Caelesti's notes

Date

05/15/2008

Log

Mavis asked Caelesti why she had been so quiet since they met the barbarians, versus freely offering ideas like earlier in the journey. Caelesti said she did not want to lead or appear to lead the party because, if something happened, Nessey would blame her. After all, Nessey forgave Carric and Yoshi for her kidnapping because Caelesti manipulated them because "nobody could be so stupid" as to accidentally let her get kidnapped. The others vouched for Caelesti's goodness and niceness. Nessey said she would give Caelesti the benefit of the doubt, and they hugged.

The party reviewed what they knew of the chasm castes. The party decided to investigate the town to learn more. Roges suggested visiting the Tea Man and supplied the party appropriate trade goods since they had none. The party followed Roges' directions and entered the tea house.

The party found an empty table but started making conversations with people at the other tables. The people were happy to tell the strangers about themselves, their groups, and their ways. An old man told of the layers of bridges and of two missing ones. The first bridge, the highest, was abandoned when the inhabitants were attacked by pombis. The lowest bridge simply vanished. The man told of potters, miners, and fishers (the fishers fish for floppers to make colorful lamps).

Nessey suggested that Caelesti should talk to a young man and find out about the banders. Caelesti got up and sat at a table with a few young men. One of them was very outgoing and told Caelesti that he was a harvester and what they harvested. Caelesti had not heard of the goods, so the harvester said he would show her. The party briefly stopped her, but let her go with the strange young man to see his harvest goods. Caelesti found out about slow gurules that gathered mushrooms, and ate fried wire worms.

The party returned to the birder house to sleep for the night. In the morning, the party was given a secret quest to investigate root damage deep below the lowest bridge. The cover story was to look for lost treasures from the lost bridge. Three bridgers, Beedie, Roges, and Mercald were to accompany the party on their quest. There was to be some fanfare to start the journey with the hope of attracting the attention of the troublemakers and lure them out of hiding. The bridgers needed time to gather items, so party spent the day gathering more information about various castes.

