He gently leans his head against yours once again, and you hear the merest whisper upon the wind...

^{_{:: My mind speaks only softly...  Your voice speaks only words...  Can we share thoughts again, as we did before?... ::}}

I try to contact Korax with my telepathy. :: Like this? ::

He stirs, and shifts his head away from yours experimentally.

:: Ah, yes...  Much better...  Thoughts via sounds are so limited, and so isolated... ::

:: Yes, I can scout from the sky... and perhaps remain in thought contact as I do so, if your mind can share thoughts at such range...::

He inclines his head, and takes wing...

I wait until Korax hits what seems to be his cruising altitude and attempt to contact him again.

:: Testing. Testing. Can you hear me? I mean, can you receive my words? ::

:: Yes, I can still hear your thoughts. ::

:: I see a flock of sheep.  I see a clothed figure with a long crooked staff.  I see a hut... ::
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:27, Sat 06 July 2019.

::I will be heading toward the shepherd. See you in a bit.::

I begin walking toward the flock of sheep.

Every now and then, I attempt to recontact Korax to ascertain the approximate range of our connection.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:06, Sat 06 July 2019.

You make your way toward the sheep as you maintain contact with Korax.

:: There is a sheepdog as well.  The shepherd is carrying a lamb... ::

Once you get to the rise of this hill, you and the shepherd should be visible to one another...

:: Korax, continue scouting in this general area. Look for evidence of other sapient beings. ::

I wave at him if I can get his attention.

I call out to him when I come into earshot. "Hello Sir!"

His attention is upon his charges until the sound of your voice reaches him.

He looks up with a smile, and then blinks in utter shock as he gazes upon you.

He leans heavily upon his staff, trembling slightly.

"Welcome to our world, Christopher Chosen."

I stop in surprise before answering, "Christopher... Chosen? 'Chosen' is most certainly not my last name. May I ask what the meaning of that title is?"

The older man blinks in amazement, and shakes his head, still trembling slightly.

"You truly do not know?  I see that it is so, but it is so hard to conceive of such a blind seer."

"You cannot perceive what is obvious to us, and yet you can perceive what no one else can."

"Yea, that very gift is a curse that utterly terrifies, even if it must be our means of deliverance..."

I scratch my chin a bit. "Hmm... A seer, eh?" I let my protagonist syndrome take over a little bit, and I walk over near him and sit down. "Like I said to myself earlier today, there is a lot that I don't understand about my new lot in life. If it is not too much trouble, please explain 'this world's' current situation to me. I know nothing about seers, this world, what you need deliverance from, or how you know who I am."

The older man eases himself down next to you.  His sheepdog gives him a reassuring nuzzle, and heads off to keep an eye on the sheep.  The lamb in his arms drifts off toward sleep.

He regards you quietly for several moments, and takes a shaky breath, gathering courage.

"It is a challenge to understand what you understand, and to know how to bring you from where you have been to where you are now."

"It seems that your perceptions, and those of the societies of your previous acquaintance, are rooted in the present."

"Imagine if you can a world where everyone strongly possesses what you might call postcognition.  We look upon one another, and perceive not only the here and now, but each other's pasts as well, in every detail."

"At a glance, a parent knows if a child ate their vegetables instead of feeding them to the dog, a wife knows if her husband overslept, a shepherd knows if his neighbor stole a sheep."

"Strangers here are not what you have experienced."

"You look upon me, and know only what your senses tell you now.  You know that I am tending sheep, and that I have just met you, and that I have sat down to talk with you.  But you have no direct knowledge of what I was doing this morning, or yesterday, or ten years ago."

"Meanwhile, I look upon you, and see everything that you have done, in every detail, all of your life long.  That is how I know who you are."

"Imagine if you can such a world.  All that we have ever done is known to anyone who looks at us.  All the acts of our lives are an open book... with one exception."

"We can perceive only the outside.  All of our past external actions are an open book to others, but our inner thoughts and feelings are ours alone.  They are the only refuge of privacy that remains."

"It may make you quite uncomfortable to ponder that everyone you meet here can perceive every single thing that you have ever done at a glance.  We as a society are used to it, but it may be rather a shock to you."

