The March Across Maltak Revisited [Sijian, Tetrada, & Alsen Gor]

[Kyeudo]

"And I am supposed to instruct this outsider in our sacred traditions, with only the hope that he can help deal with the problems plagueing our lands as compensation? What guarantee do we have he is up to such a task?"

[Jukashi]

Tetrada spares a moment to look at Reylis again. Again, she had to assume that he still wanted his nature concealed. She turns back towards the chief, and fixes her gaze onto his. She wouldn't lie, but she could skirt the full truth. Would he be cunning enough to unravel her words? She decided to risk it.

"You have my personal guarantee," she declares, "That if there is any kind of human being who can help heal these plains, this man is one of them. And if any god or elemental spirit were here in my place, they would agree with me."

Her voice lowers.

"If the worth of Sijian Reylis not proven to you within a year's time, I will repay you a year's service myself. But that will not become necessary."

[Kyeudo]

The chief's eyes widen a little at your ardor in vouching for this human. "If you are that sure, then perhaps teaching him may be useful."

His eyes narrow. "But know this: I will hold you to your word and I have to skills to enforce it."

[Jukashi]

"I know," she replies simply.

[Kyeudo]

"Then let us see if this human can learn anything."

He turns to Alshen. "Find him a place to sleep. We'll begin in the morning."

Before you leave, he calls out one last thing. "Oh, and Alshen, you should attend as well. It is more than time that we saw to your own training."

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So, if I'm understanding your characters correctly, both Sijian and Alsen want to add necromancy to their repetoire. This seems the best oppourtunity to get the training in. Do you want to handle the training time as a montage or do you want to roleplay out some or all of the five Trials?

What will Tetrada be doing in the meantime?

[Kirindal]

Reylis listened to Tetrada and the chief talk, looking a bit testy when Tetrada offered a year's service if he failed at his task. Reylis failed at very little, thank you very much. However, he held his tongue since he was aware that he did not have a way with words that others did and anything he would say would spoil Tetrada's efforts. Reylis marshaled himself to stowaway the sour look and remain calm.

When the chief finally agreed to allow him to stay and learn, he felt a slight smile creep onto his face and he relaxed slightly. Soon he would be able to learn what those odd fragmented formulas were. Reylis bowed slightly to the chief,

"Thank you, your faith will not be misplaced."

Reylis turned to follow Alshen while walking next to Tetrada. He looked at her as he spoke,

"Why did you volunteer a year of service? If I failed, I would have been more than willing to work longer as their hostage."

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OOC: Roleplaying the Trials would be fun.

[Jukashi]

Tetrada returned his question with a blank look, the type - he was learning - that she used whenever some peculiar human thing had her mildly puzzled.

"They have no reason to trust your word," she explains quietly, "Whereas I am a spirit, and therefore, respected. I offered my service to lend weight to my words. I don't expect to have to do it. I knew the offer would tempt him... moreso than would the same from you, as I am an elemental."

"Besides," she adds, dropping her voice again. "It would not be proper for you to offer service to mortals."

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Well, assuming there's no possibility of martial arts training, perhaps Alshen or Reylis could offer to start her on sorcery in their spare time?

[Kyeudo]

The next morning you return to the chief's chamber to find an occult diagram drawn on the stone floor in dried blood. Lines spiral out from a clay pot containing a young oak sapling on one side of the diagram to a clay pot that apears to contain nothing but dirt. Chief Thuen Gor sits at the edge of the diagram across from you, a fresh bandage around one wrist.

"Have a seat."

Once you are seated, the chief begins. "You wish to learn about the Nakta. I must wonder if you really understand what it is you ask. The Nakta is not something that one can just explain. What it does? That can be shown and explained, yes, but that does not mean you understand why the Nakta does what it does or how necessary it is."

He reaches out and lays one hand on the edge of the diagram. The redish-brown lines deepen in color to a rich chocolate brown, spreading out from his touch until the color encompasses the whole. "The Atka is the flow of life. It is the heartbeat of our land. Where the Atka is, our land flourishes." A small sprout, growing before your eyes, pokes up out of the pot of soil and puts out a pair of small leaves.

