Excited about the festivities, Eina and Staurois rounded up their best cooks at the crack of dawn to plan and prepare a perfect contribution to the goodbye potluck. With the weather having been favorable, and the timing right, the fisher-elves have brought in a bountiful harvest of crustaceans. Though the debate as to the perfect blend of herbs and spices was a fierce one, it was not easy for outsiders to follow the conversation as they slipped into a regional dialect from a region a continental divide away from their new friends and compatriots. After the great spice debate, they filled earthenware crocks full of live crabs, layered them with fresh herbs and salt, and then filled the crocks with vinegar. With that, their meal preparation was complete, and they got back to work preparing the barges to embark.
Staurois had a wonderful time at the event. He had the opportunity to speak with all of the leadership that he needed to in order to clarify their final schedules and travel routes. He agreed to give the winged elves a ride upriver as far as they could take them, and discussed possibly traveling with the dreamdust elves as well. While organizing where the flotilla is going is usually something the Navigator is a part of, Smilisca spent the majority of the event getting deeper and deeper into his cups. He didn’t want to be at any stuffy diplomatic meeting on the last night at Fort Alfyr. He had another, very specific, person he’d rather be spending the evening with, and this mess kept him from it until it was too late and they both had work to attend to. When the party was winding down, Smilisca noticed Ink, the Cryptid Elf present, casting Shadow Walk, but noted that this was done without any of the usual components of spellcasting. But he was drunk enough at that point in the party that it could have been some kind of hallucination.
Meanwhile, Litoria was very thankful that the Blade Elves remembered her emotional support hippopotamus in their plans. Litoria had a chance to speak with the Blade Elf military leader and had a solemn discussion about the futures of their peoples. Eina, on the other hand, had a wonderful time visiting with her Totem Elf friends. Many hugs and well wishes were shared between them.
Following the celebrations, the mood on the river is jubilant. Everyone is excited to get moving again, and it shows in how quickly and efficiently they shake off the hangovers and shove off the shore. With so many friends still tagging along on the journey, a festival atmosphere pervades the flotilla.
| Stress | Economic 0/5 | Morale 0/5 | Property 0/4 | Military 0/5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fate Points | 3/3 Refresh | 0 Bonus |
Economic: It is an exciting day for the river elves! Smilisca hangs a brand new rope for mapping the qualities of the river on a special hook on the door to his hut. Eina blesses a couple forming their first river bond on the day of Embarkment - Asper and Caete Hylodes had been waiting for several years now to form this bond when there was actually a river to ride. Staurois gives a speech, hails the oarsmen, and the first official new flotilla, dubbed Partager, sets off on its maiden upstream journey.
Using the Establishment trapping of the Infrastructure skill they create Partager as a Village on the water. Rolling 2 ability and 1 proficiency: 2 advantage, 0 rolled successes, 1 automatic success, 0 triumphs.
Partager has a large number of extra passengers as they travel upriver this season. Winged elves, their goats, dark elves, dreamdust elves, and their goats, makes for a crowded journey. But it keeps spirits up to not have to head out completely alone right away. Everyone slowly splits off of the flotilla at different forks in the river until finally the river elves have the water to themselves.
Political: Staurois turns to Litoria for advice on how to handle their current political situation, which is, in a word, humble. He doesn’t think that anyone would bother to spy on the flotilla at its current size and status, but Litoria disagrees. He takes her strongly-worded suggestion and asks the most observant of river elves to be on lookout for potential spies. Who knows? Maybe there are sea elves hiding in the brackish water here at the river’s mouth.
The erstwhile intelligence agents use the Cloak and Dagger trapping of Spycraft with 1 ability: 1 advantage, 0 successes, 0 triumphs
Military: Litoria broods darkly at the prospect of setting out into the great unknown with such lousy maps. Her cousin agrees, this wiggly blue line on the linen map the Winged Elves let them copy is insufficient data. She sends out Pathfinders using the Reconnaissance skill to scout the river ahead in their speedy little kayaks. Rolling 2 ability: 1 advantage, 0 successes, 0 triumphs
Mental: Eina is deeply concerned that she has forgotten something significant regarding the appropriate ways to embark on new journeys. This feels momentus, like a great turning point. She spends extra time searching her prayers for an answer as to how to honor this exciting time correctly. It feels like an important question - how should this event be remembered and celebrated? How do they honor their history while they create it? She consults the elders, but as their texts are lost, she mostly meditates to speak with Calestros to seek Her answers.
Using the Research trapping of Spirituality Eina searches for answers with 1 untrained ability: 1 advantage, 0 successes, 0 triumphs
Economic: Congratulations! The founding of Partager is a success. The river elves don’t like sitting cooped up in a fort, and by this point it’s been several years since they have been able to live the way they prefer- free on the river.
Many of your best raft-smiths had spent every waking moment since you left Colin’s Bluff planning their next raft, and it shows. They dive into building with boundless enthusiasm. Combined with the fact that your passengers actually do pitch in to help and the hopeful environment that the first river bond in some time creates, things go quite smoothly actually. Your raft-smiths are able to build what you need having only used a portion of the supplies they were given.
The large amount of building materials you have left can provide a boost die on any use of the Infrastructure skill involving Partager. This die can be applied whenever you wish.
Furthermore, the new village of Partager has the following statistics:
Political: Your “observers” as you call them do their best to keep an eye out for spies. They make sure the gregarious reputation of the river elves is upheld by making sure that there are always a few river elves socializing with your guests, and always make sure that there are a few river elves designated to keep watch at night.