Nessey's notes

Nessey: We talk about the Bird People.
Nessey: Caelesti doesn't want to make her opinion known - as she "does not want to lead the party into danger."
Nessey: Nessey - when has that ever mattered to you, Caelesti?
Nessey: Nessey - I want to talk about things in THEIR terms so we can get on and get some tasks and have some fun!!
Nessey: Mavis wants Caelesti to give her opinion.
Nessey: Mavis noticed we have come up with lots of plans, but Caelesti has just gone along, quietly, when she used to be filled all sort of interesting ideas, some of which were good.
Nessey: Caelesti says she is afraid to comment for fear of Nessey thinking she is leading us into danger, selling people into slavery, etc.
Nessey: Caelesti - Nessey hasn't made up with me yet. She has with everyone else.
Nessey: Caelesti - Nessey said I couldn't possible be dumb enough to have blundered into it.
Nessey: Nessey - that was a compliment.
Nessey: Carric - Nessey, you owe Caelesti an apology.
Nessey: Nessey - make later.
Nessey: Carric - think about it a minute. Then apologize right now.
Nessey: Nessey - Yoshi and Carric are mere men so they can easily be fooled and lead astray.
Nessey: Nessey - Women are smarter than that.
Nessey: Mavis - I have probably known Caelesti longer than you have at this point and you can trust me
Nessey: I swear to you that Caelesti had nothing to do with your kidnapping.
Nessey: Caelesti - and I had something to do with your rescue, though I don't know that you needed rescuing.
Nessey: Mavis - Think of the reward when we return to Rowansmeade.
Nessey rolls Nes - Diplomacy (d20 + 9): [4 + 9] = 13
Carric rolls 25: [25] = 25
Nessey rolls Nes - Sense Motive (d20 + 4): [12 + 4] = 16
Nessey rolls Nes - Sense Motive (d20 + 4): [6 + 4] = 10
Nessey rolls Nes - Spot (d20 + 8): [6 + 8] = 14
Mavis rolls Mavis Bluff (d20 + 17): [14 + 17] = 31
Nessey rolls Nes - Bluff (d20 + 7): [6 + 7] = 13
Caelesti rolls Skill (Bluff) (d20 + 12 + 3): [6 + 12 + 3] = 21
Mavis: the choice: sinister ultra-intelligent mastermind vs. innocent buffonish bimbo
Nessey: Nessey asks Caelesti to choose
Nessey: Nessey complains that Caelesti believed she would sell an evil book - and cheat the party.
Nessey: We agree that Caelesti believes Nessey was under bad influence or dropped on her head.
Nessey: We agree that Nessey believes that Caelesti was under an evil spell or influence or dropped on her head.
Nessey: Nessey gives Caelesti a big Barbarian hug.
Nessey: Nessey manages to lift Caelesti an inch off the ground.
Nessey: Caelesti says she is sorry Nessey was captured.
Nessey: Nessey says it was really awful being expected to be a sex slave in that sexist Barbarian tribe.
Nessey: Mavis says they all felt for Nessey.
Nessey: Mavis says Caelesti worked as hard as everyone else to find Nessey
Nessey: Nessey says how hard is that?
Nessey: Mavis goes into details of the hardships the party endured in finding her.
Nessey: Nessey says she is grateful to everyone and We Sisters especially need to stick together.
Nessey: Mavis - we don't understand what is going on with these people. We have learned some things about their caste structure.
Nessey: Mavis - And, Carric, I don't think our occupations have much to do with it. You are not connecting by going on about Druids and your god.
Nessey: Carric - I am who I am.
Nessey: Mavis - let's avoid saying things to create more blank stares. Let
Nessey: let's try to relate to them about their stuff.
Nessey: Before we head up, let's come up with a plan.
Nessey: Nessey - we want people to open up to us, not close ranks against us as outsiders.
Nessey: Caelesti and Yoshi - but we ARE outsiders.
Nessey: Yoshi - I will not be particularly forthcoming. But I do not want to lie.
Mavis: Byle Bander
Nessey: Nessey - I could talk to all the women and make sure they are not oppressed.
Nessey: Caelesti - that is like what you keep telling Carric and Yoshi not to do.
Nessey: Carric - I think it is worse.
Nessey: Mavis - this might be a Matriachial society already, with Rootweaver running things.
Nessey: Nessey - I will go and congratulate Rootweaver then.
Nessey: Mavis - Nessey, we have not seen evidence of oppression of women so far. Women seem to hold positions of importance, such as Beedie.
Nessey: Caelesti - what about men who might be oppressed?
Nessey: Nessey - that wouldn't be oppression. That would be for their own good - if they need to be "guided"
Nessey: Yoshi has a thought. We all applaud.
Nessey: He wants Rootweaver to give us our commission before we go and talk to the other natives, so we have a sanctioned purpose