The sapling's leaves, however, have turned from a healthy green to a sickly yellow, growing worse by the second. "The Nakta is not so kind. The Nakta takes life instead of giving it. The unenlightened would think that this makes the Nakta undesirable, a plague to be rid of. Such fools they are."

"The Nakta is like the space between heartbeats. Too long, and death is inevitable." The brown color beneath his hand fades back to its original color and with it the sapling's condition immediately begins to improve. However, the new sprout immediately turns yellow and wilting. "Shorten it and life blooms." A second ripple of brown spreads through the diagram, a brown so dark it is almost black, and health returns to the new sprout. Several more break free of the soil, all growing into full blossoming sunflowers in a matter of heartbeats.

"But shorten it too much and you invite disaster." The diagram darkens all the way to black and the flowers go wild. One turns purple, a second grows teeth and begins to devour a third, and then the whole pot catches fire. The color fades from the diagram, leaving lines of ash upon the floor, a burning pot of sunflowers, and the dessicated husk of the sapling.

"Without the Nakta to balance the Atka, our lands would have fallen away into the Wyld centuries ago. In its own way, it provides for us. Through it, our ancestors may pass down their wisdom though they have been gone for generations. It warns us when our petty squabbles have gone too far. And for those that have the strength of will to master it, it serves us as a useful tool."

"But it is not a tool to be used indescriminately. Each use can upset the balance of life. One must learn wisdom when one seeks to master the Nakta or disaster will surely follow in your footsteps."

"Still, all of this barely begins to scratch the surface of what the Nakta truly is. If you truly wish to understand, you must learn it for yourself. Because Tetrada has chosen to sponsor you, I have agreed to teach you, but if you wish to learn you will do as I say for as long as you are my student. Do you still wish to continue?"

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If we're going to roleplay out the trials, then I'll need a few things from both Sijian and Alshen. What would drive your characters to absolute rock bottom emotionally? That is perhaps one of the hardest trials to figure out, especially since you are both Solar Exalts. Nothing phases Solars for too long.

In the meantime, Tetrada has a solid amount of free time now. Jukashi, you can have her do whatever would be in character for her to do.

[Jukashi]

With no demands or suggestions from her summoner - she checks on him several times a day - Tetrada easily slips back into her default state of being. During the day, she patrols through the rock and soil surrounding the Shintula's home, seeking out the touches of infernal essence that carry from afar on the dragon lines and well up through the presence of Alshen's demonic servants; as if they were tangled knots in the cloth of Creation, her divine touch eases them out into nothingness. Wary of the orcs' reverence for the nakta, she keeps herself away from the places it resides. In place of such direct work against death, she reworks the stone around the caves to provide the orcs with greater protection against any future invaders; as an elemental, her work is indistinguishable from nature.

At night, when creatures of flesh and blood need sleep, she sits near Reylis, wondering if and how she, too, could be making herself more powerful than she is. Lacking any other opportunity for self-improvement, she follows her instincts and simply allows the earthen essence of the stone all around to collect in her body.

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Assuming no opportunity for MA or sorcery training, Tetrada divides her time between general home improvement and soakin' up dirt-magic.

[Kirindal]

As Reylis retired for the night prior to the first day of instruction, he thought he sensed something uneasy in the way that Tetrada was carrying herself. Reylis wasn't certain but the time spent together had made her familiar with some of her odd affectations. He wasn't entirely certain if his observation was accurate or mistaken due to sleepiness. Perhaps he would ask Tetrada tomorrow after Nakta study.

The following day, Reylis got seated as instructed and absorbed what the chief stated. Some of what he said seemed to correlate with what little he had read about in the libraries but there were some interesting nuggets of enlightenment. How exactly was necromancy the balance of sorcery? Did the presence of necrotic Essence channeled through necromancy cancel out the essence of Creation leaving nothing where both once were? Was the opposite equally true? Many questions to be explore, that was for certain. Reylis realized that the chief was looking at him for his answer to the question and Reylis nodded before replying,

"Indeed, I'm willing to continue, Master."

