Aersalus Season 1, Session 9 Recon and a bargain

 

The Cast of B-Team (Aersalus)

Listens to Ocean aka Osprey (Rory) Halfling Magistrate, mage, healer, priest, historian.

Rhum Kaldalsson (Curtis) Minotaur artist.

Trapper (Chris D) Gremian, artificer, hunter, Armsmaster.

Unit 7 (Brice) A Cog, magical construct golem.

NPC's

Altan ru Chuulaii the tax collector

Raito

Tesseikai Watersinger, healer

Murk the Lurk, spirit crab

Bandit Camp

Listens is taken to the bandit camp by Snaffles. It is surrounded by a magical barrier and they seem to be using dark magic. There are a lot of different ways to use magic in Aersalus, Listens being a spellsinger and a shenin (shaman) and a bit of so called low magic is is mostly inborn gifts or those granted by spirits.

He is also familiar with several other types and it appears these guys are using witchcraft, in the setting this is dark magic and might explain a connection to the spirit Mama Blood, though she did kill some bandits in a prior session.

Listens walks around the barrier, avoiding getting to close as it will likely alert them and is probably harmful as well. He estimates 20 to 30 bandits plus support people, including children.

Snaffles suggests a deal with a local lake spirit may be possible though he seems uncomfortable dealing with her. They go to this spirit, Akachakh, the Lady of Silvered Waters and talk. She seems largely unconcerned with the bandits but offers to help in exchange for one of the children. Listens considers everything and makes the deal, losing his eye as collateral, to get it back if he gets a child to be a fosterling of the spirits.

These arrangements are rare but not unheard of and the child will lose time among humans but likely gain powerful spirit gifts in return for their service. Since the children will likely soon be orphans and fostering them off to a friendly family a difficult if not impossible task Listens feel that at least one will be interested. The spirits help may not be required but the presence of witches is concerning.

Akachakh seems to have no interest in Mama Blood at all, despite the majority of the local spirits being terrified or at least wary. This loses her points in Listens book, but many spirits are hyper focused on their own domains and not interested in what happens outside of that.

Listens then heads back to his boy and finds Seven has joined Murk to guard it. They have had some interesting if somewhat personal and private conversations.

Back in Town

Rhum has been talking to Rhiato and Meri and paints a picture of Wolftrap in its prime, or at least what he thinks it might have looked like. He gives it to the innkeeper Meri who is touched by it.

Trapper unhappily and rather begrudgingly finishes the task of counting and sorting the found loot. He also does some coordinating with the locals and our healer Tesseikai.