This thread is for events surrounding Sandien's house.

In reply to Narrator (msg # 1):

Oligur arrives outside Sandien's hut, seemingly rather relieved after his conversation with his commander.

In reply to Narrator (msg # 1):

Sanuzi begins to look around for fetishes or other holy objects, specifically a braid of hair and beads. He uses his Spirit Sight (if still possible) to examine objects.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:59, Wed 25 Sept 2019.

Sandien's house is peaceful.  Oligur can hear Tamarkora inside talking with a woman.

Sanuzi approaches and enters the house.

Sanuzi is familiar with Sandien's house, where she keeps things, and where she has things you were told not to touch.  This is an emergency, so you go through those places as well.  As you move through the house, you notice that there is a young woman of the Garlin family tending to mother.

In one of Sandien's secret stashes you find a copper ring.  There are thirteen braids of hair, each adorned with beads.  Each braid uses only one color of bead, and each has a spirit bound.

In reply to Narrator (msg # 4):

Sanuzi carefully and respectfully lifts the braids. Out slithers the scaly black snake that hangs out with him. She seems to unfurl her scales a bit and Sanuzi gently touches them to the snake, which retracts her scales a bit. With all the braids adhered, the snake disappears beneath Sanuzi's scant clothing.

As he finishes this task, Sanuzi makes sure Tamarkora notices him (if he has not already). He'll be polite and greet the girl, thanking her for her help, but really wants to relay to Tam that if Mother is OK for now, we might be needed elsewhere.

For now, I'm going to the Lunar camp.

Tamarkorda's jaw clenches as he listens to Sanuzi, he swallows hard and for a long time seems unable to speak, but finally he nods and gives his lodge-brother a hug before following him. The sleeves of his tunic lash about for a few moments as if some unfelt gust of wind had passed through the hut.

OOC ---> I take it Sanuzi and Tamarkorda are going over to the Lunar fort.

Having heard that Oligur is standing guard outside Sandien's house, Astrelia has taken it upon herself to bring him something to eat and drink.

"Oligur," she says with a smile, her body wrapped in a warm fur lined cloak.  "You are good to help the shaman while she helps one who serves the Seven Mothers.  You missed the mid-day meal, so I have brought you something to keep up your strength."  She is wearing a nice, form fitting gown under the cloak.  You see this as she raises her arms outside of the cloak to show you a wicker box that must have your lunch.

Oligur's jaw drops open. He tugs off his helmet and rapidly tries to smooth down his hair with his hand."Y-you  are much too kind. That you should care about the needs of this lowly soldier... I--I have no words"
Oligur bows deeply and long at the waist, and on standing back up he gratefully accepts the gift. For a moment he looks over his shoulder, as if wondering if he should share with his shaman colleagues... but he seems to put that thought out of his mind and instead shuffles slightly to the side, placing himself between Astrelia and the view from doorway. He beams at her as he eats.

"You are welcome, and it is no trouble.  It is the least I could do for one being praised by his commander."

Walking back to the Lunar fort with Tamarkorda and Sanuzi, Oligur strolls with a renewed vigor to his step. He seems quite cheerful, whistling a bit despite the gloomy atmosphere in the camp. After a bit he addresses his comrades:
"So, I hope you found what you were looking for in there?And speaking of finding things... Would either of you have any suggestions for finding a gift one could obtain here in Jelmine, one that is suitable for a lady of refined tastes and quality? This town is not exactly Glamour, or even Alda Chur, but, would you have any thoughts?
Just curious.Uh, in general."

Tamarkorda takes a sideways glance at Oligur one eyebrow raised, then, looking straight ahead again he muses, 'I saw Aranda sew some fine work back at the hut, she is one of the Murval Garlin Murval girls. Y One might ask her to make a thing to please such a taste, if there were time to spare. Or might Garrik have such wares in his goods from Boldhome?"
OOC {edited Aranda's bloodline which thought I had got wrong having read anoyhert post, but on the npc page and in more recent posts it seems I was right the first tim}
This message was last edited by the player at 07:33, Thu 28 Nov 2019.

In reply to Oligur Jaffez (msg # 11):

Oligur, you have no need of trinkets! You can not purchase affection with gifts...

Sanuzi pauses and looks aside at Tamarkorda and winks.

If you want to be memorable, be kind. You are already well ahead on that part.

Oligur smiles at his two companions, heeding their input in turn, as they continue to the Lunar fort. 

Tamarkorda made his farewells at the Lunar fort and went back to Sandein's house.  As he enters the house, Aranda comes from the back room.

