Session Date: 2/12/2024
We go down to the Hollow World to follow up about Axamonar ‘s court case that we were summoned to. We talk to Florian a little, awkwardly. He asks if we can grow our own stone, and we explain that we cannot, but we build with stone sometimes. We then ask where we need to go to get to the Hollow World and he says we need to keep going down, so we follow where he thinks is best. It’s clear that he does not specifically know where he’s going, but there’s only one route we can follow, so we do.
Bosch asks what it’s like to grow your own house, and Florian says it’s normal, then apologizes and explains he doesn’t have a house: he goes into the soil and just waits. Bosch says he should try that sometime, and Tabby says no you shouldn’t. Bosch explains he can’t grow his own house, he just finds somewhere he can crash and sleeps there. We talk about the differences of plant people and meat people and how Bosch can’t just sleep in the rain.
After a while, Mary is 100% confident that we are being followed by someone. It is keeping its distance, not engaging. When we stop it stops, when we go it goes. She’s unsure if it’s an animal tracking us or a person, she just knows that we have a tail that is following and seems disinterested in engaging.
We continue talking and eventually we hear a very heavy creature running towards us. Bosch pulls out the shard of the Seal of Infinity and Mary we can all see that the creature running at us is a dinosaur that’s an herbivore. It’s not running at us specifically, but rather in the same direction as we are standing. Tabby and Mary can see a group of three humans running after the dinosaur with weapons drawn. It’s not a plan, but what they lack in planning they have in gusto. Bosch uses the shard to break up the earth behind the dinosaur and the humans run up to it, complaining about their feet and getting stuck. He tosses the Seal to someone — it’s Florian — and then picks up a rock to throw.
Tabby addresses the people and asks if they’re poaching, and they ask if he’s a cop. They stumble back and forth with Tabby’s non-answer and Faylen can tell that they’re not very smart. They are familiar to Faylen for some reason; not that he knows them specifically, but there’s a level of ineptitude that is familiar. If he had to guess it’s the Bone Boys, and it’s unusual that they’re trying to hunt the dinosaur rather than waiting to harvest the bones.
We put our weapons away and Bosch makes his way to them, climbing over the earth and asking what they were going to do with the dinosaur. They explain that the bones have their worth that they need, and it’s hunting for food, but not directly. Bosch asks if they know of Garm Clapperclaw, and the Boys step back against the wall, and they nervously say they are not associated, but they think he’s just swell, and if we’re cops we have to tell them. The leader of this little pack explains that the Bone Boys are scavengers and they are very low compared to the Walkers or Clapperclaw. Bosch explains if we coordinate or unionize then we can all band together to fight our oppressors.
Tabby asks why they’re spooked and he explains Garm’s a werewolf that runs a gang, what more could they be afraid? Mary asks if they know about Joe Bullheart and they say yes, they know him. She explains he might be willing to help if they really need it. They awkwardly agree that they’ll consider it.
The Bone Boys leave and Faylen pays attention and doesn’t hear or see anything additional after them. Either whatever originally followed us either hid better, or is gone now. We’re relieved for this, and Mary takes the Seal back from Florian and we continue on.
We eventually come upon a camp that someone has set up and we find a dwarf with a red bushy beard. He has an axe that seems to be more tool than weapon, and he holds a bucket in his hands. He offers us tea, which we definitely accept. We sit down and join him and the dwarf explains that he is Montego Larousse and he’s not a scholar, really, but he’s interested in visiting and learning about the Verdant Core, which is where Florian is taking us. It’s an awful lot like forums, and the cores act as such. The one beneath Brex Grana is specifically the Verdant Core.
Talitha mentions that she smells something strange nearby with Montego’s stuff and Mary actively starts to look around. She doesn’t try to be too obvious, but she can smell an animal scent somewhere that doesn’t make sense. The way that Montego moves is also a little strange: he plays up being a gregarious person, but when he thinks Mary isn’t paying attention he moves fast and with purpose. Mary is also pretty certain the backpack is not magical, he has no food and seems to have expected to hunt while down here, it’s strange he has tea. Montego is simultaneously very prepared, while also not prepared at all. Bosch can tell that Mary is reading something so Bosch does his best to redirect Montego onto him instead of onto her.
They go back to talk and Mary explains to Bosch that the man doesn’t smell like he belongs here, and it doesn’t make much sense. Bosch had noticed the food thing about Montego. He and Mary talk more as Faylen continues to regale Montego about stories from their adventures, and of his tales from school. They come back and Montego offers to travel together to the Verdant Core, and we agree to do so.
He has a fancy time piece that is used to project the sky and is used for keeping track of the day/night cycle while underground. Faylen gushes about it with Montego and Montego explains his old one was finally worn down and so he has a new one, and this is its maiden voyage. Faylen gives his compliments and hands it over, and Montego suggests we sleep.
Mary and Faylen take first watch, with Bosch stumbling around and tripping to pretend he’s a complete klutz. Montego is not in his bedroll and is going through Tabby’s things. Bosch stumbles and reaches for the bags, causing Montego to retreat back to his bedroll and pretends to sleep.
Meanwhile, Mary and Faylen are discussing what’s going on. Faylen asks what is going on and Mary and Faylen talk until Talitha confirms that Montego is indeed a werewolf. Not only is he just a werewolf, but he also smells of Clapperclaw, as in he was in the presence of Clapperclaw not too long ago.
The rest of the evening goes by just fine, and Montego pretends he got to sleep. He’s going to get some water to make more tea, and Bosch follows him stealthily to see what’s going on. Montego has a communication device he fires up and Bosch overhears:
Yes sir, I have made contact. I have made the decision to get into their good graces and it seems to have worked. I will be observing and I will make sure that they will do their job. I will do nothing else, as per your instructions. I have been missing some sort of good conversation that these people are able to provide, so I am very glad that you set up a very specific reason to attack and kill them. Just observing and making sure they do their job. Will contact soon when we get to the Verdant Core.
While Montego is gone, Mary takes the fragment of the Seal of Infinity and puts it in the inner pocket of her clothing to better hide it.
He comes back with the bucket and gladly shares it, then tries to start up conversation. Faylen spins more stories about college and the antics he and his friends got up to while he was there, so he manages to take a lot of the work out of pretending to be okay after these revelations that he’s a werewolf working for Clapperclaw. After our breakfast and tea, we continue on down.
Florian eventually notices we are close to the Verdant Core and grows excited as we continue, exclaiming that he recognizes the scent of the place and we soon come into buildings and structures. We see dryads, arboreals, leshys, and other creatures we don’t recognize here. We are the only non-plant beings here, so we all immediately have attention on us.