This continues a long-form campaign, Zen and the Art of Caravan Maintenance.
Emmett & Joshua are seeking ancient truth in the scrolls of the Lime Nomads, in a pink Routemaster autogolem. Joshua wants to cross the Final Barrier and be able to raise the dead. Currently they’re transporting a sacred relic to the holy Village of the Lavender Cliffs in the Nomad Steppes.
Story
The Pine Clan are as good as their word. Elder Toth produces a facsimile of the scroll, and a translation of it. Much more useful!
They have two escorts, Sorbec and Pugnat. They’re not particularly chatty, but roam around the high grounds, checking for vome. Understandably, they’re a bit jittery about another ambush. This means they’re not around when things go wrong.
The front right wheel of the autogolem suddenly collapses through the soil, grounding out the vehicle. A trap‽ The party cautiously get out, to discover they’re surrounded by armadilloids! While these are are larger than normal armadilloes, their headbutts do very little damage, falling to the floor afterward is more painful.
However, they won’t stop doing it. They’re not happy, it becomes clear the “trap” is the top of their burrow. Joshua tries distracting the armadilloids with the dog Rufus and Buddy the baby buggalo.
This is not very effective.
Rufus barks at all the armadilloids, which unanimously ignore him. He barks at the bushes, people, and autogolem too. Buddy sees the armadilloids headbutting humans, and realises what a great sport it is. He rapidly becomes part of the problem.
Emmett, Joshua, and Salmon dig out the side of the hole to allow the autogolem to drive out again. Meanwhile Spiral sulks.
Eventually they extract themselves, and leave the angry armadilloids. At a point suggested by Sorbec and Pugnat, they park up, and Emmett and Joshua proceed to the Lavender Cliffs alone.
It’s a spooky place, these cliffs. There’s entrance-sized holes in them, off the ground, but nobody around. Finally, they reach a point where robed people all appear in the cliff entrances at the same time. Their eyes glow, and they move in synchrony without speaking.
One steps forward, and introduces himself as Eter Kabe, an Ultra possessing the body in front of them. He invites them in via rope ladder, and the tunnel opens up to a carved cathedral. He’s heard they’re coming and is very interested in their experiences. The nomad elders voluntarily let Ultras possess them for short periods and in return the Ultras manage the knowledge repository of the nomads going back to the Forgotten Times. He happily accepts the scroll and treats it with veneration. The Nomads and Porcelain Princes have always fought, for various reasons, good and bad. Presumably a Nomad loss cost them this scroll.
He offers to temporarily possess Emmett and Joshua. Emmett accepts, and remembers nothing until the next day when they leave. His Wisdom increases though.
Joshua instead craves knowledge, particularly regarding raising the dead. Eter Kabe regretfully says they have no specific knowledge here on that, but promises to look into it and return with any information he finds. As consolation Joshua plays his mandolin and learns many new songs throughout the day.
Tools
Unchanged.
Lessons learned
I was pleased with the encounter with the local fauna here. The players are not keen to attack anything, particularly creatures in their natural habitat. Having a reasonably silly situation where the creatures aren’t threatening but are annoying was lots of fun.
This is not dissimilar to the Spiral NPC himself!
I feel I should have linked the raising-the-dead quest in here, it feels like a missed opportunity looking back on it.