"Yes, we're heading northeast. There's a good place to water them further down the valley." Vargast replies to Vasana's warning about the roars she heard last night. "We've all heard roars now and then, and sometimes seen some spoor they've left."

The herders round up the cattle. They spread out around the herd.

It's cold and cloudy, but at least there will be no more snow falling. ((OOC: Orlanth initiates can predict the weather.))

((OOC: Please give me a general idea of how you place yourselves relative to the herd as it moves down the valley, and if there's anything else I need to know about your character's activities.  ))

Vasana will scout ahead of the herd, about 100-200 meters or so, with whomever is the best at search/scan or tracking.  As much as possible, she is using her battle skills to figure out the most likely places for an ambush and is especially on her guard after a couple of kilometers, around the area she heard the roars overnight (although she is well aware that big cats can roam far and wide.  She will generally try to remain in sight of the herd.

She tells Hendroste to stay with the herd and position himself wherever Erina deems appropriate.  However, he is not to leave the herd for any reason.  It is possible that one cat could engage Vasana and when the others come to assist her, the other sakkar attacks the unprotected herd.  So Hendroste is to stay with the herd and if any sakkar are seen, he is to keep himself between the sakkar and the herd at all cots and to make a signal to alert Vasana (a whistle or call of some kind that will be audible over a long distance).

Being part of Vasana's entourage, Ulina rides at her side. She's here to use her magic to support her mistress, as a good priest does.

Tannis will ride at Ulina's side.

Erina instructs her carls to stay together, so as not to be surprised. In the event that these are not random attacks, the sakkar might be guided by, or actually be, more intelligent than mere animals, so it will be a good idea to respect them as such. They should keep their shields shouldered, for the same reason. If they can spot the sakkar, that would be great, but Erina accepts that the whole party is likely going to have to react to the sakkar pouncing on an animal. Naturally, she wears her armor, which stands out, gleaming bronze.

To that end, Erina endeavors to choose the animal in question. She picks out the oldest, weakest herd animal and consoles it. It won't understand her, but maybe her meaning will be conveyed through its spirit.

"Now, o cow, you are old and grey, and the twilight of your life is nigh. Death out of turn stalks your kin. We come to aid you, and to give you a chance to give of yourself for your blood. We ask that you sacrifice yourself for your own and for your descendants."

The cow is already sanctified to Orlanth, but Erina will, nevertheless, sanctify the cow further, preparing it as for a sacrifice without completing the final steps. The animal will serve nobly.

All of this solemn preparation is topped off by a very silly finale: Erina uses a large rope to tie two long branches to each side of the cow and hangs ten pounds of raw meat from the end of each branch. A doubly enticing bait for the sakkar. It also looks ridiculous.

Edit to remove redundancy.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:52, Wed 18 Aug 2021.

"There's a possibility that the Sakar itself may be a spirit or local god. I'll offer some sacrifice to Yinkin and see if the Cat god can give us a sign."

Ulina makes to purchase some sheep from the local farmers, and then works to see if there are cat cultists from among their company. With the best guidance from either them or what her memory can serve her, she leads a sacrifice to Orlanth's brother, asking Orlanth's eyes and ears for wisdom and insight as to whether or not this monster is acting on it's own or is something conjured by an enemy, and how it may be defeated.

(OOC: Setting up to cast Sanctify and then Divination on a nearby hilltop, sacrificing a few sheep to Yinkin. I'd assume that this would be a worship roll of some kind? Yinkin is the lord of beasts so I presume this would be in the god's purview and he's highly associated with Orlanth worship.)

"With the snow and all it'll take almost a day to get to the nearest sheep farmer, negotiate a sale, and then get back here. We need to move the herd now, so you'd also need to find us when you return." Vargast notes sceptically to Ulina's suggestion as he and the other herders prepare their departure down the valley.

The herders are noticeable impressed when Erina identifies the most likely prey and handles it the same way they would have. However, when she parts a rabbit (the only meat available) and hangs the lumps to drag behind the animal they shake their heads.

Vasana and Tannis are ready to ride ahead, and the herd is prepared.

The (natural) redhead gives the herders a thumbs-up and sticks her tongue out playfully.

"Then I'll ride with you, Lady. You're right."

You all set off to move the herd to new pastures and water, with Vasana, Tannis, and Ulina riding some hundred metres in front. ((OOC: Please note that if you want to communicate between the two groups (advance patrol and herders/guards) you will have to shout very loud, use simple hand signals, or move yourself closer.))


((OOC: Please all roll your Homeland Lore and your Scan skills. Those who spend time looking for signs of sakkar can also roll their Search OR Track skill.))

Vasana and Hendroste devise some simple hand signals, like stop, go, danger left, danger right, and the like.  From atop her war bison, Vasana scans the area around them, while the others concentrate more on the ground.

Erina meanders and moseys around and with the herd, occasionally petting the cows but mostly singing to herself and acrobatically dancing around. One would think that would get tiring in bronze armor, but her stamina seems endless. She also seems bored.

After a while, she announces (loudly), "Hey-o! I think I found somethin'!"

