Treasures Age Old - Session 8 Player Recap

Present: Charlie Betts, Oscar Katz, William Chapman, Robert Nettleton
Last Session: Treasures Age Old - Session 7 Player Recap

After leaving Wrinkle Row, the party followed the Slippery Three out of Freeport and into the jungle. It was night, and the path was narrow, dark, and barely trodden. Eyeless Alice carried a flickering torch. The earless sister dragged the unconscious caretaker, while the tongueless sister dragged the caretaker’s Shimmerscale by the tail.

As they walked, Bruno Culina (William Chapman) quietly asked Eyeless Alice how they were planning to cook the caretaker and the dinosaur. He immediately began undermining the sisters’ cooking abilities, saying he could do better. The sisters were not impressed. They told him that if the party disliked their cooking, they were welcome to leave.

The sisters explained their intended ritual. They wanted to use fire to move the property of “legness” out of the caretaker and into their fourth sister. Their explanation was messy and inconsistent: they spoke of cooking, fire, bloodletting, soup, a statue, a sister, legs, and escape as if these were all obviously the same sacred process.

On the way, Peg Meg-Leg objected to how the Shimmerscale was being handled. She approached the tongueless sister and took the dinosaur’s tail (not as an attack but as a correction). Peg Meg-Leg still had to drag the dinosaur, but she did so more carefully, stroking its back as they went. The animal remained unconscious, though warm.

After about 15-20 minutes through thick jungle, the party saw a small, very old stone structure silhouetted against the dark, not-too-starry sky. Around it were the remnants of a crude wooden shelter, ruined walls, fragments of old ceremonial space, some old benches, and a makeshift altar in the middle.

Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) examined the old iconography around what had once been the threshold. On the left side, where half of the doorway remained, he could make out symbols in the dark. His Occultism knoweldge suggested they were much older Azcelani markings, connected somehow to the construction or consecration of the temple. They seemed almost like a record of the temple being built, or signs of reverence for the act of building.

The Slippery Three ignored most of the party’s questions and carried the caretaker directly to the altar. The altar was a stone structure with a gap beneath a thin stone slab, designed so a fire could burn underneath and heat whatever lay above. It would not fully incinerate a body, but it could smoke, scorch, and slowly burn it. Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) recognised that fire is very important in Azcelani ritual practice, often acting as a means of transfer from one thing to another.

The caretaker was laid on the altar. She was not fully unconscious anymore, but she was heavily sedated by whatever the sisters had used on her. Her eyes were unfocused, her body limp, and her pupils dilated.

The Shimmerscale was set aside near a rough wooden shack. The shack looked as if it would not take much force to collapse. Its door was little more than a flat piece of wood that could be pushed aside. Inside, it was very dark and filthy. It stank of faeces, urine, old refuse, and general neglect. It did not seem to be a toilet as such; more that the sisters had simply gone wherever they pleased.

The tongueless sister went over to a shape on the floor near a large base structure. As the party got a better look, they saw it was a fallen statue, about the size of a Montañero, maybe ten feet tall if upright. It depicted an extraordinarily beautiful Azcelani woman, carved with remarkable skill and intended as an image of perfect form. It was clearly ancient, not Conquistadan work. It had fallen horizontally, and its legs had broken away from the body. The base and lower part of the statue were caked in layers of unguent and ritual mess. This had clearly been attempted many times before.

The party realised the caretaker might still have useful information, and that the Slippery Three themselves knew where this shrine was, so they might know about other temples.

Peg Meg-Leg asked the earless sister whether she had heard of any other temples, but was ignored. The party also asked about Belladonna Velenza, but the sisters were focused on their ritual.

Eyeless Alice began adding unguent and powder to the caretaker’s legs. The sisters explained that they would smoke the woman, bloodlet her, and then make soup. Through this, they would transfer her “legness” into the statue, allowing their fourth sister to gain legs.

Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz)’s Occultism knowledge suggested that the ritual made little sense. Regrowing limbs did not really fit the metaphysics being invoked, and the sisters seemed to be badly misunderstanding whatever Azcelani ritual fragments they had built their practice around.

The sisters explained that the statue was their fourth sister. Not by blood, exactly, but spiritually. They were all sisters “under the eye.” The statue had no legs, and without legs, they could not truly escape. They said that they together could see, hear, and speak, but she lacked the “legs of the soul.”

Peg Meg-Leg pointed out that she herself was missing a leg and managed with a peg leg. The sisters insisted there was a difference between losing your legs and losing your legs. Mortal legs were not the issue.

They described having been part of something when they were children, a ritual or supernatural event tied to the loss of body parts. Their missing eye, tongue, ear, and the statue’s missing legs were all folded into this private, broken theology of escape and bodily loss.

