The Sable woman snarls at the outstretched hand and turns away, barely hiding her hatred for the man. Instead she moves away from the campfire to sit huddled with her arms about her legs.

Henal gets  up eagerly and joins in the dance following the Blue Llama folks movements, but gradually bringing in elements of his tribes traditional dances.

Once he starts doing this Henal becomes aware of several of the Blue Llama folk giving him looks and also more disturbingly that one of the ghosts is drawing closer.

Peat begins moving closer an alarmed look on his face.

The music and dancing begins to falter.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:52, Thu 12 Mar 2015.

Face flushing red oh dear: never was much of a dancer Hoskar rises with the others. His face intent with concentration, he does his best to imitate the Llama riders' moves but with at best mechanical success; his movements jerky and not at all fluid. Oh dear oh horn this is difficult.
He seems not to be disrupting anything, but is conscious if his lack of ability, the cold sweat of effort and tension standing on his brow. Spirits, forgive my lack of skill.
he does not even see Henal's dance; focussing intently on the nearest male Llama rider as a template for his own movements.

Seeing the looks of the llama folks Henal goes back to following the High Llamas dances with a worried look on his face.

The dance goes on, and with Henal's return to the High Llama fold everything eases back to the right groovy vibe. That said the diminutive Thunderbird finds himself with Peat as a chaperone.

At last the pace eases and the music slows and the Blue Llamas begin a ceremony of praise to their ancestors, sacrificing spiritual power, small fetish bundles and other votive offerings which are dropped into the now still pool.

As things start to calm down Ohanzee, who had been surprised by Henal’s blunder, retrieves his pipe and stokes it up again before going and fetching something from his gear stored in his trade goods. He takes the pipe and moves to the edge of the pool where he sits, a happy smile on his face, stupefied a little by the warmth of their inclusion in the ceremony, the wine and meat in his belly and the drug coursing through his veins.

There he sits, pipe in his right hand and whatever he took from his gear in his left hand, the thumb of which idly rubbing the item. If any come to join him he happily offers them the pipe to take a drag with a ”It’sh good shtuff!”

After a while he leans forward, almost toppling over but managing to maintain enough control to stop himself face planting into the pool. Then gently he lowers his left hand into the water opening his finger to let a shell float upon the water surface.

Revered shpirit. Guide of my friendsh. Accshept thish gift. I give it on behalf of the Shallow Water folk of the Zola Fel, kin through blood of your people.

Quite a crowd gathers about the pool, with gourds used to collect the water for drinking and washing back at the camp site. The air is filled with fireflies and the water glows luminously.

Everyone is laughing and joking, and though most of the ancestor spirits have departed there are occasional flashes as one passes close by, weaving their way through the throng.

Above the stars shine in the sky, where a trail of sparks from the fire float lazily upwards....

A happy time.

The Blue Llama mounts had during the dance moved about the outskirts of the dance spot, taking part in the ceremony with their owners but they now move on mass to the sides of the canyon where they settle down, next to the Bisons, Rhinos, Sables and Ostrich.

Cantalas announces that in the morning the sept will continue with the Rangers, as they have decided to see the Giant Finger Holes for themselves. A large group would fair better crossing the dangerous Bleak Hills and they were curious to see the ancient site.

After his mistake in the dance Henal goes to join Ohanzee at the waterhole though he smokes less from the pipe. Then he goes to sit alone for a while near his bison watching Rikki hunting for mice.

In the morning hearing Cantatas' plan for the Llama tribe to accompany them to the Giants Finger Holes he smiles. Company will be welcome on a risky journey like that and I am eager to see them for myself as I had not joined the rangers when they travelled there before.

"It will be a dangerous crossing to get there Henal" replies Cantalas "We've the Bleak Hills to cross, a particularly barren and nasty patch of the Wastes. Plenty of Broo call that place home."

Ohanzee just about understands the statement about the sept accompanying them to the Giant’s Finger Holes and manages a slurred thanks and good show on his way to Wihakayda where he collapses on the ground and passes into a dream filled sleep.

We have already slain many Broo in our travels and though there may be many we can overcome them with Waha and Storm Bull's aid. Henal says showing some of the Thunderbirds characteric boasting.

"And once the journey is done, you will see the miracle at the Giants Finger Holes." Amara added.

"As long as we travel during the day and in open spaces, we'll have the advantage when mounted." Tarnessh noted as he sat by the fire and smoked a bit.

The wife of Cantalas and mother of Peat joins the Rangers with several of the other adult Blue Llamas

"Tell me of this place and how you came to free it. We all know of the place...A ghost place fit only for the strongest of Shamans...A place filled with spirits from another age.

Like the spirit that is your guardian." She adds, bowing ever so slightly to the Helmet on Amara's head.

When he hears Cantalas tell them that the Blue Llama's will be traveling with them to the Giant Finger Holes, he is mildly surprised. He wearily gets to his feat and walks over to Cantalas, "It is always good to travel in a large group through the Bleak Hills. If someone can wake me for the midwatch, I'll help keep watch tonight." He looks round at the others, "I'll let someone else tell you, I need to sleep." With that he heads off to find a quiet spot to sleep.

