names

Nakni Banna (“to want a man”), a Wolf, played by Barry;
Issi (“billy-goat”), the new Finger, played by Barry;

13th Communion

scenes

Gi smells of rosemary and thyme and other cleansing herbs, in an attempt to cut the musk.

At Manu Tenére, Calvus and Circumsessor review the guards. (Lætitia’s home guard practice calisthenics in the nude. In inclement weather, they grease up. She helps apply the grease.) Calvus describes the bugs, and Circumsessor asks if he ought to come along to help. Circumsessor tells Calvus about the boar killing the Finger. That must be the boar, says Calvus. Who is being sent as the new Finger? Issi, says Circumsessor. He has been difficult in the past. I suspect the Prince is unhappy with us. I see, says Calvus. —They find Mens, who is wrapped in a voluminous robe and speaking as little as possible, and prepare to leave.

Ishkish’ is the first at the circle, with his posse. Imálhlhi’s in the circle, sleepy. Ishkish’ yawns and stretches mightily. Boy, he slept well. Some discussion of who might show up to challenge. Seven, says Imálhlhi. Eleven, says Ishkish’. I’m surprised you can count that high. Did you get any breakfast? I got a stale roll with me. I’m good, says Imálhlhi.

A Wolf comes running into the circle dragging what would on any other day be an enormous boar. Longest goddamn spirit-quest ever! What? Is something happening? You challenging? says somebody in the crowd. Aw! says the Wolf. I liked him! How did he die? We don’t know yet, says someone in the crowd. He lost an arm. How? A bug. Nakni looks at his dead boar. Damn.

The gang has all assembled, and there’s a call for the first challenge. Suck my dick! yells someone. Everyone laughs. There’s this bear, says an old Wolf. Out by my place. Killed my kid last week. First one to punch it out has my vote. You’ve been seeing that bear every week for years, says Imálhlhi, and you haven’t had any kids in almost as long. Yem, says Imálhlhi. Go hide. Yem folds his arms. Go hide, says Imálhlhi. First one to find you wins the challenge. Yem doesn’t go hide. All right, says Nakni. Gauntlet. Everybody gets sticks and lines up.

Nakni’s first, and strips off his shirt. He’s rather soundly beaten. Ishkish’ is second, and isn’t hit nearly so hard. Oh, says Nakni. You all have your posses to go light on you and beat the hell out of me. I’ve been gone for six weeks. Go again! Go again! Ishkish’ shrugs, and runs through the gauntlet again, and gets a much more thorough beating. Imilonhochi’s next. He strips naked. He takes some solid blows, but it’s not too bad. You can hit better than that! His ex lands a solid blow on the back of his head. Imálhlhi’s last, and is knocked to the ground, beaten as badly as Nakni. Anyone else? You don’t challenge, you’re out! Anyone else? Mitahafi runs up, stripping off his guard tunic. I’m only doing this so nobody can say you didn’t become Wolf Priest because nobody else would challenge. You all owe me. —He isn’t hit too badly.

Some discussion of the next challenge. Go bring back a hare, says Nashob. Whoever brings back the biggest hare wins. We’re not women, says Nakni. We should bring back the biggest boar, says Nakni. Done! Screw that, says Mitahafi. We should go bring back the boar. It’s a problem our predecessor left us. Whoever brings it back gets to be the Wolf Priest. That’s a really dumb idea, says Nakni. We need a Wolf Priest to deal with the boar. Whoever brings back a predator without force, says Okamalahee. Yeah, okay. Mithafi walks up to him and punches him and backs up, saying, come on. Oh, wait. No punching. Imálhlhi calls for rope, and Nashob brings some. Everyone gets their hands tied behind their back. As soon as their hands are tied, Imálhlhi kicks Ishkish’s legs out from under him. They all start kicking and head-butting each other. The crowd cheers.