Eyeless Alice held the torch above the horizontal statue, making its beauty clearer in the firelight. The statue was an Azcelani woman of almost impossible grace, its features sculpted with extraordinary care. But it lay broken, legless, and covered in ritual filth. The sisters admitted they had tried this many times before without success. They still believed the method was basically sound, or at least that the failure meant they had chosen the wrong sacrifice or performed some part of the rite incorrectly.

Eyeless Alice lit the fire beneath the altar. The sisters began whispering in tongues. The caretaker’s clothes started to smoulder, and the smell of burning cloth and crisping flesh began to rise.

Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) suggested that they were probably using the wrong method. If they wanted spiritual legs rather than physical legs, simply burning someone’s actual legs might not work. Bruno suggested moving the statue back into place.

Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) then made the most persuasive argument - he suggested that they had been choosing the wrong kind of sacrifice. They had used people without much spiritual “legness.” If they wanted the essence of travel, escape, freedom, and movement, they needed someone whose life embodied those things. Freeport was full of pirates, great travellers and fugitives who crossed the sea and escaped every law that tried to bind them. Perhaps they needed a great pirate. Perhaps even a pirate lord.

This caught the sisters’ attention. They asked if the party were pirates. The party said they were, but suggested Belladonna Velenza as a potential future sacrifice, partly because she was a powerful pirate and partly because she had "great legs". The Slippery Three accepted this reasoning and said they could try Belladonna Velenza next if this sacrifice did not work.

The party also suggested that perhaps they had been insulting their god by performing an improper sacrifice. Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz)’s argument had given them a framework for why their previous attempts had failed. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) also went over to the statue and wiped away some of the old unguent, demonstrating that their ritual process was not exactly precise.

The party then suggested using the Shimmerscale instead, arguing that the dinosaur could help them find supernatural forces or identify a better sacrifice. The sisters agreed, at least briefly, that they could remove the caretaker from the altar, avoid the bloodletting, and “imbue the air with leg” instead, and took the caretaker off the altar and set her aside.

Then when one of the sisters moved to place the Shimmerscale on the altar. Peg Meg-Leg drew her sword and pointed it at the one-eared sister, warning her to get away from the dinosaur. The sisters became confused and angry. From their perspective, the party had agreed to come and eat with them, then stopped them cooking the caretaker, then suggested the dinosaur, and now objected to cooking the dinosaur too. They told the party to leave.

Bruno Culina (William Chapman) tried to argue that they could still gain magical power from the meal, and also that everyone was very tired and needed to go to bed. Peg Meg-Leg suggested they could go and find a different dinosaur.

The Slippery Three had no weapons, and thus in a panic, the tongueless sister grabbed a bucket of piss and threw it onto the fire to put it out. She complained that the party had come here as guests only to complain. The sisters insisted they were eating for magical power, not for taste. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) nevertheless tried to suggest that proper cooking mattered.

The altar fire was out. Darkness fell. The Slippery Three fled, and scattered into the forest. From the darkness, the sisters said Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) could stay, but the others had to go. Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) had at least tried to understand and improve the ritual. The others had mostly threatened them, criticised the cooking, and disrupted the sacrifice. Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) used Pulo to track the Slippery Three, who were hiding nearby in the forest.

Bruno Culina (William Chapman) inspected the unguents and powders and found they were made of tobacco powder, ash, and ground bones. Then he pulled an onion from his pocket and started chewing it.

Peg Meg-Leg tried to move the Shimmerscale off the altar in the darkness. Feeling around, she found that it was still unconscious and reasonably warm.

Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) examined the dinosaur more closely. Its base form seemed to be something like the dinosaur equivalent of a bloodhound, though he considered that maybe the Shimmerscale’s supernatural qualities might come from being Mutite-imbued. However, he suspected that it was not in fact mutite-imbued as Peg Meg-Leg had suggested.

Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) argued that the Slippery Three were not necessarily enemies, and there was no reason to antagonise them - and they should calm down. Peg Meg-Leg said they were enemies to humanity. Eventually, the party agreed not to turn it into a fight. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) made a new fire and got a pot out.

The party briefly debated taking the statue with them to mess with the Slippery Three, but realised it was far too heavy. They also debated whether to go back and wait by the Chained Hag ship, since Belladonna Velenza and the rest of the Chained Hag would eventually have to return there. But they realised they still needed to find the other temple, and the Slippery Three might know where it was.

The caretaker began to come around. Her clothes were smouldering. Peg Meg-Leg rested the woman’s head on her lap and checked for head wounds. There were no major open wounds, though the back of her head had some damage from where it had rested against the warm stone. She seemed to have been struck on the back of the head earlier, likely when Edward Jenkins knocked her out. She was still sedated, with dilated pupils and unfocused eyes, but the drugs were wearing off.

Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) tracked the Slippery Three down with Pulo and tried to smooth things over. He told them the party had Peg Meg-Leg under control, saying Peg Meg-Leg was missing her “soul-brain.” The sisters complained that the others were not initiated and did not understand the true nature of the world. They said they could not leave their sister hungry. There was no time to go back and find Belladonna Velenza. They wanted a sacrifice today. It had been a few days since the last sacrifice, and the statue hungered - so the Shimmerscale had to be sacrificed.

Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) asked them about the ruined temple with the icon of the bat. The sisters knew of it - it was Amokuali Temple. They said it was far away. On a riding dinosaur it would be much faster, but on foot it might take around 16 hours through the jungle. They suggested the party could simply stay with them instead, help with sacrifices, and learn real magic.

With regards to the Amokuali Temple, they warned the party to tread carefully. The temple was abandoned, unsafe, and haunted. It had been ignored for decades by both Conquistadan and Azcelani. There were a few nearby villages, and the party might be able to find a local guide who knew the way. The temple was inland, south of their shrine, atop a hill. It had once been a great temple. Inside, it was dark. They warned the party to watch their heads, and muttered about "the bat".

Meanwhile, Bruno Culina (William Chapman) and Peg Meg-Leg wondered whether all the chaos at Freeport’s harbour might have been because a local volcano was about to erupt.

Eventually, the party allowed the Shimmerscale to become the sacrifice after all. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) gave the sisters a cooked onion, which they appreciated for its flavour, even if "there was no deep magic in onions".

Bruno Culina (William Chapman) asked why they sacrificed people rather than insects, since insects had lots of legs. The sisters said they did not need to fly like a bee, or crawl like an insect. They wanted human legs.

The caretaker was still too dazed to understand what was happening. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) got out his portable cooking utensils, and one of the Slippery Three fetched grubby cutlery from the shack. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) butchered the Shimmerscale with his own knives, and the dinosaur died. He cooked a decent meal from it, adding a secret ingredient (which Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) spotted but did not object to).

Eventually, the caretaker began to regain her bearings. She did not seem fully aware of what had happened to the dinosaur. She ate some of the meal, then staggered to her feet and limped across to rest against what remained of an old bench.

It was now around 4am.

The party realised they needed to reach Amokuali Temple quickly. The Slippery Three had said the journey would be long: perhaps 16 hours on foot through the jungle. Riding dinosaurs would make it faster, but they did not have any. They discussed whether they could use Tlali to travel upriver and shave off some time, maybe even sleep aboard it, but that still would not take them all the way. They would still need to navigate through a foggy bog and then continue inland, probably needing a local guide. Even with the river route, the journey might still take something like 9-12 hours overall.

Then they realised the caretaker might know where the temple was.

The caretaker was still coming out of the drugs. Her clothes were singed and smouldering from the altar. Peg Meg-Leg had her head resting on her lap and checked her for head wounds. There were no major open wounds, though the back of her head was hurt from where it had been resting against the warm stone. She also seemed to have been struck in the head earlier, likely when Edward Jenkins knocked her out. Her eyes were not fully responsive, her pupils were dilated, and she was still dazed, but the sedation was wearing off.

As she started to understand her surroundings, the caretaker realised the cooked dinosaur had been her pet. She called it Softfeather. She said Softfeather was very special to her, and that they had a unique bond.

When she began asking whether the party knew what Softfeather could do, Peg Meg-Leg immediately interjected that Softfeather could see spirits and auras. The caretaker accepted that. Peg Meg-Leg apologised for what had happened to the dinosaur.

The caretaker wanted to go back to Freeport. She said this place was not safe. Peg Meg-Leg ignored that plea and started asking about Bennett (Freeport Scholar) whose house the caretaker had been working for. Peg Meg-Leg explained that they had found her outside Bennett (Freeport Scholar)'s house on Wrinkle Row.

The caretaker said she and Bennett (Freeport Scholar) were great friends. She said his name was Bennett (Freeport Scholar), and that his home had been ransacked by the Edward Jenkins, who had "always been trouble". The party began walking back toward Freeport.

During the walk, Peg said the Chained Hag were going to murder the Bennett (Freeport Scholar) because he knew secret arcane knowledge, and also murder Grizzlebeard. The caretaker did not know what secret knowledge Bennett (Freeport Scholar) supposedly had. She said he had not been looking at anything especially dangerous, just many old legends and bits of research.

When asked what Bennett (Freeport Scholar) had been reading in the lead-up to the ransack, she mentioned a mystical banner. There was a god, the flayed god, and the banner was made from his skin. Those inspired by its presence were imbued with the spirit of war, strength, and bloodshed. It was one of many legends Bennett (Freeport Scholar) had researched.

The caretaker said she hoped Bennett (Freeport Scholar) was okay. She asked why the party were so interested in him. She said they seemed like chancers, like all the other pirates.

