"Oh it's me alright, healer!" she says.
"And while lugging that big scale to the Boss is not exactly the most glamorous task I've ever been charged with, it's gonna help the Boss do big things. I mean, really big. Like..."
she spreads her arms as wide as possible, grunting with the strain.
"So come on Lemak, Tuari, help me dump that nasty Dragonewt off the scale so I can take it and go home. Pleeaaasseeee?" She flutters her eyelids.

Mabwe doesn't know about this woman, but the scale he knows is needed to save Prax, not to put it into the hands of another outsider. "Varantas has been quiet, but I dare say she'll have some opinion on this." he says looking at the others.

Lemak doesn't move, regarding the woman.  White Bull?  I don't know the White Bull.  Certainly not greater than the Storm Bull.



"Yes," says Lemak, looking at Mabwe.  "We followed Varantas to the scale.  We should follow Varantas now."

To Elusu, he repeats the question she ignored. "Where is Shollak Sees-Far?"

Tuari was torn between giving Elusu what she wanted and returning the scale to Shollak as Mabwe made comment on Varantas Tuari nodded and drew the bone out of his pouch and stabbed her once more into his thigh.  "Mabwe see what she says." he said with a grunt of pain.

Noarajia moves to within reach of Klanth-and-Utumna but she doesn't touch him or the scale.

"Shollak?" Elusu replies, "The eyeless prophet who inhabited the area around this tree? I believe your four footed furry friend knows the answer to that"

As Tuari drives the pointed end of the bone home, Elusu cries "Ewwww!" and one of the crumpled Lunar soldiers lets out a quiet, raspy laugh, that at this point sounds very unhealthy. 

The tip of the bone slowly rises and points toward Elusu.

Mabwe nods at apparently nothing and then addresses the one they call Elusu "You must feed the spirit within the bone in this way" he lies, knowing that any amount and kind of blood will likely do "otherwise she can get... more difficult."

Then to the others he says "Give her the bone and the scale, she must go with the trickster and return the scale. She says farewell Tuari."

"I appreciate that you have your own safety to consider Elusu, " Norajia says "and I don't like seeing these Broo-huggers near the Block, but it pains me to watch people die in front of me, even people in red. Can't we immobilise them in some other way for you ,now that we're here?"

Lemak nods.  Fair enough.  He dismounts and starts to untie the scale and drag the lizard off it.  "What do we do with this?" he says, hoping Elusu or someone might have some idea about the lizard.



"Having Moon worshippers so close to The Block is not a good sign," says Lemak to Norajia.  "I guess once we pass this scale to this woman, our mission is complete.  I'll stay back and take care of these Moon worshippers when you leave."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:24, Wed 17 Mar 2021.

Tuari applied pressure to the gash in his thigh as he offered Varantas up "Good bye Varantas.  Elusu what has happened since we were last here?  It would seem the journey to find the scale has taken much longer than expected."

In reply to Tuari (msg # 138):

Elusu watches the exchange between the pacifistic healer and chaos slaying Storm Bull with gleeful interest.
"One thing about these Lunies, they do have a greeeaaat sense of humor!" which brings on another burst of croaking laughter.
"You can do what you like with'em after I hit the trail."


She takes the bone from Tuari gingerly between her thumb and forefinger."It won't be long now, girl."
She tucks it in her belt.

In response to Tuari she says,
"Well let's see, since you all went underground, um, the Lunies sent the Crimson Bat out, it did its thing for awhile, they invaded the Hendriking territories and conquered Whitewall, uh, the Boss--"she winks dramatically at Tuari and Norajia--"the Boss helped deliver a giant cradle past a Lunar blockade, and um... the Lunies killed Orlanth and Ernalda plunging Glorantha into an endless winter. They're getting better though!"
"Now if you can help me with this scale, I'll be on my way," she says cheerfully. 

Norajia takes Klanth-and-Utumna's right arm and sets her shoulder under his. She looks ready to accept anybody's assistance



Norajia's mouth purses rightwards, perhaps indicating she foresees a divergence between the White Lady and Stormbull understanding of "taking care of" incapacitated enemies.


Norajia raises an eyebrow

She makes no response to Elusu's wink or her assertions about Orlanth and Ernalda

Tuar looked from Norajia to Elusu and back before he gave a small shake of the head and dismounted Ondari.   He untied the ropes to the scale and then moved to assist with the Dragonewt.  "How do you plan to carry the scale?" Tuari asked the trickster woman "and does the White Bull need us anywhere or are we free to return to our clans?
 Belina and I at least have a scorpion to hunt."

Lemak is about to help shift the lizard when Tuari steps in first.

He ignores Norajia's pursed mouth.  Instead, he watches to see how the Murderess will deal with the scale herself.

Elusu makes a feeble move to "help" move the Dragonewt with a shove of her foot.
Approaching the scale, she kneels down and starts pulling.
The object doesn't budge. 
"It's more the awkwardness than the weight," she says to no one in particular. She puts her hands on her hips and circles around to the other side of the scale, studying it carefully. She bends down again and tugs at the huge plate, groaning and panting. 
"Grrrrhhhh .... almost....grrrrnnhhhhh."
She looks over her shoulder at your party for a moment before reapplying herself. 
"RRRRNNGGHH..."
Straightening up again, she blows on her hands, shaking them against the sting.
She then abruptly points over Tuari's shoulder and cries out, "Hey... is that... uh ...uh ... Jaldon?" 
Anyone who doesn't look away from her obvious distraction notices that she traces a tattoo on her palm and again rapidly bends down to the scale, which at her touch shrinks to the size of a guitar pick. 
"Now that's more like it!" she says, tucking the scale down the front of her vest. "Here's hopin' is stays small for a while, eh!"
She appears tired.


