Zeti turns and looks up the hill at the figure approaching. She does not bellow a response, but just waits where she reaches them. "You are Sandien, the shaman Tamarkorda helped rescue yes?"

She waits for translation before continuing "Have you seen him? His body at least, his soul wanders elsewhere and is replaced by one from the Green Age unless I am mistaken.

"It is not a possession though, it is as though this spirit is his fetch and this has occurred before he was ready. We try to help find his soul which left when he was with your Mother. This is likely beyond me, but now you are here you will help him yes?"

In broken Dark Speech, Sandien replies, "Home mine.  Mother mine.  No concern you."

Nadakar, realizing that there is a language barrier, begins to translate.

Sandien, sighs when she realizes that she is not going to have to use Dark Speech.

Nadakar tells Zeti, "Sandien said that it would be dangerous for one not invited to enter the house.  That you are not strong enough to withstand what would come for you."

After translating your words about Tamarkorda, he provides Sandien's answer, "he is in good hands with Desola.  I am still to week from assisting Gulk and need to recover before I can do anything for Tamarkorda."

Nadakar says something to Sandien, then says to Zeti, "I asked about her mother, and she said that her mother, much like Tamarkorda, has lost her soul, as you put it.  Unlike the young Shaman, there is no clue as to where her soul fled.  She does not know if she can help her apprentice.  She is hoping that Gulk, the shaman that you seek, may have some answers."

"Sandien has offered us tea."

Zeti listens to the translation with interest, particularly of the last part. Then when says that they have been offered tea she nods and looks at Sandien "Tea would be good thank you."

Sandien speaks to the young woman in the house, who then goes about making tea.  It is a tight fit for Zeti, but there is room inside for an Uz.

Sandien looks at Zeti, her eyes narrow, and she says something which Nadakar translates.

"You are touched by the spirit world the same as Gulk.  Do you follow her tradition?"

Nadakar adds, "I think she is curious as to why you have come to Jelmine."

Zeti enters carefully so as not to accidentally damage anything and then just as carefully takes a seat.

She speaks through Nadakar "I, like Gulk, follow the teachings of the Mother Jakaleel, though my journey has not been anywhere near as far as hers; she has accomplished so much!"

"My reason for coming here is to seek her patronage in the hopes that she can guide my journey deeper into the secrets of the Spindle Hag."

"Finding a teacher is a worthy goal," Sandien replies through Nadakar.  "Gulk has spoken of the From Dark Tradition, and what she told me allowed me to help her today.  She is a powerful shaman, and worthy teacher, if she accepts you."

Sandien then turns to Nadakar and asks a question.  He turns to Zeti and says in Dark Speech, "she now asks why I have come to Jelmine."

When he talks, it seems that you both understand what he is saying, "too much has been undone in the world, even more since the waking of a Dragon in these lands.  I go where there are those who may benefit from my presence, and where I might be able to help renew the world.  My travels have brought me here in the company of Zeti."

Stopping by Sandien's house, Vastos notices that the shaman has some strange visitors today.  An unknown Uz who bears the symbols of the Lunar Empire and a man dressed in a robe.  He does not look like he is from Sartar.

Zeti notices an Earth Priestess come to the door.  A small, slightly dirty girl child, is clinging to her hand.  There is also a human warrior with the middle aged priestess.  "Sandien, would  you mind if your apprentice Tamarkorda stays with the Murval family?"

Sandien gives her consent, and says, "until I know more, being with a people of Fire seems a wise idea.  Though I doubt Desola asked, you can tell her that I consent, as long as you will allow me to come and sit with the young man."

Vastos notices Aranda serving tea to Sandien and her visitors.  At the mention of Tamarkorda coming to stay with the Murval, you could swear that she smiles.  Looking up, she sees Vastos.  Quickly putting the tray down, she runs over, yelling, "Vastos.  You're home!"