Peg Meg-Leg said the party had a moral code - the caretaker asked what moral code that might be. Peg Meg-Leg said that earlier that day they had found a mob of pirates mobbing in the street and stopped it, because “that’s not on.” This was a lie of course, since the party had been involved in stirring up the mob to kill Juarez and directing it toward the Chained Hag. The caretaker said she had heard there was disorder in the city (as she had still been conscious until Edward Jenkins turned up and knocked her out). The caretaker asked how long she had been unconscious - Peg Meg-Leg said it had only been a night.

Peg Meg-Leg explained that the party were after treasure and a man, but also wanted to rescue Bennett (Freeport Scholar) and rescue Grizzlebeard. The caretaker warned them not to trust Grizzlebeard. She said everyone thought he was a pillar of the community, but that he was a terrible man. She said:

“Don’t trust a word that comes from his mouth. All liars have beards, which is why pirates love them. If you can’t see half his face, let alone half his torso, what does he have to hide? It covers the heart and mouth.”

She also claimed Grizzlebeard had stabbed Bennett (Freeport Scholar)’s wife, and that Grizzlebeard had threatened to kill the caretaker if she told anyone.

The caretaker said she wanted to go home, sleep, and mourn Softfeather. The party said they could take her home. She said she stayed with Bennett (Freeport Scholar) at his house.

She then asked why Redd James’ crew had been involved in the mob violence earlier. She had heard the mob had been stirred up by treasure. To distance themselves from the fact that they had started the mob, the party claimed to not know who Redd James was.

The caretaker complained that so much bad luck had happened to her and said she wanted to stay in one place and not do anything, but Bruno Culina (William Chapman) suggested she join their crew. When she asked whose crew that was - the name of their captain. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) said she would not know him, because he was a small-time captain.

The caretaker said she could clean on the ship, but she was staring blankly ahead while saying this. Her beloved pet of many years had just been cooked and eaten, and her friend Bennett (Freeport Scholar) had been kidnapped or taken.

The party told her that people would come to interrogate her for information about the Bennett (Freeport Scholar). This was ironic, since they were also interrogating her for information about the scholar.

The caretaker still just wanted to get back to Freeport, so the party returned there with her.

Once back in Freeport, the party realised more clearly that the caretaker was local and might be able to guide them to Amokuali Temple. They asked her about the route.

She said that normally, when she went through the bog with Bennett (Freeport Scholar), they would use Softfeather. Softfeather could see the way the supernatural moved through the area, helping them avoid danger and find the safer path.

Marco was not sure how to square this with what he had noticed about Softfeather. He thought the dinosaur’s base form seemed more like a mundane bloodhound-like tracker, but wondered if perhaps he had misunderstood how the Shimmerscale effect worked.

The caretaker said that once she got back, she could try to find a friend who had another Shimmerscale. Then she started asking the party about the old man. She asked what they knew about him. What did everyone know? What did the party know that everyone else did not? Bruno Culina (William Chapman) noted that she sounded very interested in the old man, then reasoned that this made sense if she was becoming a member of the crew.

Peg Meg-Leg said the old man was related to Doña Isabel del Oro, and asked what the caretaker knew about the del Oro curse, to which the caretaker asked how they were connected. Peg Meg-Leg speculated that perhaps the old man was Doña Isabel del Oro’s son, or that Doña Isabel del Oro’s children had been cursed to grow old instantly so they could not surpass her.

The caretaker kept pressing. If she was going on this journey, and if the party were funding the cost of bedding and everything else, she did not want to get on a ship only to find out there were no leads and no real plan. She wanted to know what everyone knew, and what the party knew that everyone else did not. The party said they knew the full puzzle, while others only knew fragments. They said they would know more once they rescued Bennett.

She then returned to Grizzlebeard. She said everyone thought Grizzlebeard was a pillar of the community, but that he would shake your hand with one hand and stab you in the back with the other. She repeated that Grizzlebeard had stabbed Bennett (Freeport Scholar)’s wife and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

By now it was about 4:30am.

Bruno suggested sleeping and waiting for the Chained Hag crew to come back and ambush them when they returned. Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) wanted to go down the river on Tlali to potentially save some time. The caretaker became confused when the party talked about using Tlali. She asked whether they thought Tlali was their ship. When they explained Tlali (the dinosaur) was "the rowboat", she said she would have to pass. The party said the ship was outside the port, so she could not see it, but assured her they did indeed have a ship of their own. The caretaker then tried to leave. She said it had been a pleasure, and thanked them for getting her out of there.

Peg Meg-Leg wanted to get weapons and crewmates. She stopped by her apartment to get an old man costume, hoping to use it later for a bait-and-switch.

The caretaker then tried to leave. She said it had been a pleasure, and thanked them for getting her out of there, but Bruno Culina (William Chapman) said “You’re coming with us.”