"Well, nothing the boss has told me anyway. Anything else you all need from poor Elusu before she continues her journey?" 

Lemak doesn't take his eyes off the trickster.



The llama brave thinks a moment.  "Is there anything you can do to help this lizard?  Its brain was addled in combat."  I figure you might know something about idiocy...

"Or do you know where the Silver Fleece high llama clan are camping at present?"

"Hmmm.... yes, yes, I've seen this before. It's a case of a powerful Lunie runespell called Illario's Vicious Lizard Brain Smothering Ensorcelment, if I'm not mistaken. You don't see this kind too often anymore. Yes, very bad. Hmmm... well, there's not much can be done for him except protect him from hyenas. But from the looks of him I'd say, he should be right as rain in... oh... five days? or maybe it's five years? Five somethings, anyway," she says cheerfully.

"Or do you know where the Silver Fleece high llama clan are camping at present?"
</quote>

She looks seriously at Lemak. "Did you know I myself am of the high llama tribe? I mean, I don't ride one. Not anymore. But as for our kinsmen, Lemak, last I heard OUR kinsmen had crossed the great river and were in the wastes east of sun county. I would look there."

Uh, thanks for the help  :/  Lemak just nods.



At these words, Lemak perks up.  Maybe she's not so bad.  "Thank you," he says, "I'll look there once I've reported to my brothers and sisters at The Block."

Mabwe had been considering quietly, but now speaks "How long will they stay like this after you leave?" as he sets about searching their gear for any valuables and removing any weapons.

"There is no need for deaths here today, nor for these Lunies to go free. You others have claimed beasts during our trip, I claim slaves."

In reply to Mabwe (msg # 147):

"I like the way you think!" she exclaims. "This one doesn't last all that long, I'd say the strongest will lose their sense of humor by nightfall and the weakest by sunrise."

Clapping her hands together, she says,"Well, this has been fun! But I should probably hit the trail.
Let's see if I can get this one timer to work... you move your hands like..."
Elusu places her hands above her head, moving her right arm in a counterclockwise circle and her left arm in a clockwise circle, distorting the light all around her from the motion.

She begins to shimmer and fade from view, very gradually at first. 

"Well, I have to say in all honesty, you all did real good. Keep your eyes open, when the Boss does the big thing, with what you brought him here, you won't be able to ignore it if you try. If it works. Seriously. It's gonna be that big."

As she continues to fade away her voice becomes more hollow as if she is speaking to you through a tunnel.

"One other thing I should tell you.
This is serious.
If you go after that Runelord scorpionman, he is pretty tough.
He's got no head, but he has two arms for slinging, two claws for chopping, and two tails for stinging.
He heals fast, as fast in a moment as a normal creature heals in like a month."

Only a smoky silhouette of the trickster remains and her voice is barely audible.

"He has only one weakness.

Everyone who has gone after him so far has made the same mistake and has failed to exploit it.

When you meet up with him, whatever you do, do NOT, under any circumstances..."

And she is gone.

Norajia spits on the ground

"Fucking tricksters..." She growls

Belina kicks dirt at the spot formerly occupied by Elusu.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:12, Wed 24 Mar 2021.

Lemak is about to object-



-but he stops.  Nods.  He doubts the Lunars will escape a morokanth herd.



"Tell your White Bull of our deeds", says Lemak.



Lemak shrugs.  He hadn't expected anything from a trickster anyway.  He looks to the others.  "Well, what will you all do now?  Our task is complete.  I guess the scorpionman that Elusu mentioned was the Chaos filth that attacked us in the night.  First, I'll ride to The Block to report to my brothers and sisters of the defiled shrine we passed."

In reply to Lemak (msg # 151):

Thangar replies, "I would join Tuari and Belina and try to bring down that scorpionman, and then if I still live, will return to my clan."

Norajia looks anxiously between Lemak and the others.

"Some of us have said that we will ride with Tuari and Belina when they face Old Kopsiclaw. Belina's faith in the Yassa may have saved the Scale from Kuldaral's band, and more of us besides Vorrik might have lost their lives without her intervention. I would hope that we will all go with her." she says. "I certainly shall."

"I had hoped to find someone here who could resurrect the Sundomer. If there is time for Lemak to go to the Block before we hunt the Scorpionman I would like to take Vorrik with him. Maybe there would be a healer there who could raise him (though I don't know how I would fund the effort). Even if not, the Block is a powerful remnant of the spike, I might get the blessing of the white Lady to be able to try to bring him back myself. I felt very close to her when I woke this morning. Call me a fool if you wish, but I had got to like him. The Great Spirits sent him to us, he could still be useful"

"It's not wise to take a Dragonnewt to the Block so if others could stay here with him I would be grateful to you. I suspect Elusu may be right in thinking the magic will wear off in a few days.

If we survive Old Kopsiclaw, perhaps I will ride with Tuari and my brother Talkaro. My girls have probably settled things between themselves. Though I am eager to see them again, my rejoining the tribe might cause... tension. We'll have to see who got through the Great Winter and what the Khan says.