Nessey: No, he didn't say that. He said we can go ahead and imply that anyway
Nessey: Caelesti - except you don't want to lie, Yoshi!
Nessey: Yoshi - ererg.
Nessey: Yoshi and Nessey argue about The Boundless vs our own dieties.
Nessey: Nessey insists she feels sent by her diety to do Good.
Nessey: Mavis - We may be doing the will of the Boundless, but we are not agents of the Boundless.
Nessey: Nessey - yes, yes!
Nessey: Yoshi - Yes
Nessey: Everyone - yes!
Nessey: It is mid-afternoon. We can't see Sun. There is a warm green glow.
Nessey: We look out the windows and see = the buildings burgeoning at ends of bridges and are piled up on one another.
Nessey: There are little planks jutting out from ends of bridges and people are sitting there with fishing lines.
Nessey: The city is fringed with vertical roots - pumping life up and into the city.
Nessey: they wait until little roots are big enough to support more structures
Nessey: Room upon room, balcony upon balcony, commons, market stalls, higgelgdly-piggegdly like Dr. Seuss
Nessey: Crowded, hopping.
Nessey: Main path from one end to the other and other parallel roads and perpendicular alleys.
Nessey: No idea how to get from one bridge city to another.
Nessey: Carric seems to recall someone mentioning stairs that non-Bridgers can take.
Nessey: We agree to talk to Rootweaver tomorrow to ask about a task.
Nessey: We want to look for a common room now to hang out and chat.
Nessey: Nessey volunteers to do the talking.
Nessey: Nessey - let's not go far and just come back.
Nessey: Mavis is glad we are in the Birder caste house
Nessey: As we head down to the first floor of this house to the front door - one of the Maintainers says - Oh, where are you going?
Nessey: Caelesti - can you point us to a common area. We want to check out the town.
Nessey: Maintainer - go to Tentibog's Tea House.
Nessey: Nessey - how do we pay for tea?
Nessey: Maintainer - oh, you don't have any of our barter goods, do you?
Nessey: Caelesti - what are they?
Nessey: Maintainer - you answered my question. He goes and gets a bag of "stuff" for us to use.
Nessey: Maintainer - there are enough tokens here to buy tea for you all. No more.
Nessey: Maintainer - "Noon moment Tea" is good, by the way.
Caelesti: sounded like "Nude moment"
Nessey: Maintainer - ask for that and you will sound like you know what you are talking about.
Nessey: Caelesti please don't have a nude moment in front of these people!! says Nessey.
Nessey: Nessey - maybe we can barter with Carric's renewable bag of weasels.
Nessey: Carric - I am twice as likely to pull a rat from my pouch as a weasel.
Nessey: Mavis - I don't think they would appreciate rats. Carric, keep your pouch to yourself.
Nessey: Maintainer points out the path to take and says it is on the left.
Nessey: Nessey goes right in, first.
Nessey: Mid-bridge market, most famous stall, Tentibog is said to have traded with the Pombi's above to get good herbs. He laughs and says it is the special water.
Nessey: It is packed with people sitting at tables.
Nessey: As Nessey comes in she sees an empty table and grabs it and sits there.
Nessey: 5 of us crowded around a little round table.
Nessey: We get some looks.
Nessey: We are obviously stragers.
Nessey: We call for Noon Moment Tea, please
Nessey: Man comes up with apron and pad in hand. "Ahhh, strangers in town."
Nessey: Caelesti - Is it that obvioius.
Nessey: Man - Ma'm, I know everyone in town and most in all the towns.
Nessey: Nessey - we come from top/top up and above and beyond where the Pombi's live
Nessey: Carric - we heard this place has the best tea
Nessey: Man - Yes, I have the best.
Nessey: Caelesti - we were told to try Noon Moment Tea.
Nessey: Man - yes, that is my best tea. I will be back shortly.
Nessey: Everyone is dressed in woven leaves.
Nessey: Nessey looks around for an older man.
Nessey: a kindly, knowledgeable older man
Nessey: There is one sitting by himself and looking with interest at us
Nessey: He is Fittle the Potter
Nessey: Nessey asks about burning roots and getting sick
Nessey: He talks about harvesting clay from cavern walls.
Nessey: Carric comes over - Are you from Potters' Bridge?
Nessey: He looks back and forth at our golden shining hair.
Nessey: He talks about coming from Potters' Bridge when he was a young one and can't really remember it. He can remember Nextdown. He talks of staircases.
Nessey: Carric asks how long it takes to walk from Topbridge to Nextdown.
Nessey: He says it can take a whole day - strenous work.
Nessey: He says he likes it up here cause it's lighter than anywhere else.
