We return to the encounter with the Great Olm, now that we have Bhaltair
When the Olm stops them, she sings to Rigwi, who doesn't understand. She asks Runmae if anyone on board is a musician?
Oh, yeah. Bhaltair!
Rigwi explains that there are stories of Olms stopping travelers and requesting a song as a toll.
Runmae passes this on.
Bhaltair asks what kind of music olms like? Rigwi has no idea, she doesn't speak Olm.
Bhaltair casts True Speech on themselves.
They can understand the Olm now, but it's not speaking. They get their drums out, and then speak to it, asking if it has any requests?
The Olm sings, and Bhaltair understands it wants meaning. A song that has meaning to Bhaltair. They decide to play a song they know from the Eldeen Reaches, from their past. A song speaking to the history of the Reachers.
As they play, they make their leaves change colour to match the emotion, not knowing that the Olm is blind.
It's an exquisite performance, and the Olm responds with a performance of its own that seems to unlock something in Bhaltair's plant-brain, revealing secrets of music to them (a new feat!)
Bhaltair thanks the Olm. They then ask the dwarves (in Dwarven) whether it's possible to learn the Olm's language?
One of the dwarves, surprised, responds "only from an Olm"
Bhaltair notices that the dwarves seem frightened. They ask why?
The dwarves explain that the Olms are very powerful. If she wanted to, she could make a sound that would evaporate their blood or turn their bones to dust.
Bhaltair asks if they'd rather they don't ask?
The dwarves think whatever is happening is going well, maybe?
Runmae is apprehensive, she doesn't want to piss it off. Bhaltair is confused, would it piss her off if someone asked to learn Dwarven?
Rigwi gives them permission, provided they remain respectful and polite every time they address the Olm.
Uhh, how do they address her?
The Olm sings, and Bhaltair understands. Her name is a song, it can't be spoken, it must be played. We'll call her [A Beautiful Song]
A Beautiful Song will not teach it to them for fear of its misuse, but suggests they seek out the Seer Unseeing in Vralkast.
Bhaltair is confused, potential for misuse?
The Olms use their song to communicate with each other across the vast distance of the Sea of Sorrow.
More meta, her singing was boiling the ocean and making it rain.
Bhaltair gracefully accepts this. The Olm states she is satisfied, and they may pass.
Bhaltair passes this on to the dwarves, and then to the others.
The dwarves row, and we jump forward in time to after they met Chak-Chak
5th Sypheros, 999 (3/12/993) in Vralkast
The Everdelver's need to go up to Tor Udar, but they're willing to hang around if the group want to explore Sowshore. One of them can even go with them, to make sure they stay out of trouble.
They want to explore a bit, and they agree to have a chaperone. Thydar will go with them.
I set the scene again, and then they trade in some of their stuff for bonegeld that they can spend.
Bhaltair trades in their monster parts for 600bg. The group hold onto the rest of their stuff for now.
Thydar gives them some recommendations, but recommends first they should go to Grimmy's and get some food and drink.
Thydar orders them each a Wormshine. Grimmy pours em out and gives it to em, and waits for their reaction. It is awful, the worst thing they've ever tasted.
Bhaltair spits it out.
Valaari tries to believe with all their heart that it's good actually.
Runmae suffers through it for the alcohol. It's worth it.
Warren fakes a reaction, he's been told to be good.
Naze wants to throw up, but his need to not be rude wins and he forces it down, tears running down his face. It's also his first alcohol.
Grimmy explains that it's hard to feel bad about life when you've got a mug of Grimmy's, cos there's truly nuffin worse
Runmae says she's had worse, and Grimmy asks how? He gets out a notepad. She was just being polite!
Bhaltair has some feedback! Are they asking how to improve it? Runmae says "uuuuuh sure"
Bhaltair sees through the lie, and asks why she's lying to them?
Runmae says she thought it'd be funny. Grimmy likes that it tastes bad, it's why it's popular. Bhaltair could possibly help with that too
Bhaltair tries to explain what they think would make it worse, and Runmae relays it to Grimmy.
Valaari, playing with a trinket, pushes the empty tankard back and asks for more. Bhaltair pays and Grimmy obliges.
Warren also asks for more
"ah fuck it, make it three" - Runmae
Bhaltair doesn't understand why they're all trying to make their day worse
Watching them bicker, Grimmy says they do other things. They've got Seaweed Gin too.
Runmae reads the menu, they have food!
Valaari asks for one of everything so they can sample. Bhaltair is worried about the salt, but Warren says he'll have it!
Valaari asks if Warren is okay? He's been different since the Maw. They ask is Naze can do anything for his headache?
Runmae tells Naze to stop trying to drink the Wormshine, he looks so upset
Bhaltair says it's so weird to go into a restaurant and order one of everything. Most of them have never been to a restaurant!
They wanna try it!
Bhaltair is concerned that they all want another "mug of depression". Valaari says it's not depression, it's a cultural artifact! Also, they're hungry
Naze, sounding like he's dying, says "it's nice!"
Grimmy brings them the food. Valaari wants to try everything!
Bhaltair asks if they have sunlight?
"What's that? Maybe up in Harrowmawk or Sesshun Kesst, but not here, sorry"
Runmae passes it on
What are those?
Thydar explains they are districts. Harrowmark is the top, where the Fomor'ren live. Sesshun Kesst is below that.
They try the food and they're so glad to not be eating rations.
Bhaltair asks if they can play music?
Grimmy says "be my guest. Starting to feel like a real genuine business establishment with some on site entertainment"
Runmae says "hey! this is the best bar I've been in, in years"
Bhaltair plays some essentially pop music.