The caretaker objected. She said she did not see a boat, and if they were going somewhere dangerous, she did not want to go. She asked them to explain where they were going, and Bruno Culina (William Chapman) said they were going to rescue her friend Bennett (Freeport Scholar). When the caretaker said Bennett (Freeport Scholar) had been kidnapped, Bruno Culina (William Chapman) said he had not been kidnapped; he had gone willingly with Grizzlebeard. The caretaker said Grizzlebeard was dangerous and would be with his whole crew. There was no way Grizzlebeard would go alone.

She asked where Grizzlebeard had gone, and what the party knew about the temple. She specifically asked whether it was Amokuali Temple. If it was, she wanted no part of it, because it was too cursed and haunted (Bruno Culina (William Chapman) reassured her that it wasn't Amokuali Temple).

While trying to convince her to join them, Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) realised they did not really have anything she wanted. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) suggested threatening her, but Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) pointed out that if they threatened her, she might lead them the wrong way.

The caretaker said she had the strong sense that, if she went with the party, she was going to end up being used as cannon fodder. She imagined the party reaching the temple, getting scared, and then forcing her to go in first.

Peg Meg-Leg argued that the party were the only ones trying to rescue Bennett (Freeport Scholar). All the other pirates only cared about treasure. They needed her to help them get there.

The caretaker said "“I don’t want to be shoved into a temple.”

Bruno Culina (William Chapman) suggested that, when they reached the temple, the caretaker could stay outside, nice and safe. Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) added that the party loved danger and would go in first.

The caretaker said she needed some kind of deposit. Something valuable enough that, if she did not come back, there would be consequences for the party - Peg Meg-Leg offered her stuffed parrot, and the caretaker was not convinced. She asked who would vouch for the party, given that they had just eaten her pet, and Bruno Culina (William Chapman) suggested going to the cook, Matthew Clever (Meat Cleaver) at the pirate club.

The party woke Matthew Clever (Meat Cleaver) in the middle of the night. He was confused by the hour, by the party, and by the woman they had brought with them. He said the caretaker, much like the others before, could not come in unless she passed the pirate test. However, the caretaker passed with great ease, showing off her strong knife skills.

Matthew Clever (Meat Cleaver) asked whether the party had found their treasure yet, and whether they had got into trouble for “that incident earlier.” The party immediately tried to paper over this remark, gesturing for him not to say more because they had told the caretaker they had stopped the mob rather than helped incite it. The cook awkwardly corrected himself and said he meant when they had spilled sauce on the floor earlier.

The caretaker was confused - she was now in a kitchen at 5am, with people who were plainly hiding something.

Peg Meg-Leg said the cook knew they were trustworthy, and would vouch for them. Matthew Clever (Meat Cleaver) cook asked what he was vouching for: their combat skills - but was corrected by Bruno Culina (William Chapman) in that he should vouch for their trustworthiness. The cook hesitated and asked who the caretaker was (the party realised they had never asked her name).

The caretaker introduced herself as Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker). She said Carrouba was her long-form name, because she was named after Carrouban. The cook introduced himself as Matthew Clever (Meat Cleaver), although he always misspelled it as Meat Cleaver.

Matthew Clever (Meat Cleaver) eventually said that yes, the party were trustworthy. They had "good vibes", and "had come to his kitchen before, he had let them cook there, and they had made a very nice meal". Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) explained that she just needed to know the party were not going to shove her into the nearest pit trap, crushing room, or a poison dart trap - and Matthew Clever (Meat Cleaver) said he had never seen them shove someone into danger or put them in unnecessary harm (though looked shifty while saying this).

Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) accepted the vouch, though only barely. She told Matthew Clever (Meat Cleaver) that if she did not return, he should tell her family that she would "see them on the other side with Softfeather". She was no longer hesitant enough to leave, and so she remained with the party for the moment. She asked to see their ship, and the party said they'd get on the back of Tlali and take her to it. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) thanked Matthew Clever (Meat Cleaver) and gave him $5 for his troubles. Matthew Clever (Meat Cleaver) said he did not like lying like that and could not do it again. He could not have his honour tarnished.^[1]

Given how pressed they were for time, the party still did not know whether to commit to taking Tlali or whether they could somehow fly to the temple on Swooping Terrors. They did not have much money to hire such beasts, and any time spent finding money was time not spent heading downriver. Peg Meg-Leg only had about $45 on her, for example.

Peg knew that up near the fort of Freeport there was a ledge where the Swooping Terror service operated. A place like Freeport would normally have four or five Swooping Terrors in service at any one time for expensive journeys.

When they arrived, Peg found her friend Lazarro Altaviti. Lazarro Altaviti greeted her warmly. They briefly discussed the riot the night before (which Lazarro Altaviti had also heard that it involved Redd James’ crew, and that people were saying Peg Meg-Leg and her friends were involved).

Peg Meg-Leg said they needed urgent travel to the middle of the jungle, and that Lazarro Altaviti was the best in town. However, Lazarro Altaviti explained that all of his Swooping Terrors were in use, far away from Freeport. Two pirate lords had bought last-minute rides with them just recently.