Nessey: Nessey asks if people can move from one city to another if they want to?
Nessey: He says yes, except almost no one from Bottommost has been up here and visa-versa.
Nessey: Nessey - what is Bottommost like - is it on the ground.
Nessey: Fittle - Oh no, we have messengers who glide on leaves from town to town.
Nessey: He says Bottommost is the deepest bridge. There used to be a bridge below Bottommost, but it is the Lost Bridge. We have two Lost Bridges, actually.
Nessey: "Firstbridge" was up higher than Top Most and is was too close to the surface and one night the Pombis came down and ate everyone.
Nessey: Under Bottommost there used to a bridge that is also a lost bridge. One night the whole bridge disappeared without a trace.
Nessey: Yoshi comes over or moves his chair closer.
Nessey: Yoshi - asks what is left.
Nessey: Fittle - it happened hundreds and hundreds of years ago. The bridge was there one day and the next it wasn't and no one has ever been seen again. I heard rumors that untold riches were lost with it.
Nessey: Fittle - I am one of the prime potters of Topbridge.
Nessey: Yoshi looks at Mavis when he mentions "untold riches."
Nessey: Mavis is looking from face to face and concentrating and stares intently when she hears untold riches.
Nessey: Nessey - Didn't they look for them on the ground below?
Nessey: Fittle - is there ground below or does it go on forever and ever.
Nessey: I don't know. No one knows.
Nessey: Caelesti pipes up and asks what the people are fishing for?
Nessey: Fittle - they are trying to catch "Floppers"
Nessey: They are creatures that launch themselves from the sides of the cavern and glide on membrane wings and we catch them.
Nessey: We import our lamps from Bottommost. They catch inflatable puffer fish that fly through the air. We can put a candle inside.
Nessey: Nessey - so what do you do with floppers.
Nessey: Fittle - We use the hide for clothing and things. It is leathery. Heavy duty. And there is a little bit of meat.
Nessey: Fittle - we use root fibers for thread.
Nessey: Fittle - we have miner who harvest iron ore from caves in cavern walls - down at Miner's Bridge.
Nessey: Nessey - how do roots catch on fire?
Nessey: Fittle - green roots and sap are poisonous. they are wet - how can they catch on fire.
Nessey: Fittle - you sure are exotic people.
Nessey: Fittle - you should talk to the Birders
Nessey: Fittle - thanks be to the Boundless for sending you here.
Nessey: Nessey - I don't know about that, but I sure feel sent here Spiritually to do Good.
Nessey: Yoshi - tell us more about the Boundless.
Nessey: Fittle - that's the business of the Birders. They are happy to talk to anyone about it and I don't really know.
Nessey: Fittle says "Time to go back to my pots."
Nessey: Nessey says her goodbyes and goes back to the group table and orders fresh tea as Caelesti drank all hers.
Nessey: Carric says he'd like to take a flight down to Bottommost.
Nessey: Nessey - I worry about you down there by yourself.
Nessey: Carric - I can flap my wings. It depends on how dense and damp the air is.
Nessey: Nessey - I think we should all go down there at some point and find out what happened to that other city.
Nessey: Yoshi - oh, er, oh.
Nessey: Carric - I bet that's what that other druid did.
Nessey: Nessey - Maybe we can rescue him.
Nessey: Caelesti - Maybe it's so wonderful down there that no one wants to come back.
Nessey: Mavis - that is a nice thought, you keep thinking positive thoughts for us.
Nessey: Nessey, Caelesti, why don't you go over and talk to that handsome young man now.
Nessey: Nessey - why don't you charm him?
Nessey: Yoshi - in the traditional sense.
Nessey: Caelesti - you mean non magical or magical traditional sense?
Nessey: Yoshi - non-magic at first.
Nessey: Caelesti casts her emerald green eyes around the room in a suitably sultry manner.
Nessey: She saunters over to a table with a 20 year old guy and his 3 guy friends, also in their twenties.
Nessey: Hi, my name is Bombo, what is your name?
Nessey: I am Caelesti.
Nessey: Where are you from?
Nessey: From far away out past the Pombis.
Nessey: Bombo - I don't understand.
Nessey: Cae - Just understand we come from far away.
Nessey: Cae - Everything here is so interesting.
Nessey: B - I'm glad you think so. What is your caste?
Nessey: Cae - we are traveler caste and help out where we can.
Nessey: B- Helping out where you can? finding things that need to be done?
Nessey: Caelesti - I guess that makes us Doers.
Nessey: He looks her up and down, hmmmn, what can you do?
Nessey: Cae - what can you do?
