Volant Playtest #1

Started the playtest of Volant today. The characters were informed by their "Elders" in the Company that they had accepted a contract from a single region nation. This nation, a mineral rich country, knew that the powerful and militaristic Electorate of Straum had targeted them for assimilation into its rapidly expanding empire, so they contracted out hits on the seven most powerful people in Straum. The PCs had a month to take these people out, or the invasion would launch.

The PCs took passage on the Company's merchant ship, and launched off to Straum on giant owls. They landed in the southern mountains bordering the region of Ar Jinnyeh and did some hunting - their cover. Ar Jinnyeh is a desert region, bordered by mountains, but there are scrubby forests in those mountains. There, at their campfire, they had a terrifying encounter with a herd of camels. When the camel herder, coming up behind, saw they were hunting, he told them in primitive, badly broken Trade that they needed a pass from his boss to hunt here. Instead, the PCs flew north into the desert.

They desperately tried to find a place to land before the sun came up, and came across a small oasis. They landed and were greeted by hissing, angry geese, and a pack of women with bows. The leader, Arjuna, tried t talk to them, but their leader insisted the PCs take their owls out of the oasis. They finally compromised on allowing the owls and PCs in two at a time to water up.

While watering, Sanjay made the acquaintance of one of the women over a bottle of Betaljuce. She told him that the government had called all the men of the oasis into the army for some invasion, and that the headwoman was afraid to let them in lest they be molested, but as far as she was concerned, her husband had been gone for far too long, and Sanjay could park his shoes under her bed any time. Sanjay assured her he felt the same, then told Arjuna what he had learned.

When she realized her women were selling her out, the headwoman let the PCs into the oasis for the day. Sanjay invited Kumar to spend some quality time with him and the oasis woman, and Kumar accepted. Arjuna and Nadila spent their time separately. Arjuna lightly working out  and sleeping, Nadila brooding alone in he bedroll. End of Session.

-clash