Selva Lugana

𓆰  An account of Ferrante; and Pettiere, his steed ②

A Mythic Bastionland run

Pushed by the wind of respite, the Òra, Ferrante and Bonaventura meet six river monks casting bread to appease a beast called Magalàs, a beast who steals eyes and fingers. Drawn into the ritual, they share bread, mead, and chess; the monks reveal the beacon’s pyre burned to celebrate a knight’s death - the captain of the side Ferrante and Bonaventura were on. The victors, after defeating Ferrante and Bonaventura's side, are now marching on Peschiera (the Seat of Power, H1). Ferrante, burdened by the heraldry on his gambeson, rides on with his squire, keeping camp away from the river as night falls.

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PREVAILING WIND ¤ Òra

The Ã’ra, the wind that carries the touch of respite, brings dew in the cold early hours.

PHASE ¤ Morning
SEASON ¤ Spring
HEX ¤ Hills

Ferrante awakes, worried that the metallic flower embroidered onto his gambeson might complicate the entire matter of entering the holding of Castiglione. If any careful eye wanted to recognize a knight who lost a war, that metallic flower on his chest would have turned into an unavoidable mark. Not many friendly careful eyes remain in the dominion of the Gonzaga.

The interior pains and tribulations, however, are counterbalanced by the relief of a healing wound that today doesn't hurt as much. Bonaventura is awake already and feeding the steeds. Gobba is lost in a haze of hay.

The two gather their few things and are soon on the saddle, steadily advance through sweet hills as the breeze pushes them.

WILDERNESS ROLL ¤ Encounter the next Omen for the nearest myth
MYTH ¤ The River
OMEN 1 ¤ Six monks, appeasing the river with offerings of bread. Their apparent leader is annoyingly vivacious and optimistic about their work tending the river.

sketch of six figures close to the river banks

The figures are covered by simple grey cloaks, and throw bread loaves of different sizes and shapes into the ever-moving river waters. As they do so, they chant. The words they speak are hard to understand, but some seem to mention appeasement.

One of the figures, only distinguishable from the others due to the white cloak that adorns it, invites the group to chant louder to appease the Magalàs! To throw more bread to feed the Magalàs! To feed the Magalàs to avoid more children found with no fingers, or more farmers with many less eyes than they should have!

As the head of that band sees the group of two people and two steeds, he approaches them, offering loaves of dark, stale bread. With his chin, he motions and invites to partake in the ritual. More hands, he says, can throw more bread. The more bread is offered, the bigger the appeasement of the beast. The more the beast is appeased, the less likely its desire for hunting the eyes and the fingers of those who remain out too long in the night - or don't check under their bed before falling asleep - will be.
He seems to believe it.

Ferrante takes the loaf, Bonaventura follows.

PHASE ¤ Afternoon
SEASON ¤ Spring
HEX ¤ Hills

After the ritual, mead, cheese, and games of chess are shared. During one move, in which the Tower is pushed in favourable position by the Ã’ra - the wind that brings breath to those cornered - Ferrante asks about the lit pyre at the fortified beacon.

ORACLE ¤ Do the river monks share anything about the pyre? ¤ Yes
SPARK ¤ CIVILISATION ¤ NEWS ¤ Death joyous

Pandolfo, so the name of the monk who speaks, reveals that the pyre is one of those guarded by the Gonzaga of Castiglione, the holding at no more than three days of travel. Another monk adds that the pyre wants to celebrate the death of the knight fighting for the holding of Desenzano (H4). Another voice intervenes with a rumour according to which the knight that won the battle is now moving towards the Seat of Power (H1), Peschiera.

On the chessboard, the Tower is taken by the opposing knight.

Ferrante knew about those facts, as he had witnessed them from the losing side. The moment the blade cut through the ally's body was the start of complete capitulation. Yet, hiding the metallic flower embroidered onto his gambeson is not a conceivable thought, but entering Castiglione (H2) suddenly revealed to be a much more complicated matter than what initially assumed.

Pettiere and Gobba manage to find, outside the tents where mead and cheeses abound, several forgotten crusts of hard bread.

As the Ã’ra turns the day into night, Ferrante and Bonaventura leave the monks behind, and set to keep following the river course.

WILDERNESS ROLL ¤ All clear

After some worried protests, Bonaventura obtains to set camp away from the river, as he'd like to keep both his eyes and all of his fingers. The night falls as the wind changes.

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Character sheets

Ferrante

The War Knight

VIG CLA SPI GD
12 13 8 4
Pettiere

The stocky steed

VIG CLA SPI GD
15 8 5 2

Bonaventura

The squire

VIG CLA SPI GD
2 11 9 1
Gobba

The donkey

VIG CLA SPI GD
7 7 2 1

#mythicbastionland #playthroughs