Session 7 - The Mysterious Weaver

General Summary

The party is still at Bychii Brod, trying to figure out their next move.
Hrefna takes the opportunity to have a conversation with Miroslav. She asks him for information about Sigurd's plans in return for information on what Rurik intends to do with him. In the conversation Miro surprised Hrefna by revealing he's the son of the Raven Tsar. In return she tells him that he will live for at least another month. While leaving she's observed by Vladimir.
A man arrives at the front gates, saying that he's a weaver and he's looking for work. The guards take his weapons and allow him in under great suspicion. He introduced himself as Vasilii Strannik from Staraya Sloboda. He is given room in the barn to stay for the night and the steward informs Hrefna, Vladimir, and Vadim of the visitor. They try to speak to him and fail to look casual in the process. Vasilii repeats that he is a weaver who is simply traveling. Vladimir grows tired of the questioning and wanders off but Hrefna and Vadim fail to get any answers out of Vasilii. When they leave, they run into Vladimir coming back and suggest he take cat form and then take a "nap" to spy on Vasilii.
However, as soon as the party left Vasilii turned into a cat himself and exited through the rear of the barn so Vladimir does nothing but take a nap in the barn's loft and learns nothing the entire night. Vasilii as a cat travels around Bychii Brod and observes the people and discovers Miro is being kept prisoner in the pit. However there's no way to get into the pit without being seen by guards, so he does not interact with Miro directly. After his night wanderings he returns to the barn and sleeps.
In the meantime, Hrefna gets the blacksmith to attempt to open the stolen box and has no luck, being told it is enchanted. She goes to the priest to see if he can open it but the priest refuses, saying anything sealed within should be left alone. Taras finds Hrefna and tells her that he intends to leave to follow his vision. However he doesn't want people to know immediately so he asks Hrefna to cover for a few days and she agrees.
The group continues to believe Vasilii's appearance is a trap and decide they will watch the pit over night to see if something happens. In preparing, Vladimir goes to the apple fields and uses magic to help the apple pickers transport their goods in exchange for rhubarb leaves. Vasilii also looks for a job and tries apple picking only to fail at the task because of lack of physical strength. The apples are being picked as Bychii Brod prepares for the Feast of the Apotheosis.
Night comes and the group spend the next night keeping watch over the pit, only to have nothing happen. Unsure how to get Vasilii to reveal his plans, the steward suggests they give Vasili a job. A loom is removed from storage and set up for Vasilii's use.
On the day of the feast, many visitors come and a market is set up. One of the visitors is Borislav, a jewel merchant from Staraya Sloboda. Hrefna and Vladimir speak with him to do business and he tells them of the difficulty of getting amber due to the current conflict. Hrefna sells him the little amber she has and he commissions Vladimir to make a piece. Vladimir and Borislav also discuss Vladimir moving to Staraya Sloboda after the end of his indentured servitude, which is in several months.
Vasilii also attends the festival, and knows Borislav from their home town. Borislav suggest Vasilii buy the group drinks to celebrate him getting the weaving job. After much debate, Hrefna finally is the one to buy drinks and scolds the men for having a woman buy for them. Vasilii then asks to speak to Hrefna alone and reveals his pagan background to her. She is unfamiliar with local religious terms and doesn't understand the full implications of his words. She keeps this information away from the Gaalites in the party for now. Vadim joins the group and he talks about heading home to Ladan'. Borislav says he was hoping to get a contact in Ladan' because he wants to make sales there. The group then decides to head to Ladan in a week's time for the Feast of the Occultation.

Report Date

13 Oct 2024