Nessey: I am a Harvester. We alone can talk to the Slow Gurules.
Caelesti: what is a slow gurule?
Nessey: B- Have you not seen the Slow Gurules.
Nessey: B - Young lady, you should come with me and I can show you all kinds of things you have not seen, one on one, alone.
Nessey: Cae - are they things to eat?
Yoshi rolls Sk:Sense Motive (d20 + 18): [5 + 18] = 23
Nessey: B- they are things to eat or things that bring things to eat.
Nessey: B- why don't you come with me. I will show you.
Nessey: Caelesti - why, sure, okay.
Nessey: B- amazed at his good fortune, "well, yeah, okay, yeah!"
Nessey: He stands up and holds out a hand, "Will you come with me, Caelesti?"
Nessey: Caelesti - yes.
Nessey: His friends sit with their mouths hanging open.
Nessey: Yoshi does a sense motive - he is interested in her as a woman.
Nessey: Nessey nudges Carric - do you think you should turn into a bird or something and follow and make sure she is okay.
Nessey: Carric - I am out of those spells, but I can follow as a Druid.
Nessey: Nessey - Yeah, I would feel better if you do that.
Nessey: Carric runs after, Hey, Caelesti, what are you two doing?
Nessey: Caelesti - Bombo is going to show me the stuff he does on the farm.
Nessey: Bombo glares at Carric.
Nessey: Carric - Can I come too?
Nessey: Bombo glares at Carric.
Nessey: Carric - I am interested in plants too.
Nessey: Caelestic - this is Carric, a friends of mine, he eats apples with me.
Nessey: Bombo - well, er, okay, er...
Nessey: Carric - By the way, where are we going?
Nessey: Bombo - To Harvester's house.
Nessey: Up the bridge a bit. Surely you know.
Nessey: You can come later. Ask for directions. Hint Hint
Nessey: Carric - why don't I walk you there and then I will know where it is and then I'll go see what Yoshi wants.
Nessey: Bombo walks them to Harvester House and then nudges Carric out of the way, "got it" "see you later" closes the door in Carric's face. Carric waits outside a while.
Nessey: Bombo leads Caelesti over to the storeroom where they harvest
wire worms and their buddies the slow gurules harvest other stuff. The creatures are like sloths - hanging under cylindrical things. Big claws.
Nessey: he says these have been out collecting things, he scratches Wooly's tummy and it purrs and he asks if it has anything for us and it reaches it's claw into a belly pounch and hands out a mushroomlike thing.
Nessey: Caelesti - Oh, that's really clever,
Nessey: This is a root mouse. Not really an animal, but a sort of fungus. We don't like it when Bridgers bother the slow gurules. They bother them when they climb on roots.
Nessey: Caelesti - how do you know they bother the gurules?
Nessey: Everyone knows the slow gurules only like US the Harvesters.
Nessey: Have you ever seen a Wire Worm. They are delicious.
Nessey: You have to fry them up, of course.
Nessey: Caelesti - I'd like to try some.
Nessey: He take her to the kitchen and frys up some for her. She is very impressed.
Nessey: He is very attentive. He wines and dines her.
Nessey: He asks about her travels.
Nessey: She talks about rivers, sun, snow.
Nessey: He finds it all amazing.
Nessey: He moves closer to her and nudges into her a bit. Very friendly and rapt. Rests his arm gently around her shoulders. She keeps talking and then finally asks about Banders.
Nessey: He pulls her closer. She treats it in a friendly ordinary way.
Nessey: He pulls her closer still, Oh, Banders, Banders...
Nessey: Cae - we heard they are trouble makers, are they?
Nessey: Bombo -looks deeply into her eyes - Who is looking for trouble? We aren't looking for trouble, are we?
Nessey: He nuzzles her.
Nessey: She continues to ask about Banders.
Nessey: Bombo - Caelesti, who cares about Banders. I am here with you and you are here with me and what we care of anything else?
Nessey: Caelesti - My friend will be mad at me again if I don't find out about Banders.
Nessey: Bombo - let your friend worry about Banders. You should think about what YOU want and what YOU need here?
Nessey: Bombo - don't you agree.
Nessey: Bombo - let's not think about what your friends want or need - just what you and I want and need.
Nessey: He strokes her and leans over and nuzzles her again.
Nessey: Cae - So there's not much problem here that you are aware of?
Nessey: Bombo - There's no problem with us here. You are so exotic and exciting. Do we really need to talk, really?
Nessey: Cae - how can I find out things?
Nessey: He leans over and kisses her cheek.
Nessey: He trying to get his lips to meet hers.
Nessey: She is eating fried worms.
