Here Comes The Bride -- There Goes The Bride!
"She looks down at her stew."
"It looks up at her!"
Session Summary, June 20 1996
[Dlarku's player absent]
When we last left our most desperate^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hindustrious
Tsolyani, they were contemplating the many things they had yet to
do in Penom: socialize with one's relatives, visit one's temple,
prepare for the night's entertainment, be the night's entertainment,
arrange the details of one's escape from Pe--oh, was that a secret?
Sorry!
The Tlakotani clanhouse in Penom provides Lady Shekkara with an escort
that allows her to travel to the Dark Fear clanhouse in style. Upon
arrival, she wastes no time in telling her hosts how wonderful it was of them
to hold a party in her honor. As she will be leaving in the morning, there
could not be a more perfect way to end her visit to Penom. The Dark Fear
clanmaster exclaims how sweet it is that she is so eager to head North
to meet her not-quite-yet-but-very-soon-to-be-betrothed, Mriyan Arkutu
hiKurodu, Kerdu of the Legion of the Armoured Vision of Death.
During opening speeches, Shekkara struggles not to grimace and make
funny but ignoble faces while the Dark Fear clanmaster, Tlakotani
clanmaster, and other important personages express their hopes and best
wishes for the soon-to-be-wed couple. Shekkara responds by thanking
them all for their kind hospitality but, in a moment of thoughtless
negligence brought on by her sudden fascination with the ongoing
mortal struggles between Dark Fear slaves and Penomi insect life over the
stew that will be her dinner, she forgets to mention even once in her
speech that upcoming and most joyous event of her marriage to Arkutu.
Dinner follows, and Shekkara is so overcome by the magnificent repast,
that she runs^H^H^H^Hexcuses herself to a more private place as such
an overwhelming show of emotion would be inappropriate.
While Arkutu's current first wife expresses her great joy at the so
pleasant prospect of Shekkara joining her family,
* Ngaya renews an
old friendship with Sankolel hiQolyelmu of the Golden Sunburst clan,
Molkar of the Legion of the Squadrons of Tlaneno the Steersman. With
Sankolel's old flame Ame now wed, bred, and out of the way, Ngaya
and Sankolel take their friendship to new heights of ecstasy.
In a spectacular display of gambling luck gone moldy in the bad Penomi air,
Lord Akhan gives new meaning to the phrase "what goes up must come
down." Fortunately, there is a consolation prize ready and willing to
make that which has come down go back up.
Using those arts acquired through diligent study in the Temple of
Dlamelish, Shekkara amuses herself by tormenting Arkutu's son and Molkar
Nikuma hiShauru. In a magnanimous act of kindness, she gifts the son
with another day of life by leaving with the Molkar.
*
With regret heavy in her heart -- for who cannot desire to see the
radiance that rightfully graces all brides-to-be? -- Lady Mikusa must
pass up the party if her caravan is to be ready in the morning.
After leaving the Molkar, Shekkara whiles away her morning saying
goodbye to the head of Lady Dlamelish's Temple in Penom.
While Ngaya gets buddy-buddy with the Chegarra-worshipping caravan
guards, Most Secret manages to make riding a Chlen cart almost look
respectable, and Akhan, the former drill-Tirrikamu, engages in a friendly
vocabulary competition with Mikusa's Ahoggya
slavemaster.
At last the caravan is ready to leave. As they pass the Tlakotani
clanhouse, Shekkara joins them with her hired guards and litter bearers,
and the caravan begins to move slowly and ponderously out of Penom.
Where do our noble Tsolyani flee^H^H^H^Hgo? To Jakalla as is Mikusa's
plan and Shekkara's desire? To Paya Gupa and Prince Eselne as is
Akhan's desire? Or, as Ngaya desires, to anywhere as long as it is
not Penom? Should they wish to clear their confusion, they only need
to ask the Dark Fear clanhouse, who would happily tell them that
they go North--North to greet Arkutu hiKurodu and his Legion of the
Armoured Vision of Death!
Lo! Wrote this, Lisa Leutheuser, horse of The Most Beautiful
Shekkara Tlakotani, on this 25th day of June, 1996 Anno Domini.
