Session #27: Vrrp!

Last week, as the strange ghostly entities of the Immortal Dead began to make their presence known throughout the city of Cothon, and merchants began their selling of the various masques and costumes to be worn by pranksters in the subsequent festivities, and as various pranks and carousings had already begun to grow noisome throughout the city, a smaller coterie of adventurers set out through the Gate of Mourners in the east of the city.

Carrying with them a chlen-hide coracle borne on a hand-cart, the company drew many "knowing" looks from passersby on the streets of Cothon, certain that the adventurers were out to set up some prank--perhaps filling the courtyard of some rival's apartments with water, and setting the coracle afloat in its midst? Nevertheless, they departed through the aforementioned gate and seemed determined toward the Weirding Caverns on the eastern slopes of the Tel al Safina ...

• Heijo (magic-user 4)
• Bartholomew Pettibone (magic-user 4)
  accompanied by Gan ad Din (fighting-man 1)
• Persephone (fighting-woman 4)
  accompanied by Finbar (renyu)

It had already been forgotten that this small group had set out earlier in the day by the time they returned--under the dim red light of the great sunset and the swift-swinging stars above. But just as their departure had drawn strange looks at their boat, so their return drew wondering new looks at the two strange mantis-creatures borne on the shoulders and arms of Heijo and Persephone:

Word inevitably spread from the taverns after Bartholomew's return to Cothon-Under-Star and Persephone's return to Kantor Kabljauhof--how could the small strange new mantis-creatures not cause talk?? Called something like vrrp! by both Heijo and Persephone, they were admitted to have come from another round of trading with the mysterious Zoq-Fot-Pik that dwell in the Weirding Caverns. Persephone, following her vocation as an animal trainer, intended to work with the insectile creatures to develop them into the watch-creatures that the Zoq-Fot-Pik claimed they could be.

Also won through trade with the same Zoq-Fot-Pik was the handful of gems the small company was able to sell for a bit of beer-money. Nothing quite like recent hauls, but a bit of lucre nonetheless:

The Lucre

• 2260 gold from 8 gems (1@10, 1@50, 2@100, 4@500)
• 2 vrrp! (to be trained by Persephone)
• whatever knowledge was gleaned from conversation with the Zoq-Fot-Pik

The Learning

• 2260 xp from treasure

The Cut

• 645 gold, 7 silver, 1 copper to each player-character
  322 gold, 7 silver, 2 copper to Gan
• 646 xp to each player-character
  323 xp to Gan
• a vrrp! each to Heijo and Persephone

Knowledge of the Zoq-Fot-Pik

In the depths of the Weirding Caverns, a rendezvous was recently held in the darkness, lit only by the dim red light of small coal-fires. What was known publicly is recapped here, while Bartholomew Pettibone has written about it here.

Four adventurers, the afore-mentioned Bart, plus Heijo, Persephone, and neophyte Dehuhada, ventured into the caverns, traversed the tunnels of the cave-worms, and there in the depths engaged in a kind of trade moot with a collection of the creatures calling themselves Zoq-Fot-Pik. These creatures appear to be some kind of alliance or symbiosis of three species: three foot tall creatures resembling rodents, with beaked faces, three eyes, and large upturned ears; shorter (but longer) creatures like pale grey salamanders with six limbs and a single great eye in the center of their brow; and fern-like fronded beings rooted in "pods" of a variety of type--these last the adventurers were heretofore uncertain if they are equal members, or more like tools, but it now seems they at least have their own personality.

For indeed, from the group of Zoq-Fot-Pik congregated at the moot-place, three stepped forth to engage in negotiations as the "face"--Ninn of the rodent-folk, Eyloya, clutching a bag of scrolls, from the salamanders, and the fern Redbranch in a "pod" with articulated flea-like legs. These had laid out blankets and cloaks and set what they wished to trade upon them, and thence engaged in trade with the adventurers. Amongst the objects traded were tokens, marked by the Zoq-Fot-Pik to be physical representations of promises of knowledge, which information follows hereafter:

Persephone's Questions
We have seen what the rodents and salamanders are interested in, but what about the ferns?
First, by way of orientation, the creatures always refer to themselves as "Zoq-Fot-Pik", so it was difficult at first to isolate the fern-beings in particular as subjects. Questions about, "Which of you are the Zoq?" only get answers like, "We are Zoq-Fot-Pik." It is to be noted that all conversation was mediated through Redbranch's translation, so this may be a quirk of that fact ... ultimately, it proved difficult to negotiate with the creatures concerning this, any more than recognizing what was already surmised, that the creatures greatly enjoyed odiferous foodstuffs.

Are there any creatures that the Zoq-Fot-Pik domesticate?
There are several, though the only one that has a readily translated name is the kurgha, and actually it is not domesticated, so much as "managed" in the way that rangers might manage the population of mowage in a park or forest for hunting. These carrion-scavengers are not hunted for food, but for their glands, which produce such a foul-smelling stink that even the Zoq-Fot-Pik find it unpleasant.

There may be others--it is hinted that there are herds of "giant" cave locusts--but the Zoq-Fot-Pik were less forthcoming concerning them.

Dehuhada's Question
How do the Zoq-Fot-Pik travel safely through the caverns and the underworld?
The "flippant" response is simply: there is always danger. But there are ways to mitigate the threat of death. First, there are certain "rules": know where you're going and the quickest route there, and go directly without distraction; go without light and with as little noise as possible (and as observed by the adventurers, the Zoq-Fot-Pik with their small size are skilled at hiding away in shadows behind speliothems down in the depths); use every advantage you have access to; always be prepared to flee, but also always be prepared to fight ("And do not underestimate our fighting abilities!")

Heijo's Question
What do you know of the Klackons, and of the Sixth House in particular?
We do some trade with the Attine Klackons, and also with the Mnor--for what do we care for the Klackons' odd sense of caste and who is "untouchable"?

But as to the Sixth House, they were certainly the most interesting to deal with, and the most willing to seek us out. They had a curiosity similar to yours. Because of their desire for knowledge, they were easy to trade with; unfortunately, we understand that they have come to an undesirable end, and so we have had little dealings with the Attines since. They are generally content to produce their own goods and their own arts, and they have little interest or curiosity in those of others.