Naze has had too much wormshine and passes out
Thydar asks if Grimmy's heard any rumours
"Rumour has it, that Ship-of-Prayers in the dock is haunted. They say it sailed into port with no captain or crew, and it's been there for tides now. Nobody wants to go near it, for fear it sailed out of the Grise"
Runmae asks about that, what's the Grise?
Grimmy describes it as "weather but evil". It steals people, those who get lost in the Grise are never found.
Oh, and apparently the Inkmaven's found a way to selectively petrify her tattoos! That's cool
Bhaltair asks about the Seer Unseeing. Grimmy doesn't know any Olms.
Grimmy also warns them to watch themselves around Sowshore, tensions're brewing between the Arachnodore's Union and the Red Shoal, something about unpaid loans.
Bhaltair can't hold it any longer. Where do they get the wood from?
Grimmy has no idea, it just comes down from Harrowmark. Bhaltair is unnerved.
Before they go to leave, Runmae notices that Bhaltair's busking plate is empty, and Runmae throws them a couple geld.
Valaari picks Naze up, throwing him over their shoulder.
They decide to head for the Inkmaven next, Bhaltair is interested as a tattoo artist themself.
As they're walking there, a Fomor'renKrakeneer steps into their path and speaks to them in giant. Thydar responds, and the giant switches to Dwarven. Dreroch respectfully asks if they'd argue with him, he's been too long from the sea and his soul itches.
Runmae starts arguing without informing the others of what's going on, and they get really concerned.
They go back and forth for several minutes, whilst checking in with each other every time it gets too heated. Valaari stares Dreroch down, and he comments that they're taking this a bit too seriously.
Dreroch wins the argument, and gives Runmae 75bg "I don't really know what this is worth, is this enough?"
"You folks have a nice day" as he walks away, the dock trembling with every step
"What a nice guy"
Valaari is so worried, not being able to understand anything.
Thydar tells Runmae that he'll tell them if something is a problem. The Arachnodore's Union are like Chak-Chak, the Red Shoal are a subgroup of the Godtenders
Bhaltair tells the others they plan to speak to the Stone later. This confuses them.
Thydar leads them to see the Inkmaven. She's tattooing a Fomor when they come in, and they have to wait for her to finish before she comes over to them.
She shows them an info sheet of what tattoos she can do, and also mentions that if someone is willing to allow her to petrify their tattoo, she'll do it for free.
This triggers and debate about who gets the free tattoo.
They ask if getting a Krakeneer Tattoo would lead to issues, as they aren't Krakeneers. Possibly.
Bhaltair, Runmae and Valaari all want tattoos. After further discussion, so do Naze and Warren.
We decide to come back to the tattoo later, since they spent quite a while discussing it.
They want to go to Far Comfort next, Warren has someone they want to see. Thydar starts leading the way.
They ask what happened there? Why is it locked off?
Thydar can't answer, he doesn't know exactly. It must've been a lot, it takes a lot for the Fomorians to treat something like this.
They aren't really satisfied, but Thydar moves them on. They arrive at Far Comfort, and there's a small stall set up outside.
It's Big Bingle's Bauble Barn. Big Bingle's a boggle, see, an inherently magical creature, and if you teach a Boggle to make magic, you get Bingle
Warren wants several things, but has no money. He starts rooting through his bag, and when he grabs his silver dagger, it burns his hand!
What the hell!
"I'm trying to get the silver dagger out but I can't touch it, can someone get it for me?"
"What do you mean you can't touch it?"
He tells them it burned him, and he holds his hand up, revealing nothing
Bhaltair asks when that happened? They know what's up but the others haven't clocked it yet
Bingle asks if they can resolve their interpersonal crises on someone elses time?
They ignore him, only Runmae understands him anyway
Bhaltair asks again, how long has this been an issue? Has he had any other symptoms since leaving the Maw?
Bhaltair is very familiar with Zoanthropy, given its role in the history of the Eldeen Reaches, and is aware of the possibility of spontaneous infection.
Valaari slaps Naze to wake him up, they need medical help. He grumbles something about demons before waking and realising he's being carried.
Naze is unable to find anything wrong with Warren's hand, whatever wound occurred has healed. Valaari says "I know you're a bit drunk, but I care about the whole rat, not just the hand"
Naze examines him again, and compares what he sees to Bhaltair's lore, and comes to the conclusion that Warren has been infected. He's a Murianthrope.
They'll investigate this later. Bhaltair gets the silver dagger out and moves it into their own spacious pouch.
"Are you not gonna give me the bonegeld for that?"
"We're not selling it, are we? We may need it"
Valaari asks what he wants to buy? "It's just a bunch of figurines?"
"Yes! It's a rat, and it's rotating!"
Valaari doesn't get it
Runmae gives Warren some bloodvine sap, to trade with the boggle. It's only enough for one single trinket.
"We have to make some choices"
Warren has his own bloodvine sap! Runmae gets mad and makes him give it back
He's got a bunch of stuff to trade actually. He tries to offer some teeth but lmao
Warren gives Bingle a healing potion in exchange for the turntoad, the rotaterat, the golden cube, and 25 bonegeld.
Runmae buys some BBQ sauce, and the ring of teleportation. The sauce has a sell by date of "tomorrow"
She immediately activates the ring and it disappears. They have no idea where it went. Bingle takes a long drag of his cigar and says it'll probably come back.
There's like a 10 minute IRL discussion about the BBQ sauce.
We end the session there, they're gonna think about the tattoo and also who they're characters might want to see in Far Comfort.