Live Free or Die!
"There are three of us here who speak this language. We two vote that
we be freed!"
Session Summary, June 27, 1996
[Dlarku's player absent. Dlarku is present--though "silent."]
We last left our most travel weary^H^H^H^H^Hwise Tsolyani as they
were leaving Penom, rejoicing with every step that carried them
away from Penom, away from the pleasant swamp, away from the
friendly native life... Ah, but they leave in haste, leaving no
time to properly sing the glories of Penom. I shall sing them
in an epilogue--urp! Okay, okay! I'll keep them for myself and
my descendants! Just, if you could, please move that sword point
a little to the left...
Six days into their travels, they catch up with the rearguard of
the Legion of Armoured Vision of Death. A mere day's journey ahead,
Arkutu hiKurodu travels with the main force of his legion, but our
party forgoes the opportunity to catch up with him as a caravan would
certainly only get in the way of the legion and its most important
and noble business.
So excited by the nearness of Arkutu is Shekkara that she
takes ill and is forced to remain in her palanquin for the rest
of the journey to Urmish. While talking with the rearguard's
Tirrikamu, Akhan denies knowledge of the name of the person
who travels in the Tlakotani palanquin, not wanting to spoil the
surprise for Arkutu of Shekkara's arrival in Urmish.
Once in Urmish, while our party confers over their next move, Most
Secret reveals her true identity and becomes Most Public! Lady
Sogai she is not! Our most noble Tsolyani had risked their lives
protecting a decoy so that the real Lady Sogai could escape unnotice.
La! How clever is Shekkara's uncle's plan to secure the safety of
his beloved! How clear everything becomes! Certainly this explains
the obviousness of their "escape route" through Jakalla and the
Underworld that took them so near the very people who searched for
them. But Lo! It is not just the Scales of Brown who desire to
capture the fair Lady Sogai, but Prince Rereshqala's half-sister,
the Exquisite Princess Ma'in, who in a fit of imperial jealousy,
could not bear that her half-brother marry such a beautiful woman
when she, Ma'in, the most beautiful woman in Tsolyanu, is there.
Shekkara begins to wonder about her uncle's goodwill toward her in
choosing to involve her in this most dangerous plan, while Akhan
despairs^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hrejoices at the return trip to Jakalla that
will be but a pleasant vacation, a mere few tsan detour granting a
a few last nights to while away with his new friends, before he must
return to his legion, his prince, and the promotion that awaits him.
As any meeting with Mriyan Arkutu--however joyful--would certainly
delay their return to Jakalla, our party decides that they must leave
as quickly and quietly as possible. In order to delay the rumors
of her arrival in Urmish, Shekkara, in disguise, stays with Mikusa
at the Jade Diadem clanhouse where they spend the night getting to
know each other better.
In the morning, as they ready to leave, Shekkara writes a letter to
Arkutu espressing her heartfelt thanks for his gift and her deep
regrets that she must leave before they can meet.
An empty palanquin bearing the Tlakotani crest heads North out of
Urmish toward Tumissa.
Mikusa's caravan leaves on the Sakbe road heading east toward
Jakalla.
For ten days they travel in complete boredom^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hpeace.
Shekkara passes her nights with Ngaya and Akhan and her days
speculating over the messages carried by Imperial messengers
heading first from Jakalla toward Urmish then from Urmish toward
Jakalla. Perhaps the second is a letter from Arkutu declaring
his undying love for her!
On the tenth night, they share a watch tower with a slaver and
his caravan of slaves that he takes to Jakalla. At their request,
the slaver proudly shows off his wares.
Shekkara checks out the equipment of a N'luss male pleasure slave
(hung like a-- oh, they don't have those animals in Tsolyanu, do
they?), while Akhan and Ngaya drool over^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hadmire
a young Salarvyani woman almost as beautiful as Shekkara. Mikusa
is so taken by a beautiful green-eyed woman, that she purchases her
that night.
In the morning, Shekkara has decided that she must have the N'luss,
and commissions Mikusa to purchase him.
The slaver is so impressed by Akhan's fluency in Milumanayani that
he gifts two Milumanayani slaves to Akhan. In true Milumanayani
democratic fashion, they take a vote and, in a shocking two-thirds victory,
vote themselves freed. Akhan vetoes the vote on grounds that they
are not in the proper jurisdiction. The slaves, in a show of most
ignoble ingratitude, then try to escape. One distracts the caravan
guards, while the other makes his escape. Akhan orders his Renyu
to fetch the runaway.
The slave leaps off the Sakbe road and into the rice paddies below,
and, to Akhan's great joy, the Renyu bravely follows. While Renyu and slave play water
games in the rice, Akhan generously grants the other slave's
wish--live free or die--by promptly breaking her neck.
Mikusa's Ahoggya slave driver tries to signal an end to the water
games with a crossbow bolt shot into the air, but as he releases
the bolt, his aim slips and the bolt goes through the slave instead.
The Ahoggya and caravan guards and slaves throw ropes down to the
Renyu for him to climb up. An hour of failed attempts to return
the renyu to the Sakbe road passes before Akhan realizes
that a Renyu does not have opposable thumbs.
So pleased is the slaver that his gifts should be the cause of so
much entertainment for Akhan, that he grants Akhan a second gift.
Akhan chooses the Salarvyani woman. That one is not his to give
away, but the slaver offers Akhan a most generous discount, which
Akhan readily agrees to.
Lord Dlarku passes up the opporunity to buy a slave, while Ngaya
hopes that Akhan will loan her the Salarvyani woman for a night.
Their purchases complete, the party resumes its merry travels
toward Jakalla...
...and away from Penom.
Lo! Wrote this, Lisa Leutheuser, horse of The Most Beautiful
Shekkara Tlakotani, on this 3rd day of July, 1996 Anno Domini.