There’s some fighting, and some kicking, and some biting, and then as the fight reaches a crescendo a red stag leaps into the circle. It clonks Imilonhochi on the head, leaving a bloody wound, and then Nakni, and then Ishkish’, and then it looks at Mitahafi and passes him by, and then clonks Imálhlhi. As the now-quiet Wolves stare at the stag, it walks to one side of the circle and stands, waiting. Yem tells Ishkish’ and Mitahafi and Imálhlhi to leave, now. I’m not leaving just ’cause my kid tells me to. The Wolves’ hands are being untied. I thought it should be you, says Yem, to Imilonhochi, but it could be you, he says, to Nakni. The Wolves go up to the stag, who nods at them, and turns and lopes into the woods. Bleeding, limping, they follow: Imálhlhi and Ishkish’ and Nakni and Imilonhochi, and Yem. But Yem is suddenly left alone in the woods as the rest of them fall suddenly into a lake. They start swimming, and end up coming out on the shore of an island in the middle. The stag leads them for a couple of miles into the wooded island. They come to a clearing, which is filled with one of every animal they can imagine.

Choose, says the stag. The animals wait patiently.

Ishkish’ walks up to a bear, and he and the bear disappear.

Nakni walks among the animals, looking to see who will look him in the eye, carefully ignoring the chattering monkey, and the thin asthmatic cow, and the angry crow. Imilonhochi shrugs and walks up to the wolf and he and the wolf disappear. The cow’s following Nakni, mooing and coughing. I know what I’m looking for, he says. I just don’t see it.

What did you see on your quest? says Imálhlhi.

A giant wrinkly tortoise—ah! Nakni and the tortoise disappear.

Imálhlhi looks at the stag, who wiggles its ears at him. I could stick with you, says Imálhlhi. The stag frowns. Okay, says Imálhlhi. I choose the hare. And he is gone.

Ishkish’ is bigger and heavier than he remembers and surrounded by snarling dogs and he hears the approach of men. So he goes down on all fours and swipes and the dogs and disembowels one and lumbers away. He tries to think of what the bear’s he’s hunted have done to get away. He disembowels another dog and flings the remains at the approaching men. A dog latches onto his foreleg and digs in. The men approach, and Ishkish’ charges them, taking out one, but a spear lodges in his side. He tries to scoop up a spear to hold and wave around, but he can’t manage it, fumbling the spear. Eventually, Ishkish’ stops fighting and starts talking to the dogs, trying to convince them that he isn't actually a bear - actually, he is a wolf. The dogs are unconvinced. Eventually, he falls from the trees into the camp, but outside the circle.

Imilonhochi is running in the middle of a wolfpack, chasing a deer. It leads them a long chase through hilly, broken forest. Imilonhochi suggests the pack should chase the deer around the bottom of a hill so some of the pack can go over the top and ambush it. The alpha turns on him and there’s a snarling fight. The alpha doesn’t do well and his leg snaps, and Imilonhochi leads the pack after the deer, falling through the air to land inside the circle.

Nakni is somewhere nice and warm and dry, and he feels pretty good. He’s in the moorlands out by the coast. There’s berries. Some are red, some are white, and some are green. He’s hungry. He starts munching grass while contemplating the berries. Clearly he’s here to make a choice. But what would the colors of the berries mean? The white ones are poisonous to humans. The red ones are medicinal. The green one’s taste nasty. Heck. He’s always wanted to do this. He pulls inside the shell, where it’s dark and comfortable. Neat. He’s falling through the air and lands inside the circle.

Imálhlhi’s in the middle of a warren, fucking. Some other rabbit comes up and pushes him off, and he kicks it and it kicks back. The other rabbit slams him pretty hard and tries to mount Imálhlhi’s doe. Imálhlhi goes for the buck’s throat and manages to knock him off and he retreats. Imálhlhi gets back to fucking, and falls through the air and lands inside the circle.