It ends up being a fairly casual affair. As your guests peel off one by one, things seem fairly calm. However, they do end up being useful for something unexpected…
Military: Your Pathfinders have their hands busy just keeping track of the large convoy behind them. They do manage to path the course of the river, scouting ahead for dangers and threats. However, given the pace of the expedition, they are only able to scout the river itself. They are unable to exhaustively scout the surrounding area, meaning there may be interesting things hidden in the surrounding hills. Worse, late in the season, they return with bad news…
The only square scouted is -12,-8 where Partager currently rests. However, you have successfully mapped the river as you have travelled it and will not risk Events traveling that route in the future. In addition, any further attempts to Pathfind the squares you have travelled through will receive a boost die.
Mental: Talking to Calestros is difficult on the best days. Her answers can be confusing and contradictory, or even actively unhelpful. Eina spends many days and nights praying and meditating for answers to her questions. Eventually, in a dream, she receives an answer: “Oh, love, just do what you always do!”
Eina does not find this answer particularly helpful. Frustrated, she continues to pray for several more weeks, spending many days contemplating Calestros’ answer. She gets no closer to understanding the words. A deity doesn’t speak unless the answer is significant. Truly, there must be some reason Calestros spoke to her.
Late in the season, Eina has a vivid dream. There is a powerful rushing waterfall before her, nearly a hundred feet tall. She steps towards it, but is driven back by the crushing force of the falling water. She turns to leave, but behind her is a behemoth. The massive hippo eyes her casually as it slowly floats up the river.
The behemoth approaches the waterfall. Instead of being beaten back, it simply swims up the waterfall. With the same slow, steady, calm pace it parts the brutally beating waterfall and proceeds up it with a casual ease. The water behind it is calm and clear, despite floating close to a cliff face.
As the hippo reaches the top of the waterfall, Eina awakens with a start. She is still confused by her visions and Calaestros’ words to her, but she is absolutely convinced that they are on the right track.
Any action that Eina participates in next turn will receive a boost die.
Eina wakes and steps out of her raft’s hut. The flotilla has stopped for the night, waiting for Pathfinders ahead. The dark elves and the dreamdust elves left weeks ago. The winged elves, only a few days ago. Moving through this river has proved difficult, and several days of rain slowed their progress. This night is calm and clear, a good night to get some fresh air and contemplate her vision.
The rafts have mostly anchored themselves or pulled up onshore for the night. Moving through the swift waters of this river has proven exhausting, and the river elves have had to stop for rest more often than usual.
Eina walks towards the river, lost in pensive thought contemplating her confusing visions. She is certain there is something there for her discover, if only she could see it. She can almost hear the roaring of the waterfall from her vision… wait…
She snaps out of her meditation and looks towards the river. The water is rushing much faster and deeper than it was when she went to sleep. And her keen elven ears hear rushing water further upriver, along with shouts.
She hears panicked voices echoing down the river: “Flood!”
Late in the night, an incredibly fast flash flood slams into the resting flotilla. The river elves have dealt with floods in the past for certain, even flash floods, but this one was unlike anything they had ever experienced before. The dry, rocky terrain combined with the deep ravines that the river runs through combined to create a rushing wall of water, moving without warning faster than anyone can run.
The river elves aren’t helpless, and indeed some of your planning pays off in saved lives. Your pathfinders return, rushing down the river as fast as they can shouting warnings. Winged elf scouts fly in with them, moving as fast as their wings will carry them buzzing houses and awakening families to get to safety. The night watch observers you had placed to keep an eye out for spies are awake and rested, and are able to immediately receive the warnings and turn about to help. Their efforts save many lives.
The damage, however, is great. The flotilla gets scarce minutes of warning before the waters hit. Some are able to gather their important belongings and flee. The river elves, true to nature, work together rapidly to drag the most important rafts to the safety of higher ground, but they aren’t able to save everything.
The waters hit with ferocious violence. Several rafts are overturned or destroyed. Several turtles are killed. A few river elves are swept away. There is chaos for several hours as families search for missing members.
By the light of day, the winged elf scouts take to the air to search for the missing. They are exhausted and haven’t slept in days, but they are determined to help. They prove of vital assistance. With their keen eyes in daylight and aerial viewpoint, they are able to help locate many survivors who are injured and direct aid to the in time. It seems like most of the destroyed rafts were swept down river within a few miles. Most of the materials are recoverable, and as the day progresses most of the missing are recovered.
Late in the day, a search party finds Asper and Caete clinging to each other in the ruins of their incomplete raft. Thankfully, they are unhurt, but they are distraught. Bufo, one of the older oarsmen in the flotilla, had come to their raft to help them escape. The waters hit before they were able to flee. As the water overtook them, Asper saw a beam strike Bufo in the head. He doesn’t know what happened after that.
The search continues for several days. All are accounted for, with severe but survivable injuries at worst, but Bufo is still missing. As the days wear on and the search continues, people lose hope. The winged elves, nearly collapsing from exhaustion, are able to help no more. They are given a place to rest for a day or two before they return home to deliver their reports.
Worse, your Pathfinders quietly deliver a report to your leaders. There is a twenty foot waterfall in the river ahead.
Partager is grounded. The recovery will be difficult, but worse, your people’s confidence has been shaken. Some are starting to say that your way of life isn’t even possible in this type of river, that it’s too dangerous. Bufo was one of your most experienced oarsmen, and even he was taken by surprise. Grim talk passes through Partager, causing doubt among your people and slowing recovery.
You have taken two points of Property stress, and Partager cannot move until the confidence of its people is restored.
Bufo is still missing.
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