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OOC: For Reylis, it is the abandonment of his past. As it is, he doesn't feel comfortable wearing the guise of Sijian Reylis as he still feels that he is still Amilar Dainho of Lookshy. Every step he takes that cuts him off from what he was leaves him frightened. It's like living in a house where you're blasting the foundations to smithereens while you're still in it. You don't know what will happen with the next blast and if the next blast will bring the house crashing on your head. As such, he is unwilling to abandon or destroy anything that was proof that once Amilar Dainho existed.

Reylis is willing to tutor Tetrada in sorcery if she prefers, martial arts less so since he hasn't even attained the Form charm for the Arms style yet. All she needs to do is ask. :D

[Kyeudo]

"Then follow me."

The orc chieftain picks up a torch and leads you deeper into the cave. The room he leads you too is circular and the walls unadorned, but across the floor are scattered dozens of rocks of all shapes, sizes, and shades. "You will sort these rocks until you do it properly."

[Kirindal]

Reylis looked at the pile of rocks and looked back at the chieftain,

"Into what categories should I sort the rocks, Master?"

[Kyeudo]

Sijian

"Figure it out." He leaves you to your rocks.

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Fluff your attempt however you want and roll whatever seems appropriate to you.

Tetrada

Tetrada's ministrations reveal a disturbing trend. The stain of necrotic Essence along the local dragon lines is growing, slowly but steadily. Were this the edges of a shadowland, on a recent battlefield, or even near a graveyard, this might be understandable, but the traces lie in mountain passes rarely frequented except by orc hunters and scouts.

[Kirindal]

Reylis studied the rocks for a moment observing their immediate characteristics to see if there was an obvious pattern that the chieftain wanted. At first he set them in a row according to size but after staring at it a moment, he wondered if he was missing some alternative pattern and he started rearranging them again...and again...and again...

After what felt like hours at it Reylis paused to glare at the pile of rocks stonily looking back at him. The rocks were mocking him, he was sure of it. He sat on the ground, his arms crossed across his chest as he started to wonder why he felt so discomforted despite sorting the rocks into new criterias. Perhaps he was missing some sort of underlying factors of the rocks. Reylis picked up one of the rocks and began studying it closely for a moment. The rock seemed to defy analysis as he examined it and Reylis threw it back onto the stack and wondered what he was missing. Perhaps he was supposed to organize them by how the rocks could be interpreted as fundamental sorcerous principles? Reylis started examining the rocks and sorting them into the order by principles.

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Intelligence+Occult to see what rocks match what principles and sort them in the order that the principles were created: (8d10)[6][2][2][5][1][7][10][7](40)

[Kyeudo]

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Nicely done. Two stunt dice:(2d10)[10][4](14)

At the end of the day, the chief returns to see your work. Thuen Gor takes one look at the rocks laid out across the cavern floor and then glares at you. "This is not the correct way. Tomorrow, you will begin again."

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Question: How is our orc chief to pick up on the past life that Reylis is hiding?

[Jukashi]

Tetrada spends some time edging around the areas where the essence of death flows, judging their area and position in relation to the landscape and the alignment of the dragon lines throughout the rest of the plains that she is familiar with.

Worried, she tunnels back to the home of the Shintula; with the strange casually-formal air of a spirit at their duty, she seeks out the chief, not bothering with such mortal concerns as doors as she passes straight through the stone in which the clan lives.

"Chief Thuen Gor," she says upon finding him; "The land has seemed strange as I tended it. The scent of the nakta carries in places where it is not its nature to dwell. Do you have the knowledge of why this may be so?"

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4m for Landscape Travel, if it matters.