Nessey: Bombo - Caelesti, well, you know, I am not getting the impression that you are really "with me" so to speak. I mean, I am with you, but you are not with me.
Nessey: Cae - What do you mean, I am sitting right next to you.
Nessey: Bombo - But I do not understand how you are responding, really?
Nessey: Cae - I am enjoying sights and tastes and smells.
Nessey: Bombo - But have you enjoyed new touches.
Nessey: Cae - how different can that be?
Nessey: Bombo - why don't you come back to my room and we will see how different things can be.
Nessey: Cae - Well, I probably shouldn't.
Nessey: Bombo - but who is in charge of you. What do you care what others think?
Nessey: Cae - I suppose I am in charge of me. But others might say I shouldn't and I do want to see more sights.
Nessey: Bombo - I know how to make this a very memorable evening. Come back to my rooom with me and we will see what else we can discover.
Nessey: Caelesti - why, are you sleepy?
Nessey: Light dawns on Bombo head.
Nessey: Bombo - were any of those people you were sitting with your beau? your intended? your special?
Nessey: Cae - oh, they all are!
Nessey: Bombo - you mean you sleep with them all?
Nessey: Cae - what do you mean?
Nessey: Bombo - do ever spend the night in the same bed with any of those people?
Nessey: Cae - no, we have bedrolls and I like to sleep under the stars and sometimes in a tent.
Nessey: Bombo - I have a real bed and you can share it with me.
Nessey: Cae - but I am not tired.
Nessey: Bombo - Fine, I will escort you to the door, I am glad to have shown you all these things.
Nessey: Bombo - do come back if you want to talk to me in more detail about any of these things.
Nessey: Caelesti - okay, thank you.
Nessey: It is getting dark and puffer fish lanterns are up.
Nessey: Caelesti makes her way back to the Tea House.
Nessey: Yoshi raises an eyebrow - back so soon, Caelesti?
Nessey: Cae - Bombo got tired of talking and he wanted to go to sleep. I didn't want to go to sleep that early on my first night here.
Nessey: Caelesti - fills us all in on food and critters. And he didn't seem to know anything about the Banders. Sorry, I know you are disappointed, Nessey.
Nessey: Nessey - just sighs and finishes her tea.
Nessey: Caelesti - the Harvesters are very friendly, they like to nuzzle you alot.
Nessey: Carric - I'd like to find myself a cute Harvester sometime, but perhaps later.
Nessey: Caelesti - there was something strange, but he said the Bridgers
bother the slow gurules a lot.
Nessey: Carric - class tension perhaps.
Nessey: Nessey, well, Caelesti, when you ARE ready to go to sleep, you can always go back to the Harvester House.
Nessey: Nessey and others head back to Birder House and Caelesti follows.
Nessey: Caelesti - oh, do you think I'd get interesting information?
Nessey: Nessey - I think you will get NO information, but might get something interesting.
Nessey: After dark, Carric looks out and down to see lights of Bridge cities below.
Nessey: We don't keep watches here. We don't expect Pombis here.
Nessey: We wake up unmolested.
Nessey: We are served a nice breakfast with tea and fungus, but no fried wire worms. Those are a special delicacy.
Nessey: Soon, Roges comes to door and says Rootweaver wants to talk to us.
Nessey: We mosie along
Nessey: He leads us to Rootweaver in the Bridger house.
Nessey: She asks after our night and hospitality.
Nessey: We have only good things to say.
Nessey: She says, I have a task for you. Something you as outsiders are in a good position to investigate, especially as it is a matter I want to keep private.
Nessey: You commented that Beedie thinks there is some rebellion. There are some trouble makers who have recently moved to town, but in the big picture, that is not significant. The big picture is that something below is killing the roots. We don't go all the way to bottom. But we have found main roots dead and shriveled. If a main root that supports our tree dies, what will our fate be?
Nessey: We would have no support and no water.
Nessey: Rootweaver - I am very concerned about what is happening to our roots. I would like YOU to possibly deal with both situations - the trouble makers AND the root problems.
Nessey: I think if we put out the right story, then the rebellious ones will follow you. I will send one of our Judges with you. And I think the situation will become clear.
Nessey: Rootweaver, I am thinking of sending other people with you too. Hopefully you will all attract the rebellious of our town and be able to kill two birds with one stone - oooops she say that about Birds!!
Nessey: Caelesti - We can be The Fellowship of the Roots.
