Coal:Session/4 Illegal Pamphlets

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Starring: Stoat-at-Neck, Wyl Haversham, Efrey
Guest Starring: Raye, 2nd Lieutenant Pine, Genovia "The Ropewalker", that one First Claimer undesirable who ran away
Challenge: Finding the source of the seditious pamphlets; First Claimers attack; rehabilitating a street urchin
Location: The Iron Maw (gate to the mountain city); The Flare Cairns
Date Played: 21 August 2025

Interviewing 2nd Lieutenant Pine while he provides security to the Iron Maw work team

Efrey: So, there are a few candidates for rabble rousers, and for some reason, Pine is high on the list. It's a little hard to square that circle, but it's true that he is in a good position for it- above reproach, and all. While the rest talk, I sniff around. I get a few things for my trouble: knowledge that Pine has shed someone's blood recently, that he smells like ink, that he whittles (useful for making printing blocks), and I get a bear claw. The bear claw is certainly the best part, though annoying Beauregard certainly helps.

Stoat talks us into shit work, and adopts an urchin. But I get it- the urchin has a lot to learn. It's fine to get spotted when picking a pocket, I'm certainly not good at it, but you've got to have your escape route planned! You can't improvise your escape route.

I spot a frozen-but-moving pigeon. That's concerning.

Guard duty in the arctic wastelands among the Flare Cairns

Efrey: Out along the line of Flare Cairns, we set up camp. Wyl makes some material improvements. Our urchin is being a pain, but so it goes. The cairns glow, and it echoes the bioluminescence of living things- and when I reach out, I find that the Cairns are alive. I make note of that, especially knowing that with the right touch, I can awaken them. What would that do? I don't know, and I'm not ready to find out. Though I get close to trying it- Genovia and a band of First Claimers show up.

I don't dislike Genovia. Again, I'm far less invested in picking fights with the First Claimers than my fellows. But I also don't owe them anything either. So all in all, I'm happy to just be polite. Not all of the First Claimers agree- a chunk of them decide to try poisoning our tea, and when they get caught, they attack us.

It does not go well for them. The polar bear inside me gets a nice snack out of it, anyway. It's not cannibalism if you're a polar bear.

We also spot an undead fox, undead elk, and one of the deceased First Claimers also tries to rise from the dead.

Wyl Haversham: They tried to have us stay in a ratty, dirty tent...it had seen better days and would have made this duty just that much more difficult.

So I destroyed it with fire, and raised up a mound for us to stay in. Safety from the elements, a place to store water safely, and you can stand atop it to get a better view of the area around. All better.

Then we had some chuckle knuckles stop by trying to get to our supplies. We three knew not to trust them, so we stymied them and kept them outside. This upset half their group to the point of attacking us, and we made well sure they knew that was a mistake. The other three went back to town with a message to not try that again.

We had brought along an urchin (Raye) that tried to steal from me...turns out he is a spellthief. We made sure he survived going on guard duty with us as punishment for trying to steal from us. He got to witness everything that went down. I tried to teach him to hone his magical skills, I think the others had their own lessons. We sent him back after we got back to town to try to lead the other urchins into a force to not be messed with.

Template:Named: I must be feeling isolated. Why else would I imagine such a stark environment. Animal corpses that walk? Ghosts of my dinner or signs of a deeper issue? Perhaps a bit of both

Daryl's raw notes

faction rolls

"I have a shortlist".

Tungortok—An architect who is evaluating the city for habitation.

Solange Cordonnier—Is well known for ripping people off. Always trying to get one by people.

Genovia "The Ropewalker"—Nimble entertainer and Southlands elementalist

2nd Lt Pine—Served as a leader in the revolution of the pennsulia Pine: Initially highly skeptical that the city would be useful. Fungal infection... Whiddles wood with a knife Parents were kind artists. Been trying less war-assignment Jobs: distant watch camps, supplies due He does have paints/inks on his person smelling. Paper dust. Blood on his weapon "today but not just" Likes Bearclaw pastries

Beauregard arrives... Greases palms of Pine

A "dead-eyed ice bird" lands near wolf-Efrey. Had a decay smell.

Urchin mugs Wyl's libarian token. Dives into maw.

Stoat FEARSOMEs the urchin. Gets them to surrender... They have a job now for one night! 11-12 years old. Name: Raye [M] Originally from: From the peninsula, orphans + war orphans Alrady shown surprising talent with some sort of minor "mysitcal aptitude"

We'll be staying in the Flare-Cairns (ancient signal towers/"lighthouses") Meager supplies for 2-3 days. Stay, wait for relief. We find a cache of supplies on the way [story point] -- equip Raye with some stuff.

The guards are drunk, passed out, hanging out. Efrey scares them out. Wyl burns down + rebuilds Raye demonstrates magic - carves words into stone Cairn is luminescent -- bioluminescent [Druid: yes]. We see the others. Hear sound of baby screaming (A fox nearby) Fox is moving in a weird staggered fashion, unnatural. Has ice + stow. "ice rabies"

• • • Raye seems to be a "Spellthief" while talking with Wyl.

"Shit what is that!" voice from some distance away. Group coming from Skarnheim direction. 6 people headed our way recognize one as: Genovia the Ropewalker + unsavory firstclaimers

Liked Genovia until a firstclaimer Always happy, smiling... Super gregarious and brings people in w/ spotlight Knows all about Sin Efrey: Analyzies G for weaknesses Extreme adapter/nible responder. Not just physical Partially clay ALWAYS goes where the wind blows... not stable/loyal Rather anti-leaders... Well, mostly but "sometimes they're OK"

3 of the 6 undesirables draw swards after being caught trying to doctor the tea We shred them. 1 is smart and runs. Impact move: "ice rabies" sets in in one of them. Takes a couple of hours... body twitches and moves. Then it comes on "suddenly" fire takes care of it. being cut in half also seemed to prevent

We send Genovia back to spread the word (and "WTF?" Beauregard) Treat wounds while Efrey "cannibalizes" a thug. Raye gets into the way a whole bunch. Fail fail fail fail... Efrey ALSO fails to scare "Raye" straight

EARLY AM: BIG THING MOVING, LOUD NOISE Herd (ELK) coming from direction supplies come from, going toward Skarnheim They have ice rabies.

Relief shows up! Fill them in. WE SPEND RESOURCES on urchins... And make Raye an offer "we're here" Raye sarcastically "yeah I learned so much and am a better person now!" [it's a start...]

Notes

• The Flare Cairns are bioluminescent
• Ice rabies is animating some dead
• Herd of Glacier-Spined Elk—A majestic herd crosses into the outskirts of Skarnheim. Something about them is… wrong. Their antlers drip icicles, and their breath comes in unnerving rhythms.