WttSS session 24: 'The Cost of Peaceful Contact'

General Summary

This is a late report, and taken from memory. I'll try to capture the main points but I'm writing this mostly to help me with game consistency over any other value. The GM  

Conversations with the Xinghur

  The party were hosted by Kahina and her younger brother Ifrahan of the desert tribes gathering in this area. Good etiquette was maintained mostly throughout and the session was mostly comprised of this social / discussion encounter. The hosts enquired of many things, some targeted at the party as a whole, others targeted at individuals; in all cases the Xinghur were trying to get the measure of the party.   Masruq: the party's leader gained the respect of the Xinghur by his etiquette and capability of the group. His gift of a portable set of Icons with prayer mat also showed a clear understanding of their lifestyle and was most welcome. Masruq led the party's stance in largely - and welcome - anti-Faction direction, which his group followed with a general agreement that the Legion's example of theft and uneducated use of the planet's ancient artefacts could only lead to danger and trouble.   Masruq shared the party's long-term goal of finding a place for humanites to live safely and at the end of the hospitality Kahina said that she would happily speak to her elders about the party's people finding refuge with the Ghodar tribes in a place in the deep desert that her people were soon heading toward.   Kerman: gained the repect of the Xinghur by acknowleding that he had made a life bond, as is proper for a man of his age. Pictures of grandchildren were shared around appropriate comments were made. Kerman's attitude throughout the event seemed to show him as a reliable, respectful and capable guardian of the party and the Xinghur liked his direct not-falsely-humble analysis of his earned names 'Strong Shoulder' and 'Walker with Demons': he does indeed have a strong back and he is prepared to walk wherever is necessary to combat the Dark.   Khalil: obviosuly Zenithain, Khalil was probed a couple of times about any need to act like the other Zenithian tomb-robbers. In all cases he spoke about the dangers of out of control science in the wrong hands and so the Xinghur decided to take him at his word, especially as he was supported by the First-come Masruq and Kerman.   Murad: gave Kahina and Ifrahan the impression of being a warrior. Before his sister could stop him, Ifrahan moved the conversation about the ideology of the use force and combat to solve problems onto a blurted question that was a clear breach of etiquette: The Legion now having turned to hunt the desert tribes, would Murad join the Xinghur peoples in fighting the Legion if he were asked. After a diplomatic answer that the merits of any situation needing to be analysed at the time, Kahina diverted conversation to art: did Murad sing or play an instrument? The Xinghur were drawn to his six-limb similarity to stories of the kharatuk of Ghodar.

• Kharatuk of First Horizon: a species that existing alongside humanity in the ancient times of myth and legend, a people of great wisdom and learning; six-limbed, they could alternately use their middle limbs as arms or legs; and sharing characteristics of both human and lion
• Kharatuk of Ghodar: assistants or servants of the Portal Builders; holy warriors of the Icons themselves who flew on fire
• On Ghodar these legends have mixed and become confused, with no clear timeline or reliability in archaeology or other science
• New information: they are said in Xinghur myth to have been faithful to the Dancer's worship and been sworn enemies of the Nazareem (parallels to Ahlam's Temple were easy for Masruq to draw the Crossroads are said to be a kharatuk location

  Zarzur: gained acceptance from her hosts by acknowledging that she did intend to participate in The Fast next segment, showing that even as a youth she hadn't abandoned the right ways of her elders; she also acknowledged her civilised capabilities by promising to show the Xinghur her mathematical, digital art kept on the Caliban Crow as soon as could reasonably be done.   During the discussions, the Xinghur noticed the party mystics being drawn to the music of the Crossroads. What to most people is an eery combination of wind-borne sounds playing out alien melodies is distracting to mystics. They did not succumb to it at this time but it did give the Xinghur cause to warn the party with the story of Kamala the Mathematician who came to the Crossroads for inspiration in solving a difficult problem but ended up dying here, chasing her own obsession around the rock's upper corridors.   After the requisite discussion the hosts then brought up an offer of alliance. The desert people's would accept an ongoing relationship with the party, and those they represent, if the party would tackle something for the Xinghur: "There is a stain upon our honour that you have brought to the Icons' attention; we would ask for your help cleaning it up." This refers to the Abouelkassem spirit-research facility on Ghodar in the Nekatra Mountains: the Xinghur tribes have long since abandoned the place and now feel collectively somewhat guilty for the damage it has started to cause, damage they may have prevented if they'd have been defending it from interference, as they have tried to do with other anceint, desert locations.   They proposed two options: the first would be to reinstate the facility's defences and make sure the Factions never return to the valley; the second would be to destroy the facility and all the Darkness within it. As the party wanted to keep options open, they offered to look into the former, whilst being prepared for the latter. On destroying the Darkness, the Xinghur mentioned that there is a powerful weapon left on the site that could help with this. They did not realise that the party had already retrieved the Orb of Ghodar from the place and had it with them; and no-one let on...   To help with 'option 2' the Xinghur offered to bring the party some mining explosives. They left the party at the Crossroads with a plan to return in the morning with the explosives.  

A moment at the Crossroads

  Ghodar's day being particularly long, the party had plenty of time to investigate the Crossroads location after their hosts had gone and before the night's main rest.   At this time the party mystics were affected by the song of the Crossroads:

• Zarzur was mildly affected, taken in awe by the magnitude of the place and endless possible meanings of the pink-swirl patterns in the rocks
• Masruq and Khalil were taken a step further, filled with a desire to find the source of the rock's mysteries

  Murad scaled the sides of the lower rocks at a point Khalil and Masruq seemed drawn to and followed the upper corridors to a meeting of many ways, wherein there was an obelisk hewn in a cuboid shape. The same swirls of pink patterned the obelisk but it's main features of interest were that it was about Murad's height and had four cut groves within it at places he could easily with his hands, this whilst standing in clear identations on the ground near the rock. Unwilling to risk any further harm to his comrads, Murad drew back from the obelisk without trying to interact with it.   Down in the main corridor, Kerman asked the Traveller if it would be good for Kerman to allow Khalil up to higher levels of the Crossroads rock. The Traveller very much indicated that this woul dnot be good for Kerman at all.