"Imagine then if you can how profoundly terrifying it is to encounter someone with the ability to directly perceive our very inner thoughts and feelings.  For good or ill, every last secret from within can be discovered.  Many will be extremely uncomfortable that you are present in this world.  Some may be terrified enough to remove such a potential threat, by any means."

"I have shared much.  Do you understand thus far?"

I nod. "Yes. I think that I understand. To be honest, although you might be able to guess this already if you possess such knowledge, I am far less unsettled about this sort of scenario than most of my kind would be. I care very little about personal privacy." A thought occurs to me. "Are you afraid of me? You have been trembling since I got here. Furthermore, why do I have the title of 'Chosen'? As far as I know, I haven't had that title in the past, and yet your postcognition picked up on it somehow."

The older man considers.

"I am old, and do not fear much for myself.  But your presence here may be... disruptive... to our society."

"However, it is plain that you have been Chosen to be here at just such a time as this."

"You are not the first.  In the past, the Sovereign One has raised up Chosen in time of compelling need."

"What is the need now?  I am isolated, and know little of what is passing elsewhere in the world.  But I tremble at your presence, and for what urgent cause you have been Chosen to come here."

"You have journeyed from other worlds, and even through death, to come to us.  You may face many dangers, and many foes.  But you are acquainted with the musica mystica.  Your feathered companion hovers near.  And you journey under the wings of the Sovereign One Himself."

"It is well to remind myself of such things, and to recall the Shepherd watching over us, and to fear no evil."
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:52, Mon 08 July 2019.

"Musica mystica? Mystic music? What is that?"

The older man blinks, and regards you again.

"Ah.  Perhaps I should have said that you are acquainted with music, which is not altogether the same thing in your previous worlds."

"But the gift of music is rare in this world, and those who know how to wield it can be formidable.  Most dare not risk making music, for accessing such power without knowledge or control can be quite... dangerous."

"Hmm... So I can read people's minds, and I can wield some sort of power that is associated with music. Do I have postcognition too? Also, I am not sure if you are the one to ask, but do you know how I can utilize these powers? Do any other sorts of powers exist?"

The old man shakes his head.

"The Chosen usually come to us with unusual strengths... and weaknesses.  If you cannot see my life's path as you gaze upon me, then you lack what is common to possess here.  If you can see the inner thoughts and feelings of others, as you were taught during your journey through water and air two worlds ago, then you know far more than anyone here about such mysteries."

"As for what other powers may exist here, I am but a humble shepherd.  I know the power of the Shepherd, of course, as do you.  But what other mysteries may exist in this wide world?  I know not, Christopher Chosen."

"I see." I stroke my chin in thought. "I know that you said that you were isolated, but you still have, no doubt, have some basic knowledge of this world's geography, politics, economy, et cetera. Would you mind giving me a basic rundown of such things?"

The old man considers.

"From what I know, the clans are somewhat widely scattered, preferring not to let outsiders observe their life paths too easily.  That may well be one reason why their tongues are so strange and incomprehensible."

"I suspect that each clan that has survived has some type of power to aid them, but I do not know this for sure.  Still, one who can master music would have a versatile means of countering whatever may be encountered."

"Hmm... Fascinating. Good Sir, I have another question. You have already taught me so much, but I understand that I still know very little about this world or how to survive in it. I also think that, if I really am here to deliver this world from something, I had better learn about the kind of help that the world needs from the perspective of an 'everyman'. Would you be willing to teach me how to live out here and be a shepherd? I believe that that might be the easiest way to facilitate such learning." I try to speak in an "un-presumptuous" way.

The older man nods thoughtfully, and smiles.

"I am not worthy, but then again, who is?"

"The Sovereign One has raised you up for just such a time as this, and I would exhort you to serve Him as best as you are able.  How then could I do any less?"

"Beyond such a high calling, just having a companion for whatever brief season is a blessing, particularly one who is young and strong and willing and teachable.  I am not as young as I once was..."

"You are welcome here, Christopher Chosen."

I smile back. "Thank you for your generosity. What is your name?"

The older man blinks, and nods.

"I am Chasah. 'Peace be unto you.'  Of course, I forget that you would not know that by simply looking at me."

"Such strangeness may take a bit of getting used to.  I suspect we will learn much from each other, Christopher Chosen."