[Kirindal]

Reylis wondered what he was missing if he wasn't supposed to sort the rocks by sorcerous principles. Perhaps the chief wanted something more fundamental to the sorting process. Perhaps sorting by the principal laws that governed Creation? Reylis pondered how he would do this as he wandered through the tunnels in search of Tetrada. He was far from discouraged, after all this was only the first day.

[Kyeudo]

"If what you say is true, then only two possibilities exist. Either the souls of our ancestors wander there for some reason or someone has been using necromancy there without care. Either answer is worriesome."

[Jukashi]

"The traces seem to linger in certain mountain passes, as if left by the passage of some creature," Tetrada explains. "Yet I do not think the spirits of your ancestors would need travel in that manner. There are other things which carry the spirit of death with them, however, yet walk like beasts or men do; things that you would not welcome. There are monsters in the lands of the dead as well as of the living, and sometimes they cross over."

She shakes her head a little, to herself.

"If needs must, I will walk the spirit world and speak to the gods of this place; at least some would almost surely know what passed. But it would tax me to travel there and return."

[Kyeudo]

"I know of those things of which you speak. If the walking dead are wandering our lands, then we must find out where they are and why they are here. Such perversions of the Nakta cannot be allowed to continue their existance."

"I will have scouts sent out, to see if we can find the intruders, but I am afraid that my options in hunting them directly is more limited than your own. I can summon other elementals and ask for their help, but they will have much the same difficulties as yourself."

[Kirindal]

Reylis wandered through the tunnels, one hand idly feeling the wall as he passed through. Where had Tetrada gone off to? He looked for the first orc he could find to ask if they had seen Tetrada.

[Kyeudo]

Reylis

"No one has seen the honored Tetrada since she left this morning."

[Kirindal]

Reylis nods,

"<Thank you for your help.>"

Reylis walked down the tunnels in search for Tetrada. Perhaps she would have some insights about the significance of rocks in Shintula tradition. Reylis wondered where Tetrada might be. Perhaps she was meditating at a locus. He headed off to go find the chief again for directions.

[Jukashi]

Tetrada nods in response to the chief's words. "I will continue searching as I can, then... but I will save my strength, in case this is an omen of some deeper plot. On somewhat lighter matters, how is Reylis taking to his first lessons?"

[Kyeudo]

"I shall ask a few of our ancestors to see if they will consent to aid you."

"As for Reylis, it is too soon to tell." As though summoned by the sound of his name, the young Solar walks into the chief's rooms. The chief frowns. "Although given his lack of dedication to his work, I would guage not well."

[Kirindal]

Reylis bowed slightly to the chief as he entered,

"<Ah, my apologies. I was looking to speak with Tetrada, but it seems you are both busy at the moment. I wish talk with you later, Tetrada after you are done.>"

Reylis took a step out of the chamber and back down the corridor for a bit to wait for Tetrada.

[Jukashi]

As Reylis moves away, Tetrada turns her head back to the chief to share a look with him. Without speaking, she shrugs - her stone scales clatter gently - and gives a respectful nod before going after the Solar. What did he want?

[Kirindal]

Reylis only leaned against the wall to wait for Tetrada to be finished when she walked out of the chamber soon after he did. Reylis straightened up, looking a bit concerned at Tetrada.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything Tetrada. I was hoping to look for you so I could have someone to talk to after my studies today. Petty of me, I suppose."

[Jukashi]

Tetrada gently shakes her head.

"I am here to help you," she replies, "and I was, in fact, just speaking to the chief about you. What would be your problem?"

[Kirindal]

Reylis scratched his chin for a moment,

"I was hoping to mine your knowledge of the occult and sorcery. The chief wants me to be able to sort rocks in some order I can't perceive. I tried using a sorting method by sorcerous principles but that wasn't correct. So I was hypothesizing that perhaps there was something I wasn't able to see. I figured that as an elemental you have the ability to perceive dragon lines and essence rich objects.

So are there any particular minerals or materials that are particularly essence-absorbent?"

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OOC: Apologies for the long delay between posts, finals in summer classes are a hassle.