When Peg Meg-Leg asked where they had gone, Lazarro Altaviti said that Peg Meg-Leg had apparently not heard the news: Gustavo, Montañero Pirate Lord was besieging the port. That was why everyone had been scrambling in the harbour, loading ships and trying to work out whether they could leave. Gustavo, Montañero Pirate Lord had likely worked out, from all the spreading rumours, that the old man and the treasure had pinned people in Freeport. People were trying to flee before the siege became fully established. And while Gustavo, Montañero Pirate Lord could not simply attack the town without risking himself, the situation must have been extremely serious for him to do this.

Note: The two pirates who had left using the Swooping Terrors were the two pirate lords that Belladonna Velenza was better than. The two weaker ones had basically fled in fear)

Peg Meg-Leg asked if Lazarro Altaviti had any spares - Lazarro Altaviti said no, but the Swooping Terrors would be back in two or three days. Peg Meg-Leg said they needed one right now, and that it would pay off in a week. Lazarro Altaviti said that if Peg Meg-Leg gave him a dinosaur to fly, he could fly it, but his wards were empty.

Peg Meg-Leg insisted that he always kept spares for emergencies, and they began to discuss as though Lazarro Altaviti did have one, suggesting he might indeed have a spare Swooping Terror that he could be convinced to help them with.

Lazarro Altaviti explained the practicalities. If he had a Swooping Terror, a journey to where Peg Meg-Leg was suggesting (a very very broad brush "the bog" area) would take about an hour there and an hour back if they really pushed it. If they allowed the beast to rest along the way, it would be more like a couple of hours. Either way, he needed to know where they were going.

Peg Meg-Leg said she would tell him once they had the crew together (all four of them). When Peg Meg-Leg admitted the crew didn't know how to fly, Lazarro Altaviti pointed out that this meant he would have to take them himself, which would mean multiple trips.

The party were still considering other travel options. Tlali would be about one and a half times as fast for the river leg of the journey, but it would not take them all the way. Even with the river helping, the full route toward the temple would still be something like 9-12 hours, because they would still need to navigate the foggy bog and then continue inland.

Lazarro Altaviti asked Peg Meg-Leg to let him in on more of the plan. He needed to know what he was being asked to do. After discussing more, Lazarro Altaviti could take two people at a time, provided they travelled with essentially no equipment: just their bodies and perhaps a change of clothes. Then he could make a final trip carrying Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) and the equipment.

Peg Meg-Leg assured Lazarro Altaviti that the journey was life-or-death, but it would be safe for Lazarro Altaviti. Lazarro Altaviti asked if they were looking for the old man everyone had been talking about - and when this was confirmed, Lazarro Altaviti said that, in exchange for the journey, he wanted half ($50k) of the $100,000 bounty Doña Isabel del Oro had offered for the old man.

When Peg Meg-Leg's counteroffer of 20% was rejected, she left to fetch the others in the hopes that they could haggle more effectively. Away from Lazarro Altaviti, Bruno Culina (William Chapman) suggested they could maybe get him on a technicality, since they were not necessarily planning to claim the old man for the bounty, and would thus owe him nothing.

When Peg Meg-Leg returned with the crew, Lazarro Altaviti started make conversation about their activities in Freeport, but Bruno Culina (William Chapman) coughed to suggest Lazarro Altaviti should not ask too many questions in front of Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker)], since that might make the party seem untrustworthy. Peg Meg-Leg tried to reassure Lazarro Altaviti by saying they were trustworthy and always transparent.

Lazarro Altaviti was eventually negotiated down to $40,000, and needed to know where the party were going. While the party were initially hesitant to give him the full location, they eventually provided it and Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) located it on a map for Lazarro Altaviti. She said they did not want to land nearby, because of the Death Bat and because they did not want to lose their heads. She wanted Lazarro Altaviti to drop the party near the temple, but to drop her even further away (about 200 yards further).

Bruno Culina (William Chapman) told Lazarro Altaviti not to listen to that, and to drop everyone in the same place. Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) asked why she needed to be close. She only needed to show them where the temple was. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) said it would be foggy, and she might need protection - and rather than be far away, she could be just a few steps behind. When the caretaker said no again (as they had agreed she would not be going inside a temple), Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) argued that they would go in a marching order, in a line. He asked whether she would rather be in the back and get picked off by a dinosaur in the forest. He pointed out that between them, Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) was the only person who knew what the scholar looked like. Peg Meg-Leg added that they needed her alive when they rescued Bennett (Freeport Scholar), because Bennett (Freeport Scholar) needed to see that he could trust them. Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) was their insurance against him running away and getting mauled by a Devouring Tyrant.

