her own disheveled appearance.

"Bull killing for breakfast?" Jaleh asked when she caught up to the men.

Loukas joined Miroslav leading the bull to the water and when Jaleh caught up he replied with such a serious expression that he must be joking, "More like a breakfast for a god... Though, given that Phasis is a spirit of the rivers, perhaps we ought to have sought out a water-buffalo?"

Barmak wanders near upstream, sits down cross-legged, and looks into the river.

Cuivi smiles warmly at Loukas, "Yes, I will need someone to dispatch the sacrifice." He hands Loukas a bronze sickle-bladed knife.

"Once I read the words inscribed on the post and Miroslav has lead the beast to the waters edge, I need you to slit its throat, releasing it's blood into the river."

Cuivi stands before the idol and motions to Miroslav to bring the beast to the waters edge.

"Phasis is a god of the rivers? Why not drown the thing then, give it to the rivers directly? If I was a river god that's how I'd like it." Jaleh told Loukas, equally serious.

Loukas winks at Jaleh's very serious statement as he takes the bronze blade from from Cuivi, "Very well, Father. I shall do so."

A'kos ignores the banter, ignores as well the rumbling in his stomach as he realized with some surprise that he is hungry.

"I wonder if this Phasis is going to grace us with a feast in honor of this sacrifice similar to that provided by the Hedonite."

At the talk of food, Jaleh held her own stomach. "As far as I've ever heard, the sacrifice is always the god's and there is rarely ever any feast left over or rewarded to the followers. I think we'll have to supply our own food."

"Hmph," mutters the Falcon disconsolately. "What use a god, then?"

"I ask the same question a lot," Jaleh admitted with a shrug.

Cuivi answers Jelah,
"Normally I would agree about the drowning but I think this is a special case calling fr blood as the first offering. The body of the bull will go into the river as well after it's throat is slit.

He then turns to stand in front of the post and read the words of Barmak that Radvila has inscribed. Raising his hands to the sky,

When you drink of this river,
Give thanks to the giver.
Say a prayer to Phasis
Whose bounty this is.
For here the water is sweet
Where Europe and Asia meet."

He motions to Loukas.

The Frankish knight looks on as the ritual is performed. He is clearly uncomfortable.