Session 20211229 Report
General Summary
Jupiterday 19 Ascending Wood 768 Calendar
Travel to Five Taboos and Many Island, Elegance in Motion of the Red Soil Family has some problems navigating to the same place as before, Marag-ang helps him (thanks to Rudolph the Seagull), but this makes him even more suspicious of the Solar's abilities.
Another night of watching strange behaviours on the island, including burning clothes (in some cases their last ones) and a full night of poor singing. The locals do seem to trust in the local taboo against violence however.
Venusday 20 Ascending Wood 768
Sail towards One Axe Island, shortly after they enter the territory of Storm Mother Agaderak she steps onto the deck, questions them to determine they did deliver her scroll, instructs them in the correct method for sacrificing the cat Mathias Stormcrow brought with him (place it alive in a basket and set it to drift off - Mathias laters sees the basket be enveloped by a bubble of water and drawn underwater, leading him to suspect Agederack may be a pro-cat god) and warns them to avoid One Axe Island as it is experiencing a storm. This time she is much more focused and mater of fact, and the oar she carries has one blade broken to create a sharp & jagged point, that may have blood on it.The storm exists, and contains a flying serpent that does not appear (strictly speaking) to be a dragon. The storm has trapped the flying ship they saw previously on the island.
The Passing Glory spends the night at sea to the south of the island, a small group of Lintha pirates sneak on board (having been transported by some sort of tentacle the PCs see leaving later), murder the sailor on watch but Mathias' Surprise Anticipation Method wakes him just in time to engage them (after poor awareness rolls by both PCs). Mathias' Daiklaives and Marag-ang's ninja stars make short work of them. Elegance in Motion now treats the pair with significant deference (apparently having decided they are ... something or other, possibly outcaste Dragon-Blooded).
Saturnday 21 Ascending Wood 768
Travel to Earlsport is slower than usual thanks to the bad night for the crew, but they reach it with no further difficulties.
The pair visit one of the local merchant princes in an effort to raise interest in their clothing venture but can only reach one of his underlings. Subtle questioning reveals that the notable in question is busy with last minute problems for his symposium to be held that evening. Providing replacement entertainment (ghost singers) and some garum as exotic seasonings get the PCs access to the symposium, an opportunity to display the painting and access to the very people they want to talk to. Demonstrating the uber-competence of Solars, they form a consortium of local merchants who will lend money to people in No More, ship in food, linen, leather, and fittings and export clothing back out
Mathias uses locally acquired funds to pay for luxurious accomodations for the entire crew overnight, and buys a local cookbook, then steals another from the same source (a book on making bland food tasty, useful for Nightfall Island and to reduce the potential costs of Raven's planned cult expansion of his food paying spy ring).
Sunday 22 Ascending Wood 768 to Moonday 23
The Passing Glory travels up the Channel of Precarious Prosperity, stopping overnight on the shore.
Moonday 23 Ascending Wood 768
Late in the day the Passing Glory reaches the harbour at Scar, where this time there is a Realm Fast Courier docked. Investigation in the fort indicates it is not carrying any special dispatches or associated with a man (Solar?) hunt - it is permanently assigned to the outpost here (just wasn't present last time, but it is often patrolling while carrying one or more of the senior officers).
Mathias meets Hunger-Tree Graced Robin, a Coil 4 Immaculate Monk who joined the order some time after his 200th birthday. They have a civilised chat over jasmine tea just outside the commanders house, the monk is mostly interested in news of An-Teng, and determines (invoking his Intelligencer for the Order aspect) that ghosts and destruction and general shenanigans occurred, but that they were contained swiftly by the Prince of the Shore's men (and doesn't determine that Mathias was involved). He does not show any previous knowledge of any of this, and does not reveal anything that would require infiltration of the Spymasters organisation to know. For what that's worth.
Marsday 24 to Mercuryday 25 Ascending Wood 768
More travel
Jupiterday 26 Ascending Wood
Reach Dragon's Jaws and leave the ship at the Mud and Pearl Landing.