The party debated signing the contract under Redd James’ name, but realised Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) might see Redd James’s name on the contract and connect them more clearly to the mob rabble-rousing from earlier. They read through Lazarro Altaviti’s contract. It looked fairly standard, though it included clauses about injury to the dinosaur, Lazarro Altaviti not being liable if the dinosaur was obliterated in the sky and injuries resulted, and a massive payment if the dinosaur was not returned. If the dinosaur was lost, the party would owe $200,000.

Peg Meg-Leg was happy to stake her apartment, though it was only worth about $1,000. Lazarro Altaviti told Peg Meg-Leg that he trusted she would do as she said. He knew where she lived if she did not, and he would take it up with her friend (i.e., Redd James), if she betrayed the contract. To which Peg Meg-Leg said "We're a crew of our word".

With the contract signed, Lazarro Altaviti then admitted that he did have a private ride. It was not something he normally let members of the public use. He told the party to be gentle with his Swooping Terror, because he was a very kind soul.

As they were working out the equipment they would carry with them (only about 30lbs. in total), Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) put a bone from Softfeather into a small makeup box and strongly insisted on bringing the makeup box with her. She also had a Stiletto knife - very lightweight, and said she only planned to carry a pound or two of belongings overall.

Lazarro Altaviti warned the party to not to bring lots of metal, because a storm was approaching and waving around a something like a big metal glassblowing rod in a storm was a bad idea. He mentioned that he had lost a rider before because a pirate brandished weapons during a very big storm.

Bruno Culina (William Chapman) went first. Lazarro Altaviti was able to navigate through the storm, passing over a few smaller villages and settlements.

Eventually, Bruno Culina (William Chapman) saw the Amokuali Temple: a dark stone Azcelani pyramid standing atop a hill. The sun had not yet risen. Around the hill were signs of old construction work. It looked like the temple had once been in the process of being renovated or converted into a temple of Caelor, but the work had stopped long ago. The remaining tools and materials looked decades old, perhaps 40-50 years, much of it rotted and useless. A road led down toward a bridge across the bog, though the bridge, a mix of wood and stone, had long since collapsed. There did not seem to be anyone else at the temple yet - at least, not outside. On the way, however, they saw a huge mass of lights moving in the same direction: the pirate crowd and others making their way through the jungle toward the temple. They were still a few hours out, but they were coming.

The Swooping Terror returned with Lazarro, leaving Bruno Culina (William Chapman) in the forest near Amokuali Temple with only his clothes. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) found some throwing knives through his usual hidden stash tricks. Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) went next and arrived safely. While waiting, he partook in food made by Bruno Culina (William Chapman).

The caretaker prepared to go with Lazarro Altaviti and once again asked whether the party were sure their friends were not going to toss her into Amokuali Temple. She still did not want to be dropped with the rest of the party. She wanted Lazarro Altaviti to drop her about 200 yards away, closer to the river, so that she would not be forced straight into Amokuali Temple. Peg Meg-Leg quietly whispered to Lazarro Altaviti that he should drop Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) close to the rest of the party, no matter how much she protested. Peg Meg-Leg argued that it was not safe for the caretaker to be separated.

And thus, Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) went with Lazarro Altaviti and the party’s equipment.

Time passed.

Lazarro Altaviti did not arrive at the temple.

He also did not return to Freeport.

Peg Meg-Leg paced back and forth around with Pulo, waiting and watching, as the party was now split - something must have happened. With a stroke of luck^[2], another Swooping Terror arrived back at Freeport with a different rider. The rider was surprised and irritated, muttering something like:

“That’s the last time I work with a fucking pirate lord. Snobs.” Peg Meg-Leg said she hated them too - and told the rider that she was a friend of Lazarro Altaviti and had a contract to be ferried to a spot on the map. She needed to get there as soon as possible because her friends were already there. The other rider agreed to take her and said he would leave a note for Lazarro Altaviti to let him know the journey had been made for when he returned. He was surprised that the contract said she had friends (This rider liked to talk shit about the passengers he carried). Pulo went with Peg Meg-Leg, and the two of them got to the area unharmed.

As they neared the temple, they also saw the torchlight of the rabble approaching. The huge crowd of pirates and treasure-seekers were drawing closer to the temple, only 30-ish minutes away.

On the way, they saw fire below: something burning in the jungle, a few hundred yards from the temple.Bruno Culina (William Chapman) and Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz), already near the temple, had not seen the lightning strike itself. There was so much lightning in the storm that they had probably just missed it.

As Peg Meg-Leg and the rider descended, the rider spotted the downed Swooping Terror and became immediately worried about Lazarro Altaviti, but also his own pay, his safety, and what exactly he had flown into. He asked whether Peg Meg-Leg’s friends had done that to the Swooping Terror - Peg Meg-Leg said no, it must have been the lightning.