I failed the first two rolls and succeeded on Search. Weeeeee. What do I win? Praise me and give me stuff! =D

17:07, Today: Secret Roll: Tannis rolled 18 using 1d100 with rolls of 18.  vs scan 25.

17:06, Today: Secret Roll: Tannis rolled 86 using 1d100 with rolls of 86.  vs Homeland Lore (30).


This message was last edited by the player at 21:09, Sat 21 Aug 2021.

19:29, Today: Ulina rolled 24 using 1d100 with rolls of 24.  Scan.

19:28, Today: Secret Roll: Ulina rolled 91 using 1d100 with rolls of 91.  Homeland Lore.

The herd seems to know where it is heading, and move gently down the valley.

Spotting a clan boundary marker, Vasana pulls up, telling the others to halt as well.  Riding back to the herders she points to the marker, "it appears that we are at the border of Varmandi and Orleving lands.  While we (indicating herself and the rest of the party) are here to protect the sacred herd on Colymar lands, it is not our place to trespass on Malani lands."

After a pause she asks, "is there another area within your borders where the herd can find grass and water?"

Roughly how far have we come?

To anyone who is paying attention, Erina further announces, gesticulating wildly and pointing at the snow about five feet away from her, "Oi! Oi! Big cat pawprints here!"

They're a bit old, there aren't many, but those are definitely really big cat pawprints.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:12, Wed 25 Aug 2021.

The tracks Erina found don't look recent, there's not many of them, and after a short distance the tracks end, having been erased by drifting snow.

As to the clan boundary stone, Vargast declares proudly that "We don’t recognize those claims. This is Varmandi land."

"We go here every week. The next watering spot is another day away." Varlanth adds before continuing playing his reed pipes.

It's about lunch time. You are in a valley bordered by high snow- and icecovered hills. In an hour or two you are expected to reach a place where there are plenty of small ponds to water the herd.

"And is this where the herd has been attacked in the past?" Vasana asks.  "I have no intention of becoming involved in land disputes between the Vermandi and the Orleving.  Chieftain Korol needs to resolve any disputes with the Malani, that is his place, not ours.  And I am certainly not going to kill animals sacred to Humakt on land his worshipers claim as their own," she explains.

"We are willing to accompany you to the more distant watering spot if it is not on similarly disputed lands," Vasana offers.

Vasana is speaking for herself and Hendroste.  If the others are fine with continuing on as they are, that is their prerogative but Vasana will not accompany them.  She is in the business of fighting the Lunar Empire, not other Sartar tribes and clans, at least absent some specific orders from the Queen.

"This is starting to get more complicated, that's for sure," Erina confirms. Politics is definitely not her strong suit.

"Have the Lawspeakers decided in your favor that these are your lands at the weapontake?" Law is much more straightforward than politics, which is pleasing to the redhead. Order from chaos is the Storm Tribe way, after all.

Her cousin requested that Erina slay the monsters attacking the sacred cattle, so that is what Erina plans to do. Courage and enthusiasm should be tempered with wisdom, so she would like to avoid starting a feud, but the fault lies always with the trickster in cases of deception. So, if the Varmandi are tricking her into violating Orleving lands, the Varmandi will bear the price. That is the law and the way things should be.

It does not occur to her that human corruption and pettiness often destroy such careful arrangements of justice.

"You do what you must." Vargast replies with a shrug. "You can wait for us at the next watering stop, we'll be there tomorrow afternoon." he adds.

As to Erina's question: "Varmandi lands are where we herd our cattle, not where some old stones were thrown years ago. Orleving bandits have probably moved them anyway."

The herders seem to have decided to continue. Although they would prefer it if you escorted them, they give you directions to the next watering stop, a day away back west.

Vasana nods and along with Hendroste, watches the herders go.  She is not in a position to judge the merits of the herders' claims to this land, nor does she feel she has any authority to do so.  To her, the marker represents the last formal agreement as to the boundary and absent some more recent evidence of a new agreement, the border is here.

Without respect for laws and boundaries, society cannot function.  The Varmandi herders are acting no better than the Orleving bandits about whom they complain.  If this was her territory, she would try to work out a deal.  The 'Orleving bandits' get something they need, food or whatever, and the Vermandi herders get access to water for their cattle.  But this is not her territory, so she will not try to impose her solutions, especially without knowing more about the situation.

Erina shrugs. The herders are making it more clear by the moment that, if the sakkar are sacred to Humakt, they are hunting the Varmandi cattle because of trespass. Time will tell, and she won't be absent for the eventuality.

"I swore an oath to defend the cattle, and that is what I will do," she declares. To her carls, she says, "You are here of your own will, and I am grateful. You did not swear the same oath as I did, and so I will not ask you to possibly transgress clan boundaries. I will still be grateful, whatever you choose to do."

And so she goes, with the herders and their cattle.

Vasana wishes her cousin good fortune and a successful mission.  Her own task was clear, 'go to Vermandi lands and kill the monsters attacking the sacred cattle.'  So on Vermandi lands she will remain.  If the herd will be coming back this way when traveling to the next watering stop, then she will camp here.  Otherwise, she will proceed to wherever they will cross the border and wait there.

Ulina will, of course, remain with her liege.