Freezeday, Fertility week, Dark Season, 1625.
Weather: Very cold and windy (from East).

Current cast: Erina, Syssiah, Tannis, Vasana, and Yanioth

In the morning you gather at the Ernaldoring Hall in Clearwine Fort. After packing your mounts you set off for Apple Lane on your way to the Varmandi lands.

((OOC: If you want to make any purchases or other errants in Clearwine before you leave, please do so as a flashback.))

The young Varmandi herder, Heortarl, is impressed by your equipment and status. "Have you been on many adventures?" he asks.

Vasana will visit the Orlanth/VA temple and make an offering of 5L before departing the fort.

Vasana smiles kindly at the young man, having seen that look on the faces of countless others whose lives and work tend toward the menial and repetitive. "Warfare is not an adventure, I am afraid.  It is a duty, much like your own and of no more importance.  Without your labors, the people have no food or clothing.  Life on the road is often hard, danger is frequently lurking, and while actual fighting is infrequent, it can be terrifying.  Taking another's life is never the cause for celebration and is only marginally better than losing your own," she explains.

Not wishing to completely savage the man's world view, she continues, "although there are benefits as well.  Seeing new places, meeting people and being able to help them, and having companions on the road with whom you can bond and share.  As for my own 'adventures,' I followed King Broyan to the metropolis of Nochet, fought at the Battle of Pennel Ford, followed Argrath into Prax and joined the army of the White Bull in the liberation of Pavis, fought at the Second Battle of Moonbroth, and since the Dragonrise, we helped to defeat some tusk riders that were threatening Apple Lane and participated in the retaking of Jonstown," she recounts.

Erina is much more eager and energetic than Vasana. She claps the latter on the back.

"Why so morose?"

To Heortarl, she says, "We've been on a lot of adventures, but not enough for proper Heroes! Many more glorious deeds await, hopefully for all of us. Waiting is the hardest part of an adventure, or a war, but once you get there, in the heart of it, you'll know what to do."

It's obvious the boy soaks up every word he can get from any of you.

"I wish I could be an adventurer, fighting battles and going to far-away lands, instead of just herding someone else’s cows." he says.

In the afternoon you approach Apple Lane where you will spend the night before continuing to Oakton, the Varmandi village, and the Gejay Hills.

Vasana is happy to share stories for there are many to tell.  Some happy, some sad, some heroic, some drudgery.  Indulging the young man's fascination seems small thanks for his assistance as a guide.

Meanwhile, she will inquire as to what he knows of the beasts.  When do they come out, time of day, frequency, together or separate, when did they arrive, any thoughts on from whence they came and why?

There is no sense in riding in a snowstorm.  It is an unnecessary risk.  Anyway, the fresh snow will make tracking the beasts easier.

"Cousin is right about one thing: the first adventure is always very scary, and adventures are dangerous. Do you know how to fight, Heortarl? Or hunt? Hit a target with a sling or a javelin? If you really want to be a hero, then these cat-beasts seem like a fine enemy to start with. Of course, we'd be with you. You can't have all the glory!" She nudged him playfully.

She also agreed that taking to the road in a snowstorm was silly. Better to vanquish Vallind's minions with a warm fire, dinner, and friends than with a sword and stubbornness.

You arrive at Apple Lane in late afternoon, and are as usual greated by

Aileena, the Uleria Priestess, Hiording
Janeera and Manimat, her Assistants, Ernaldori and Red Fish citizen

Brightflower, the Inn Keeper, Varmandi
Gooseberry, her duck cook
Postal, her stable hand and carpenter, Hiording
Mineera, her gardener and animal tenderer, Tarshite
Jeena (pregnant) and Vareena, daughters of Postal and Mineera, her waitresses, Hiording

Pramble, the Poet, Boldhome

Kareena, the God-talker of Orlanth Thunderous, caretaker of the Temple to All the Deities, Hiording

Hendroste, the Horsemaster, married to Jeena, Pure Horse People
Jenestan, his young son

Squinch "the Greylord", Proprietor of the Storeroom, Hiording

You are served dinner at the Tin Inn.

Heortarl says he doesn't know much about the sakkar. The attack have occured at different times, but he doesn't think they've attacked at night. They roam the Varmandi pastures in the Gejay Hill, where he will take you. "I know all the herders' paths." he says proudly. "I will take you to the sacred herd."

Brightflower tells you about her clan, the Varmandi: "The Varmandi are a small clan of the Colymar tribe of around 450 members. Our lands are near Apple Lane. Our main settlement is Oakton, a small walled village surrounding the Oak of Vengeance (which is the clan’s cult sanctuary). Our clan has a long history of bloody feuds."

"We suffered terribly during the Lunar Occupation, and after the previous chieftain was killed in Starbrow’s Rebellion, the women of the clan chose Gentle Vastyr to lead us away from war. Vastyr died during the Great Winter, and in 1622, the Wind Lord Korol Serpent-Tongue became clan chief. Since then, the clan has taken increasingly violent actions to aggressively defend our interests."

Hendroste talks about the Narri clan, who he says he has heard are using Goldeneye stallions stolen from the Grazelanders to stud and selling the hybrid offspring at the Horse Town market.

((OOC: I will start the next thread, but feel free to continue your dinner conversations with the Apple Lane citizens or among yourselves in this thread.))

Vasana greets everyone warmly and breaks open some Clearwine to go with the meal.  Over the meal, Vasana tells of the goings on at Two Sisters and the Battle of Dangerford.  Noting particularly her companions' actions, from Yanioth singing and assistance with burning the dead to Erina's wise counsel and leadership.

To the extent that she is not known here, Vasana will introduce Erina to the townsfolk that are here gathered.

Vasana will ask Heortarl who would know the most about the sakkar and their attacks?  She wants to make sure they have as much information as possible in order to do the job properly and with as little danger to life as possible.

Finally, she will talk to all of the townsfolk.  First, she has a genuine interest in their lives and what is going on.  They are her neighbors.  And second, she wants to make sure that she is appraised of anything she may need to deal with now or later.

Erina scoffs. "Some Wind Lord, who cannot slay but two beasts!"

She gorgeous warrior maiden has not been to Apple Lane more than a few times, and this is the first time she's been in the town since Vasana was named thane. She talks to as many people as want to talk to her, which is most of them, and she is very sociable, with an air of natural authority and majesty that is complemented by her beauty. Naturally, she is grateful to her cousin, Vasana, for introducing her to those she does not know.

Erina is especially eager to talk to the duck cook, Gooseberry. She has never seen one before and is full of excited questions about what life is like in the ducks' homeland, wherever that might be. Her eager body language and expression bring to mind a particularly large puppy.

Brightflower reacts to Erina mocking her clan chieftain.

"Well, whatever your opinion of chieftain Korol is, all his warriors are required for protection against bandits and to keep the Malani and others at bay. The Varmandi don't possess spare warriors to hunt down sakkars as well!"

Vasana keeps her thoughts on such matters to herself.  There were enough problems right now with removing the Lunar and Tarsh influences from Sartar without fermenting rivalries and ill will between the clans.

"Not his warriors, but the man himself," Erina insists. Indeed, it is telling, and perhaps somewhat shameful, that a Wind Lord and chief of his clan would be unwilling to personally defend his own peoples' sacred herds from monsters. Unbecoming of a Rune Lord of the Storm God!