As they got lower, about 50 feet from the ground, Bruno Culina (William Chapman) and Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) saw Peg Meg-Leg’s Swooping Terror in the distance, briefly lit by the lightning flashes. They reached the base of a tall tree. Beneath it, the body of the Swooping Terror was burning. Its body had been on fire for a little while, and it was still twitching with clear nervous system damage. Lazarro Altaviti lay nearby, unconscious, badly burned, and also twitching.

Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) was face down in the mud beside the burning dinosaur. She had some light bruises and the earlier burns from the Slippery Three, but she miraculously had not suffered the same obvious lightning damage as Lazarro Altaviti or the Swooping Terror (she was not burned in the same way, and she was not twitching).

Bruno Culina (William Chapman) and Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) checked the bodies - Lazarro Altaviti was alive, but unconscious. Before the other rider could properly land and get down, Bruno Culina (William Chapman) slit Lazarro’s throat, and when she landed, Peg Meg-Leg threw her copy of the contract into the fire. The second rider complained and blamed the party for what had happened, but Peg Meg-Leg
insisted they could not control lightning.

The party considered the missing equipment. The sack with all the weapons and other items was gone. They wondered whether the metal weapons, Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker)’s knife, the makeup box, or something else in the bag had contributed to the lightning strike.

Bruno Culina (William Chapman) turned his attention to the caretaker and performed first aid. When they turned her over, they saw that she had landed face-first in the mud. The mud had probably cushioned her fall. The brunt of the lightning seemed to have been taken by the Swooping Terror and Lazarro Altaviti. Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) had somehow avoided being obliterated by the strike. Bruno Culina (William Chapman)’s first aid was successful, and he roused her back to consciousness (and thus, once again, Carrie woke up to the smell of burning dinosaur).

As Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) panicked and asked how they were going to get back, the second rider, furious and not wanting any more part of this, left - taking off and abandoning the scene. The party said they did not need him and could get back normally.

They searched for the bag of equipment, but it was not at the crash site. They used Pulo to track its scent. Pulo followed the trail away from the crash site and eventually led them to a cenote, a deep natural pool. The trail stopped at the water. The bag seemed to have been dragged from the crash site to the cenote (if the bag had simply fallen from the sky into the cenote, there would not be an above-ground trail to follow). The drag marks may have covered or destroyed any tracks left by whoever moved it, and the party’s own movement around the crash site may had disturbed things further - besides, in the dark undergrowth and the storm, it was hard to make out much detail. Bruno Culina (William Chapman) wondered who might have thrown the bag into the water. He looked for tracks, but in the darkness and mud he could not find anything useful.

The cenote was deep, and if the bag was even recoverable, the blackpowder in the guns would likely be soaked. However, Pulo was a great swimmer, and swam down and successfully dragged the bag back up.

Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) of course, was terrified. She kept waking up next to dead dinosaurs. She also worried about the huge crowd of pirates approaching and thought they might start stabbing the party too. There were also the Chained Hag people to worry about.

The party said they were hoping all the pirates would stab each other. They also hoped Grizzlebeard would get stabbed by someone, and that they "thrived in high-chaos environments".

The caretaker pointed out that Redd James was coming too. Lazarro Altaviti had mentioned to her that he had seen Redd James before they set off to the temple earlier in the day. Redd James had seemed frustrated and had no idea where some of his people had gone (i.e. the party).

The party sought to seize the opportunity of the horde, and suggested doing Grizzfest 2, and so, as the horde approached, Bruno Culina (William Chapman) made a sign for Grizzfest out of parts in the construction site - three signs in total, reading:

1. “Come armed, come all.”
2. “Right leg, left leg.”
3. “This way to Grizzfest.”
   The party also debated charging people to cross the half-collapsed bridge.

Carrouba "Carrie" Takeson (the scholar's caretaker) was horrified. She said that if they turned this into Grizzfest, it would only strengthen Grizzlebeard’s position as a pillar of the community. If Grizzlebeard told everyone to kill the party, everyone might simply do it.

She wondered whether she was in a fever dream, and whether she had died.

As they waited, Dino Wrangler (Oscar Katz) reflected further on the Death Bat. He remembered a legend in which two Azcelani travelled to a house filled with death bats, which ripped the heads from their victims. Their main method of attack was tearing the head from the body, which they could do very easily. They were also known as snatch bats, or Kanmazotz: monstrous beasts with snouts like knives. "To come before them was to die at once".

By the end of the session, the party’s equipment situation was:

• Bruno Culina (William Chapman) had his big knife, his outfit, 10 new small knives, 10 vials of poison, and a barrel of croissants.
• Peg Meg-Leg had her pistol with five shots, a cutlass, throwing daggers, her old man outfit, and her original outfit, though the original outfit was soaked.
• Marco had everything except his shield.
• At this point, Carrie had a knife, a makeup box, some burned clothes, and the prospect of a 16-hour walk back to Freeport, or perhaps 12 hours with Tlali.