Laughing Vastos wrapped his arms around his younger sister as she crashed into him and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Hi, kid. Yeah, I'm back so you'll have to behave now. I'm sure mum and dad are letting you run wild.", After an extra little squeeze he let go of her and looked her over. When he left to live with the Yellow Feathers she was about the same age as Little Earth was now, but she was a woman now. Suitors would be lining up and he hoped she was being smart about it, picking someone good and steady. He knew a thing or two about not doing that.
"All grown up. Anyone special yet?", but before she could answer he held up his hand to stop a reply, as he remembered they were not alone, not just family here.
The young girl, somewhere in her mid-teens that had entered the house with him and Eldresa let go of the priestess' hand and stepped closer to Vastos and Aranda, then repeated her actions on meeting Eldresa. Slowly she reached out and touched Aranda's face.

"It's ok. Just let her do her thing, she won't do anything weird. Well, anything really weird. She's called Little Earth, my ward"
The girl slowly traced her fingers along Aranda's cheekbones, along her chin and forehead, then smiling happily put her arms around the young woman to give her a quick hug.

His eyes swept the room and bowed politely to the strangers, a little stiffly perhaps to the strange Uz. He had never seen anything so odd, an Uz with Lunar tatoos. "The Loyal Thane's blessing on this house and all who dwell here.", he said in that god's sacred tongue, then continued in very broken Tradetalk "I Vastos, son Farin."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:58, Thu 28 Nov 2019.

Sandien smiles an enigmatic smile, saying, "welcome home Vastos.  I am sure your family is happy to have you safely returned."

Vastos knows Sandien.  She has always been a little creepy, seeming to know more about a person than she says.  And that odd look she gets when it seems like she is looking through someone.  You have never known her house to be as full as it is right now.

The person you heard them talking about, Tamarkorda, was someone who had com to the village about the time you left.

After greeting Vastos, Sandien's expression takes on a note of curiosity as she looks at Little Earth.  It is that creepy, all-knowing look she sometimes gets.

The human man, dressed in a deep purple robe, looks at Oligur momentarily, but then focuses his attention on Little Earth.  His expression does not change.  "Greetings Vastos, son of Farin.  I am called Nadakar.  If I may ask, how came you of your ward?"

When he talks, Little Earth smiles, then giggles.  She goes over to Nadakar and climbs in his lab, then hugs him.  Nadakar does not seem to mind, and begins stroking the girls hair.

Watching Nadakar with the child Zeti smiles, it is good to see males caring for the young and rarer amongst humans that Uz, at least in her experience.

"It seems many come to this place of late. There are those like myself and you, new to here, and those who return though changed, touched by Time; either slightly or greatly." she says in her own tongue relying on Nadakar's skills.

Nadakar does indeed translate Zeti's words for all to hear.  The Murval family in particular does not normally learn Dark Speech, so the translation is appreciated.  He then replies so that all can  understand, "such times draw many together who otherwise would be separate."

A moan can be heard coming from another room, further back in the house.  Sandien, heedless of the cup of tea, rushes to the back of the house.

"Should we leave to let Sandien see to her Mother? Or should we offer assistance, she looks rather tired?" Zeti enquires not knowing the customs or inclinations of these barbarians.

Nadakar motions to stay.  He gently places Little Earth on the ground, and stands.  Little Earth takes his hand, and they both follow Sandien.

Aranda says loud enough so that Sandien can hear from the other room.  "I will start making her special tea."

Nadakar gasps when he looks into the room.  Little Earth let go of his hand, and raced back to Vastos. "Shaman Sandien, has your mother done anything like this before?"

"She has, but never these runes."

Nadakar looks at Aranda.  "You were here when the young spirit talker was stricken.  He was with her, correct?"

Aranda nods, "is Tam alright?".  There is a note of worry in her words.

Nadakar smiles, "he will be my dear.  Maybe this experience will help him notice you, but remember dear one, those who see the spirit world sometimes do not see what is in front of their face.  You may need to make your interest more noticeable," he says with a smile.

Aranda looks shocked, then appalled, then humiliated.  She quickly turns back to the tea.


Nadakar continues into the room and stands by Sandien.  "What generally happens when she is finished?"

