Session 22 - Up the Virta

As they continue to paddle up the Virta, Vladimir and Vadim see a woman in the woods who reminds them of the Godbearer of the Gaalite Faith. Hrefna starts digging in the place they saw her. Vasilii looks into the woods as they dig and sees a purple shawl which reminds the Gaalites of their faith and the Feast of the Shawl in two weeks. Vasilii tells them about how in his own faith it is also the time wilderness spirits begin to hibernate during the winter around the same time as their feast.   Vasilii then turns into a wolf and sniffs out the shawl to see where it came from. It has a strong scent of incense and nothing else. The scent of a person is nowhere on it. Vasilii follows the scent to the riverbed where it stops. He gets Vladimir to row him across and finds no trail. He’s certain the smell starts at the river. Vasilii tells Vladimir he is truly blessed to have witnessed such a strong figure within his faith.   Vadim is entrusted with the shawl and takes the job seriously considering prior mishaps.   The next day the party goes down river where they find rough waters. Vasilii remembers a dolphin he saw as a child and turns into one, attempting to help push the boat in the right direction. After some attempts to miss the strong eddies and currents the boat capsizes. Many of the belongings tumble into the water.   Vadim and Vasilii attempt in vain to right the boat. Seeing the wolverine in danger Vasilii goes to help it, getting bitten in thanks. He dashes to the northern shore where he saw Vladimir go and flings it towards the shore. He heads back and sees Vadim swimming to the southern shore with the boat and Hrefna having trouble, caught up in the eddy, so he heads to her and try to get her to grab on to me. She instead is able to push off Vasilii and swim out of the eddy. Vasilii sees Vladimir struggling in the water. He shouts about his icon. Vasilii sees something familiar near the eddy. He shouts that is not it. Vasilii then takes Vladimir back to shore with Vadim and Hrefna. After receiving some healing, Vadim heads back in to find the oars, tents, and icon. Vasilii heads to the other shore and speaks with wolverine to get him across to the southern shore. He then finds a book, two pouches, Vladimir’s strong box, and his two icons.   The party sets up camp and through various magics, the people attempt to locate the missing items. They find everything except one cloak before nightfall. They also discover the boat is damaged, with a hole in it.   The next day we head to a fishing village, dragging the boat behind on Vladimir’s summoned floating disk. They successfully barter the broken boat for a donkey and some hampers to strap on it. Vasilii speaks with it, and learns that he’ll be cool for two ear scratches at each meal.   Vladimir is exhausted from the insects, so he is placed in the basket carried by our donkey as the party travels upstream by foot for the next few days. Vasili and Vadim speak a bit about the shawl. Vadim wants to give it to a church, Vasilii believes the Godbearer gave it to them for some purpose. Vasilii sees a doll on the road leading up to a village where they want to spend the night, and shrugs about it, while Hrefna takes it, placing it next to Vladimir’s basket.