Nessey: Nessey - what about Bombo?
Nessey: Rootweaver - who?
Nessey: Caelesti - the Harvester.
Nessey: Rootweaver - we don't pay any attention to Harvesters.
Nessey: Yoshi - we would be honored to accept your task.
Nessey: Caelesti - I like the idea of saving a tree.
Nessey: Rootweaver - Chasm law applies if you bring back the rebellious ones, but
Nessey: you don't have to bring them back, wink, wink. Do what you need to do.
Nessey: No one has ever been down to the very bottom. We don't know how far down the problem goes. You might try Bottommost town first. It is a number of days journey, city by city, bridge by bridge, stairs by stairs.
Nessey: Carric - will you be able to supply us with food and drink, etc?
Nessey: Rootweaver - of course.
Nessey: Yoshi - let's start now.
Nessey: Rootweaver, I need some time to gather supplies and announce yours departure with great fanfair to peak interest.
Nessey: Rootweaver - let's say you are going down to investigate the lost riches of the lost bridge. That should stir things up.
Nessey: Caelesti - you think that's more interesting than saving the tree.
Nessey: Rootweaver - do NOT tell anyone the roots are dying. That is a secret. It would cause widespread panic.
Nessey: Nessey - She is saying the trouble makers are greedy.
Nessey: Rootweaver - yes, we are tempting them to follow you through greed. Pay attention. It might get nasty. Do what you need to do.
Nessey: Caelesti - what should we do the rest of the day.
Nessey: Yoshi wants to see if Beedie is okay.
Nessey: Carric reminds him Roges and Mercald and Beedie are coming with us and so she must be ready to travel tomorrow.
Nessey: We walk around town.
Nessey: Nessey wants to try her hand at Flopper catching.
Nessey: Flopper Fishers had side bridges, perpendicular to main bridge. Sit on end with fishing lines. Lower over end and twitch bait at bottom. Flying squirrel like thing launch from walls of chasm and glide out and take the bait or not.
Nessey: They use shiny little things to attract the floppers - hook by membrane not by mouth.
Nessey: Nessey wants to go make friends with someone and learn how to Flopper fish.
Nessey: This is Trade Caste, Flopper Fishing.
Nessey: "Fishers" "Harvesters" "Potters"
Nessey: Nessey makes friends with Sammy, the Fisher, and learns to fish for Floppers.
Nessey: Sammy is happy to show Nessey the tools of his trade.
Nessey: Lower Bridge fishers catch Puffer fish.
Nessey rolls d100: [8] = 8
Nessey rolls d100: [23] = 23
Nessey rolls d100: [74] = 74
Nessey rolls d5: [4] = 4
Nessey rolls d100: [60] = 60
Nessey rolls d100: [66] = 66
Nessey rolls d100: [28] = 28
Carric: Yeah
Carric: she
Carric: caught
Carric: a
Carric: flopper!
Nessey: Nessey came close once, but didn't catch anything. Her beginner's luck did not hold out.
Nessey rolls d100: [97] = 97
Nessey rolls d100: [15] = 15
Nessey rolls d100: [54] = 54
Nessey rolls d100: [50] = 50
Nessey rolls d100: [4] = 4
Nessey: Nessey spends all afternoon too and eventually catches one.
Nessey: Nessey presents it to Sammy as her gift.
Nessey: He is very impressed.
Nessey: What do the rest of the party do and discover
Nessey: They see loitering youths like themselves. Well, not like themselves.
Caelesti rolls Skill (Gather Information) (d20 + 8 + 2): [8 + 8 + 2] = 18
Nessey: They do Gather Information checks.
Mavis rolls Mavis Gather Information (d20 + 2): [10 + 2] = 12
Yoshi rolls Ability:Charisma (d20 + 0): [13] = 13
Carric rolls Stat - CHA (d20 + 3): [4 + 3] = 7
Nessey: Caelesti succeeds in gathering information.
Nessey: Caelesti and Mavis are more talented that is apparent to the naked eye. ;-)
Nessey: Caelesti finds sullen youths saying Beeds are not appropriate leaders of the Bridgers - that there are other equally high
Nessey: caste bridgers who could do a better job.
Nessey: She asks who.
Nessey: They say, the Banders, of course.
Nessey: then they wonder why they are talking to her
Nessey: They get a good feel for the town.
Nessey: They are strangers and only Mavis and Yoshi are human. So they suffer stares and suspicion.
Nessey: Mavis points out 3 or 4 people who she thinks have an agenda talking up the Beeds or Banders.
Nessey: The people with agenda are young members of Bander family.
Nessey: She confirms that the Banders are talking down the Beedes.
Nessey: Carric - what is the approx population of this city Bridge?
Nessey: 500
Nessey: or perhaps 1,000 including the kids
Nessey: They are looking to expand with a new parallel root.
Nessey: We can stop here. Next will be the ceremony and heading down to adventure.
Nessey: nighty- night