Whoa, says Nakni. It would feel kinda stupid to go back to beating each other after that. Where’s Yem? says Imálhlhi. He hid, says Nashob, quickly. Little bastard. Let’s find him so I can beat him up. Not so much of a challenge, says Nakni. Beating up a kid, I mean. Nashob’s yelling about everyone going to find Yem. Her word still has some weight around here, dammit. No, says Ishkish’. You’re nobody anymore. You’re not anybody special at all. Shut up! Nashob’s saying. You lost! Loser! There’s a scuffle around Ishkish’. Someone taps Nashob on the shoulder; she turns, and one of Ishkish’s exes slaps her, hard. Nashob steps back and grabs a pot of soup and Nakni steps up to try and calm it down before Nashob can swing, but she does swing, and hits him instead of Ishkish’s ex. He goes down, a surprised expression on his dead face.

The crowd is silent, until Nakni’s wife starts wailing. Imálhlhi stares in shock at his wife and what she’s done. Ishkish’ walks up to Imilonhochi and tips his head, baring his neck. His posse starts to follow suit, when the stag leaps into the circle again. It stoops over Nakni’s body and inhales, deeply. Looks each candidate in the eye. And leaps away.

Bring him his kit, says someone in the crowd to Nashob. She waddles up with the kit. Her water’s broken.

Yem’s wandering through the woods when Nakni’s spirit finds him. Hey, says Nakni. Your dad’s looking for you. You’re dead, says Yem. No I’m not. Yes you are. Your feet aren’t touching the ground. Nakni looks down and swoops in a loop. Whoa, he says.

Yem and Nakni find Imálhlhi, and Imálhlhi tells Yem his mother killed Nakni, even as Nakni tells him. Yem tells Nakni he probably would have made a good Wolf Priest, and he apologizes. Nashob’s wailing from the camp. They head that way.

The (new) Wolf Priest is heading out into the woods and the stag comes up to him and snuffles him and looks, pointedly, down. The Wolf Priest looks down. There’s a bow at his feet, a nice horn bow. He nods.

The bugs are talking to Waakimbala. We are growing less confused, they say. Yeah? says Waakimbala. That’s great, because I still don’t know what’s going on. We need a go-between mouthpiece speaker, say the bugs. Cool, says Waakimbala. You agree? say the bugs, surprised. I just want to make sure this won’t interfere with my job. What’s your job? Finding bugs. Oh, you’ll find bugs. Hold still. Close your eyes. What, are you going to tickle me? says Waakimbala. Like that, say the bugs, only more painful. Wait, says Waakimbala, but there’s a hideous pain in his ear, and then it’s like he’s about to sneeze, only it never comes, and now he can ear the bugs in his head. I ate a guy, says Waakimbala. So did we, say the bugs. You are now our mouthpiece. We need to negotiate. You must go to the leader. I have a problem, says Waakimbala. Did you know you’re chained to the wall? Yeah, that’s the problem. Do you want that leg? Yes! says Waakimbala. Hold onto it, say the bugs. Waakimbala curls up. The wall around the spike is destroyed as the spike is pulled free, and Waakimbala has a chain still linked to his ankle. He scoops it up and starts swinging it. A weapon! he says. —Some discussion of wages. What do you want? Can I get back to you on that?

Nakni finds the Wolf Priest and asks if he can see him, and he can. Nakni’s head is marked with a tortoise-sign, and a blessing-sign. You’ve been made into some sort of guide. You’re here to guide me. I don’t know, says Nakni. Yes, you are. You would have been Wolf Priest, but you stepped into a fight between two women, one of them pregnant, and you died. So you are here to guide me. Nakni sees a wolf head marked on the Wolf Priest’s head. Could you see dead people before you became Wolf Priest? says Nakni. Who was I then? says the Wolf Priest. —Some discussion of the characteristics of the wolf. You want me to have her killed, or run out of town? I’m strangely not mad at them, says Nakni. Good, says the Wolf Priest.

There’s a knock at Murry’s door, and Murry says come in. Ishkish’ walks in, looking like hell. Tell me the other guy looks worse. Ishkish’ fills him in, and tells him what an asshole Metahafi was. Murry’s pleased Ishkish’ ran the gauntlet twice, man.