"She usually passes out for days."

"We will need to find out what happened just before the young man passed out."

"We?" Sandien beings with a note of anger and venom in her voice.  "He is my apprentice."

Before Eldresa can say anything, Nadakar responds, "of course he is, but  you will need all the help  you can get to bring your apprentice back.  As Gulk accepted your help, you must stand ready to accept help in return."

OOC:  Any who look into the room will notice that Mother has painted two sets of runes on the wall.  The top set are STABILITY, MOTION, FERTILITY, DEATH, TRUTH, ILLUSION, HARMONY, and DISORDER.
Below that are the runes for Darkness, Water, Earth, and Fire.

Mother is looking at a spot, and seems stymied.  Here hand is out to draw something, but there is a look of utter confusion on her face.  This is how she was found when she began moaning.

From outside the room Zeti, kneeling so that she can see through the door, speaks "Darkness was first, separated itself from the Chaos and birthed the first Water. Next came the solidity of Earth and above it Fire formed. Air is next, or so they say, the youngest and most turbulent. Moon last acording to some, but for others it was always there."

As Zeti says this, Mother looks to the Darkness Rune, then Water, followed by Earth and Fire.  She then goes to the blank space.  First she draws a circle with a single dot in it, and then draws a single line down the middle (moon), draws the spiral of air out to the edge.  At that point, Mother passes out.

Sandien runs to mother as Nadakar walks over to the rune of Moon and Air.  "Madame Sandien, was your mother a seer?"

"No, she was an initiate of Lhankor Mhy.  They say she performed a forbidden Hero Quest, and the spirits of retribution took her mind."

"No Madame Sandien, it was not the spirits of Lhankor Mhy that took her mind.  I think she saw something that she could not comprehend.  This may be why something happened to your young apprentice.

OOC:  Vastos can still make it into the room.  All of the people here, including Eldresa can hear what is happening, and all will see it.

Nadakar says, "some of the Runes have older names, older meaning."  Looking down at Mother, "now I see why I was brought here."  He helps Sandien by lifting mother and placing her on the bed.

Sandien calls to Aranda, asking for warm water and towels.  She begins cleaning her mother.  After asking permission, Nadakar assists her.

edited as I made a mistake in the description of the moon rune.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:37, Sun 01 Dec 2019.

From her vantage point Zeti sees the combined Moon and Air runes "Air within the Moon, or Air and Moon combined. Strange, I have never seen them combined so." she ponders.

"Even Danfive Xaron's calmed Air is separate." She is obviously fascinated by this.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 13:14, Mon 02 Dec 2019.

Sandien says, "It was your mentioning Air and Moon that caused her to react."  She also contemplates the rune.  "I am very ignorant when it comes to the moon rune, and I have little affinity with the air rune.  I have only just begun learning a little of your religion from Gulk, so in this, I am at a loss."

After assisting Sandien with Mother, he stares at the Air/Moon rune for about a minute.  "Would you mind if I traced this combined rune?  I am sure there is appropriate paper at the fort."  Sandien agrees, but adds, "there is no need to send to the fort.  I have paper here that would work for your purpose."  She tells Aranda to fetch some.

Nadakar then slowly moves in a circle, looking at all of the Runes drawn, before asking, "has drawn other symbols."

"Yes, but most of them were meaningless scrawls.  Those that had some meaning, significance, or even sense, I recorded.  You are welcome to look at them."  Nadakar nods in response.

He looks at Zeti, and says, "if you have paper or a journal, I suggest you draw this as well.  There is a new mystery in this that will need to be meditated upon."

"I have none on me, perhaps I might borrow a sheet also?"

She makes her own copy of the combined Moon and Air rune careful to draw it as closely as she can remember to how 'Mother' drew it, Circle then dot in the centre, line through the middle and then the spiral out from it.

You are given paper.

There is a great sense of unease as you draw out the runic design.

Nadakar says, "it is the precision of the placement that intrigues me.  Did your mother participate in many Heroquests?"