Nessey's other notes

Nessey to Carric, "Now don't go going on about the sun and what a Druid is and all that. Let's relate to these people in common terms so we can move on and have a fun adventure here!"

Carric, "But the Sun is very important and, and..."

Mavis, "But, Carric, they have never seen the Sun and I, for one, am getting tired of them questioning us all the time. We need to question them and find out what is going on around here."

Mavis to Caelesti, "We have traveled much and had many discussions about what to do and you have remained silent and in the background. Why so quite now?"

Caelesti, "I don't want to be accused of leading the party into trouble."

Mavis, "You used to come up with all kinds of interesting ideas, some of them useful. I would like to hear your ideas and I'm sure everyone else would too."

Caelesti, "Not Nessey. She accused me of being an evil mastermind who lead the party into trouble. She forgave Carric and Yoshi, saying they were led astray by ME. She never forgave me. She said no one could be as stupid as I pretend to be."

Nessey, "I said no WOMAN could be."

Carric, "Nessey, I think you owe Caelesti and apology."

Nessey, "I'll think about it."

Carric lets 3 minutes pass. "Okay, you've thought about it. Now apologize to Caelesti. Right now!"

Nessey, "Well, she can't have it both ways. Either she is an evil genius or she is a bubble headed bimbo. Choose, Caelesti. Which one are you?"

Carric, "Now, now, you can come up with other options, Nessey."

Yoshi, "Yeah, that's not fair."

Mavis, "There must be a better way of mixing those adjectives."

Caelesti, "Why can't I be innocent AND smart?"

Nessey, "Well, I suppose you could if you had been under a spell or injured and your normal abilites were diminished, like your wisdom was down after a bump on the head or something. It that what happened to you?"

Caelesti, "You mean I had to be injured to think that a Nessey who looked and talked just like you was you? That makes a lot of sense - not!"

Nessey, "Yeah, well that other Nessey sold an evil book for personal profit and lied and cheated the party and from what I've heard you were quite happy to attribute those evil behaviors to ME and never doubted I was the one who did that."

Mavis, "A-hem, evil behaviors? Sounds quite logical and intelligent to ME to sell a valuable book."

Nessey, "It was an evil book."

Mavis, "You must be diminished to say that."

Caelesti, "Maybe this isn't the real Nessey then. Maybe this is the imposter."

Nessey stomps her little feet. "I am not! I am not!"

Carric and Yoshi make peace. "Now, now, we've gotten past all that. Let's not go there again! This is the real Nessey alright."

Caelesti, "And she still claims I sold her into slavery."

Nessey, "Only a woman could be the mastermind."

Mavis, "Unless she was diminished or under an evil influence."

Nessey, "She should still have known I would cheat my friends."

Caelesti, "I did think it strange. That's why I thought YOU were diminshed or under an evil influence."

Carric, "Yeah, we thought YOU had been dropped on your head. We could drop you on your head again, Nessey, to make it better."

Yoshi laughs.

Nessey, "That will not be necessary. Well, okay, Caelesti, I can see who you might think I was not myself because of an injury during battle or because of a spell or something. I can see that. Okay, let's make up."

Nessey runs over and gives Caelesti a big, spontaneous Amazonian bear hug and manages to lift her an inch off the ground.

Caelesti hugs Nessey back. Caelesti has tears in her eyes as she says, "I really didn't want bad things to happen to you, Nessey. I really didn't want you to be kidnapped."

Nessey cries too, "It was awful, just awful, being drugged and sent to that Barbarian camp and waking up there being expected to be a sex slave all at once and, and, and them being so _sexist_ and all..."

Mavis, "Caelesti worked just as hard as everyone else to find you, Nessey."

Nessey wipes her eyes. "Oh. Thanks." Then reconsiders, "How hard was that?"

Caelesti relates their trials and tribulations in crossing the Steppes and all the interviews in Rowansmeade before that and how they ended up in the Barbarian camp and feared for Nessey's life in the forest, etc.

Nessey is genuinely touched and impressed. "Golly, you really do care about me - all you!"

Carric, Mavis, Yoshi, Caelesti say, "Yes, yes!"

Everyone is happy and friendly again. We then go on to discuss what to do next in the City of Top Most.