Amara grinned to the Serpent Walker, her eyes twinkling with delight. "Just wait till you see the wonders. The garden is restored around the Giants finger holes. Lush grasses, plentiful grazing material. All at a Great temple to the Earth. It has changed since last you were thee." Amara paused "But I should let another tell the story. Perhaps when we stop for the night, Lord Emesh Ga can tell you of the past glory of the Garden and its wonders."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 16:14, Thu 12 Mar 2015.

Looking round to see if anyone else will take up the story before him, Hoskar collects his thoughts.

It's a long tale, filled with strife; and its ending is not yet. Maybe when you see you'll want to be part of the story of the blue and the greening.

I cannot tell you all: Amara is right that it's really Emesh-Ga's story - its beginning was before the dawning, I think: a story of the first green.

For me, though, it started at a rhino holy place; where I met these brave people and we encountered she who stands for the earth. We took vows to seek to redeem the land there at a pool in a cave - water and earth together again actually, very like the sacred story you have honoured us by sharing tonight. I believe everyone else was going to the Finger Holes already to kill a renegade shaman and rescue a shaman's spirit. No lack of bravery there, for sure.

We had some diversions along the way. A man called Krakka, for one, who stole our mounts and a high old time we had getting them back; but the long and short of it is that we went because we believed in something - the renewal of the earth despite what the cost might be.

It was an ill place indeed when we found it: wind and worse than wind howling around its fallen stones echoing the baleful downfall of a place that could be a talisman of hope. Not knowing what we'd find, we descended; dodging spirits as we went; and passed a one-way door. Not sure what that was to this day - maybe one here who is wise in lore can explain how a door does not go both ways - but inside we found stink and defoulment left by the rengade.

After that, it gets complicated. My sleepy friend here he gestures to Melock worked a miracle in a tunnel, befriending the lorn spirit that had faithfully guarded the place so we could seek its healing, when the rest of us were attacked by the foul carrion thralls of the renegade. How a shaman can turn so bad and bring forth the reanimate dead I can't imagine. Or maybe I can: shamingly I have tasted hate on my heart and wrestle with it even now.

We were victorious; Amara's javelins flying true and her fierce brother Greeshar who is not with us this trip chasing the rengade like a man possessed in righteous fury. We took sore wounds, but triumphed. In a way, we were lucky - thanks to something I overheard the shepelkirt's men say once, we were able to make sure the shaman could not come back to his body; and since then the blessing of she who speaks for the earth has begun to return.

We even recovered our shaman. He would not thank me to tell of what had happened to him, so we will throw a veil over that, I think.

We work for the earth still under the guidance of Emesh-Ga whose presence among us you have sensed. He inclines his head respectfully to the helm Amara wears.

Might as well put a good face on this

But our work was not done then. There was an arduous journey into darkness to heal two women: captives the renegade had poisoned. Sables they were; now safe with our tribes. He glances in the direction of their hostage then continues and most recently we sought to bring earth and water more together for the greening - to seek help to clean a pool. We have more work to do there, though.

It is our hope all tribes will be part of this story one day.

Hmmm. Blue. Why does that remind me of something else?

That's one short telling. probably raises more questions than it answers, though.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:12, Thu 12 Mar 2015.

Those Blue Llamas listening show signs of approval and give the Rangers looks of respect.

"Why do you go back now?" asks Aileen.

"Is this where your clan now resides, will we be welcome?"

"To restore the garden fully requires the backing and approval of those who serve the Earth. The Earth Witch has expressed a desire for us to return to assist her in various things." Amara smiled "The last time we'd visited her, she'd already attracted quite a group of people around her from many clans. I would expect you to be welcome as you travel with us. We are...friends, if not yet allies and all who hold the Earth dear may travel to its temple."

"So your clans are not there then.

I am glad that we have the chance to visit, I for one would like to see the land made whole again. The Earth Witch you speak of, is she Rhino Nation like you?"

There is no hostility in the Eirithan initiate's questions, just curiosity.

"It is not a quest that seems possible....I have heard men braves speak of it before and none have succeeded...Though truth be told they did not walk under the guardianship of an Earth Knight."

"This task is not an easy one. We have already lost some our brothers to the winds. Each loss tragic and painful. Our brothers and sisters cannot be replaced and it leaves a hole in the heart where they once lived. We are just on the start of a long journey, with much work remaining, but the restoration, the return... will bring so much back to all that is dead and gone that the journey is worth starting, even if I and others might not make it to the end." Amara answered "Our clans are not at the giants finger holes, yet I would hope some day they make it as the ground around that place is beautiful. Our clans are instead migrating. I cannot tell if the Earth Witch is of the rhino people. We met her at the Great Rhino ground, but I've never seen her ride one."

"Even if we fail, we'll at least go to the Hunting Grounds knowing that we've done good for our people and the Earth. We've killed Broo, stopped the lion-men from possessing others, even this cloak," Tarnessh then showed the lion-skin cloak to Cantalas "Was won against a shade of Basmol when I played the role of Tada to silence it."

Ahhh. That went well. Now where's that pipe?

Mellow.