Encounter with Yassandra the Swine Herder

Summary

During Session 9 of the campaign, the party's strategic discussion about pigs in a food court is interrupted by a passing swine herder named Yassandra. What begins as a simple clarification about his profession—Yassandra is a swine herder, not a pig-human hybrid—spirals into a philosophical conversation about the nature of leadership and heroism. Cat seizes the opportunity to inspire Yassandra to abandon his swine herding career entirely, gifting him a checkered tablecloth as a hero's cape. Yassandra embraces this new identity with enthusiasm and storms off through the food court to begin his heroic journey, leaving the party without the swine expertise they needed. Sucks immediately recognizes the disaster they've created, while Cat believes they've done something noble.

Details

The encounter begins when the party discusses female pigs in the food court area of New Smoke. Yassandra overhears their conversation and interjects to clarify his profession: "I'm a swine. I'm a swine herd. That's what it is. I'm a swine herd." He explains that he is a swine herder who conducts swine tastings, subscribing to publications like Swine Aficionado magazine, and even invites the party to an upcoming tasting: "If you want to stick around, in a few days, we're going to be having a swine tasting."

Sucks attempts to hire Yassandra for five coins to retrieve their pigs from the canal area. Meanwhile, Cat misunderstands the situation entirely, believing that Mayor (the party's ally) is somehow a lost pig that Yassandra should free. This confusion leads to a philosophical tangent when Safia observes that "a people herder" could technically describe a mayor. This comparison strikes Yassandra deeply. The GM describes his reaction: "He pulls up a plastic chair and sits down. He's like, never thought about it like that." The realization that his profession might be analogous to civic leadership causes Yassandra to question the value of his life's work.

Seeing an opportunity, Cat asks: "Have you ever considered a new industry? A fresh industry? How about the hero business?" Cat then searches for an empty table, pulls the checkered tablecloth from it, and presents it to Yassandra: "Here, I found you a cape. Every hero needs a cape. I read it."

The transformation is immediate. Yassandra stands, throws the checkered cloth over his shoulders, ties it around his neck, and declares: "Swine herd... Thank you so much. No one was going to hear of Yassandra Swineherd, but people might one day remember the name of Yassandra the hero. See you later, kids." He announces plans to grab a sidekick pig and storms off through the food court to begin his new career.

The immediate aftermath reveals the party's divided perspective on what they've accomplished. Sucks turns to Cat and states plainly: "Yes. And we are fucked now." Cat, however, believes "We just made the world a better place."

Participants

Yassandra — A swine herder who subscribes to Swine Aficionado magazine and conducts swine tastings. Transformed into a would-be hero during the encounter.
Cat — Initiates the philosophical conversation and provides Yassandra with the tablecloth cape, inspiring his career change.
Sucks — Attempts to hire Yassandra to retrieve the party's pigs; recognizes the disaster immediately after Yassandra leaves.
Safia — Makes the observation comparing a mayor to a people herder, triggering Yassandra's existential crisis.
Vasso — Present during the encounter; Cat confuses references to Vasso (nicknamed Mayor) with an actual pig.
Greta — Present with the party during the encounter.

Consequences

Yassandra abandons swine herding — The swine herder who could have helped the party retrieve their pigs instead adopts a new identity as "Yassandra the Hero" and leaves the food court with plans to acquire a sidekick pig.
Party loses access to swine expertise — The party's attempt to hire professional help for their pig-related problems backfires completely, leaving them without the assistance they needed.
Party cohesion tested — The encounter highlights the conflicting approaches within the party, with Cat's idealistic intervention directly undermining Sucks's pragmatic plan.
New potential complication — Yassandra's departure as a newly-minted "hero" creates an unpredictable element in the campaign, with his future actions unknown.
Philosophical impact on an NPC — The party's casual conversation about the nature of leadership permanently alters Yassandra's worldview and life trajectory.