Perdix’ apprentice asks Perdix if she can send a note to the Lover-priests since she has a yeast infection. She writes, you should probably congratulate the new Wolf Priest, and sends Ishkin off to Heshe. —Heshe is surprised to get a message from Perdix’ apprentice, who the fuck is that? The creepy evil prophecy twins? Who shaved that girl’s head? Oh, right, says Heshe. She reads the note and waves Ishkin away. Ishkin returns and tells Ilba there’s no return message. Perdix lifts an eyebrow. I just wanted to know if what I was doing was the right thing, says Ilba. And no return message means you are? says Perdix. How wise it is to have a smart apprentice.

Murry informs Gi of the new Wolf Priest. Gi’s surprised a new one’s been chosen so quickly. Murry tells Gi about the spirit guide appearing to participate, because he knows it’ll interest Gi. A red stag? says Gi. Interesting. —Some discussion of the politics of the new Wolf Priest, and what he’ll have to deal with. Any new monsters today? says Gi. Any new deaths? Just the Wolf Priest candidate, says Murry.

Mitahafi reports to Murry. He checks the blind corner. Murry’s stationed a guard in the blind corner with a stick. Oh, hey, says the soldier. Don’t tell anyone else about him, says Murry.

Calvus, Mens, and Circumsessor arrive; Ishta briefs Calvus on the situation, and tells him about Waakimbala, over lunch. He’s a cannibal, says Ishta. He’s also talkative. Calvus nods. I see. I’m going to go rest, says Mens. Are you all right? says Circumsessor. I just need a room where I can be left alone for a while. Your brother’s here, says Ishta. You could— Love and Reason, no, says Mens.

The chatelaine leads Mens up the stairs to a room. Nil, coming down, doesn’t seem to recognize Mens, in his voluminous brown cloak. Well, says Mens. That went easier than I would have guessed. At the door to his room, Mens asks rather brusquely that he not be disturbed.

Calvus calls to Nil; we were looking for you. Is this to do with the insects? Yes, says Calvus. He leads them to his room to show them the map; the second color has taken well. Nil goes to fetch Perdix.

We need some depth on this map, says Perdix. I know, and if I’d had more than fifteen hours— It was not a criticism, says Perdix. Just an observation. This one—jumping—we may have more than five. Yes, I know, says Nil.

You, say the bugs. Slave. Child. Me? says Waakimbala. I was listening. You just talk and assume I’m listening. I’ll go back to sleep. No! say the bugs. Wake up. They are prodding at me. Go talk to them. But not the one you say is crazy. Okay, says Waakimbala. That would be Gi. He pounds on the door to the tiny dark room he’s curled up in. Eventually, it’s opened by a pot-scrubber. What the hell are you doing in there? It’s okay, I work here, says Waakimbala. —Some discussion of bugs, and hunting them. Actually, says Waakimbala, it’s more a PR type of deal. The pot-scrubber calls for a guard. One of them shows up, and orders Waakimbala at sword-point to go to the dungeons. The bugs are eager to kill him. No, wait, says Waakimbala.

The pot-scrubber goes to find Murry. He knocks on the door and Murry tells him to come in and he does. Murry says, you are about to learn a valuable lesson. The solider in the blind corner clonks the pot-scrubber on the head. —The pot-scrubber delivers his message and Murry, out of guilt, pays him enough money to buy a house. Maybe a town, if he bargains shrewdly. I didn’t pay too much, did I? says Murry.

The chatelaine warns the magi in Nil’s room about Waakimbala.

Murry’s interrogating Waakimbala in the green cell. The bugs call Waakimbala food. He’s put out by this. Yes, say the bugs. We enjoy eating people. It’s what we have in common. So not me specifically. Well, yes. No. Yes. I was hired to find bugs, says Waakimbala, and I did, so I quite. I’m working for the bugs now.

meta

We came up with the shape of the challenges and the rules for the challenges on the fly. Charles rolled a basket full of dice for the stick-gauntlets, and read the gestalt. Jenn took charge with the red stag, and basically GMed the resulting spirit-quests.

“It’s kinda like the Last Unicorn, only with less treacly music.”