Sandien answer, "yes.  She did participate in many regarding Lankhor Mhy.  Her present state is due to her participation in what was deemed a forbidden Heroquest."

Nadakar suddenly turns to Sandien, eyes glaring with intensity, "do you know what was sought?"

There was momentary fear in Sandien, but she quickly recovered.  "No.  I was only an initiate at the time, and was not told the nature of the quest.  All of her notes were destroyed, so I do not know what she sought."

"That is too bad.  It may have given a clue as to why she drew this."

Nadakar then concludes by saying, "Zeti, when you are done, we should leave Madame Sandien to tend to her mother."  Looking at Sandien, "I have heard you recently completed a quest to save Gulk.  You must be exhausted.  We will trouble you no more today, but I would like an opportunity to speak with you tomorrow."

Vastos can hear all of the conversations.  Eldresa is interested in the conversations, and will also look at the runes Mother drew; she will eventually report the incident to Desola.

Zeti finishes the drawing and then carefully stows the paper carefully before waiting for Nadakar to finish his conversation.

After they leave, and when she believes them to be out of earshot she asks him "Did you... feel anything when you copied the runes?"

"It was strange, discomforting. As though the mere act for drawing it threatened to release some power."

Letting the others see to the old woman, Vastos held on to Little Earth's hand, he'd been surprised by the brief stab of jealousy when she went over to Nadakar. He waited a moment, then peeked into the room, a vague worry forming in his mind as he listened to the others talking. As it was, he doubted he could help much, but perhaps there was something. He might talk to the man only speaking in Firespeech, but surely someone else had already tried that.

He looked at the wall just as Mother finished her odd combined rune, and the faint worry in his stomach increased.

"Sandien, I have seen a combined rune like this recently. Not this one, but infinity within a circle within a square", he shot a quick glance at his ward, worried. "Maybe that is what Mother is trying to draw?"

Nadakar replies to Zeti, "yes, there is something to this combination of runes that is disturbing and powerful.  It will require some time in meditation to unravel what path should be taken."

After Vastos speaks, it is Nadakar that speaks first.  "Where did you see this young man?"  His tone is not angry, but there is force and command to his question.  It is not power or magic that is behind this, but more his presence.  Little Earth squeezes your hand.

Zeti ponders Mother's drawing of the combined rune as this newcomer speaks with Nadakar and mutters as she realises "Not just two, three runes combined. The woman drew a circle with a dot in the centre before drawing through that dot. The power of three combined, not two. Fire, Moon and Air!"

This then leads her to consider the other human's revelation and she continues her line of thought "And now another three, a circle could be Darkness, Earth and the Infinity of the dragon swallowing its own tail."

"I suppose the circle could be Fire again, the centre dot covered by the centre of the Infinity."

Nadakar looks impressed with Zeti's observations.  "Combining runes was something the God Learners attempted, many times with disastrous results. It is also said that both Nysalor and Arkat both combined runes in their battles with each other.  Two such incidents, seemingly at random though is more than coincidence."

After some translation, Sandien says to Zeti, "you are clever.  Gulk should look favorably on the insight you have shown, though at first it may not appear that way."  Sandien then holds up her hand, "but I caution you against attempting to draw these combined runes more than you have.  Even now I can see ripple effects coming from the act of drawing them out."

Zeti looks a Nadakar after Sandien speaks and then when he finishes the translation she turns to Sandien and shakes her head "I felt the disturbance. It was not good."

Still, Nadakar's words and her observations have started her on a trail of thought and she can't help but wander it a little more as she ponders to herself Spindal Hag, indeed most Uz teach that Darkness separated itself from Chaos before birthing the first Water. So from Chaos came Darkness and this lead to other elements.

Can it be that in Chaos everything can be found. Can it be that Chaos is both the root of everything as well as the end of everything. And if Chaos is the beginning of everything then could it be that in Chaos is, or at least was all runes at once, all runes combined? This is an fascinating path, but one that she would feel comfortable talking to very few and she keeps her mouth shut, but make a mental note to talk alone with Nadakar on the thoughts.