"I am glad that you have returned Tamarkorda."  She stops, "You look exhausted.  Are you OK?"

She comes over and pulls Tamarkorda into the house.  "Sandein's Mother is sitting up, and she has a blank look on her face, but otherwise she is fine.  You may look her over, but let me get you some stew and bread."
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:55, Sun 03 Nov 2019.

Tamarkorda smiles at Aranda saying 'You should see Sandien and Sanuzi! we are all fine I think, I'm just hoarse from signing and talking to Lunars. Thank you for the food. I'll be back in a trice' he goes to see Mother.
'Aria is in bronze at the loom house' he tells her. 'Sandien is sleeping. I hope you are well'
When he is finished with Mother he will return to Aranda to eat.

As you just came from there, you can tell that mother is staring toward the Lunar Fort.  She does not acknowledge you or speak to you.  She blinks approximately once every minute, and her breathing is very slow.

Aranda calls to you, "since you were singing, I will also prepare you a special tea.  It will sooth your throat."  Aranda is not overtly flirting, but she is being very maternal.  You have seen her before.  She helps Sandien out with housekeeping and cooking.  She is not a shaman apprentice.  Like most young women of Jelmine, she is a devotee of Ernalda.  She is of the Garlin clan.

You then notice that Mother's left index finger is moving ever so slowly.  It is the only part of her body that seems to be moving.

---

If Bingling is with Tamarkorda, Aranda will also prepare him some stew.  She has mushroom beer as well.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:05, Sun 03 Nov 2019.

It occurs to Tamarkorda that Mother may be tracing out a rune with her index finger. So he stays long enough to see if he can make any sense of this idea before going to eat.

In reply to Narrator (msg # 17):

Bingling compliments her on the taste and thanks her for her hospitality. He smiles, nods, closes his eyes, and trills a moment while he mentally makes a note to share some of his best mushrooms with her for free as a reciprocity-gift.

Aranda smiles at Bingling's compliment, then goes about her work.  It appears that she has been working on a quilt composed of cloth fragments.

---

Tamarkorda watches her finger movements.  They are very precise, but it still takes nearly 20 minutes to figure out what she is drawing as the movement is painfully slow.  Aranda leaves some tea and stew beside Tamarkorda.

Eventually Tamarkorda sees the complete pattern.  She draws the rune of Fertility, draws a circle around it, and then taps the center.  Every time she taps the center, there is a subtle wave of power leaving the rune that Tamarkorda finally notices.

After about thirty minutes, Mother turns her head and squints as if trying to see something in the distance or hear something.  He head then turns back to the original position.  She closes her eyes, and passes out on the bed.

Tamarkorda puts a blanket over Mother and with the first three fingers of his right hand lightly traces the shape of a harmony rune on her forehead.
Then he rejoins Bingling and Aranda.

OOC:  Narrator edited post to strike out one action.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:17, Sun 03 Nov 2019.

The moment Tamarkorda finishes drawing the rune, Mother's eyes open.

---

Bingling and Aranda hear a crash from the room Mother is in.
You find Tamarkorda on the floor.  It looks like he hit his head at first, but there is blood coming from his eyes, nose, and ears.

Aranda says, "Bingling, please stay with him.  I'm going to get Inkarne."

Tamarkoda waves his hand in front of Bingling and Aranda at arm's length. He doesn't seem to be focusing properly.

In reply to Tamarkorda (msg # 23):

Bingling has no idea what to do, but stays with Tamarkoda.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:28, Mon 04 Nov 2019.

In reply to Bingling Hyxloriz (msg # 24):

Astorl will stay with Bingling.

Tamarkorda says something in a language neither Astorl or Bingling understands. Then he says something else and tilts his head on one side. He may be asking a question.

In reply to Tamarkorda (msg # 26):

Bingling says "Good morning" in broken Tarshite, "Hello" in Tradetalk, and "Greetings" in Darktongue.

Tamarkorda smiles and shrugs. He hauls himself to a sitting position, crosses his legs and begins inspecting every part of the room visible from his location, with great interest. He seems to be content to wait for Aranda's return.

No one currently in the room understands Tamarkorda.

OOC:  I'm waiting for something in a hidden thread before Aranda comes back.

Aranda returns with Inkarne.

Walking into the room, Inkarne moves over to Tamarkorda.  She walks calmly, but confidently, seeming to assess him as she walks.  She kneels behind him, pulls out a cloth, and begins to wipe the blood from his face.

When Aranda and Inkarne arrive, Tamarkorda repeats the first thing he said to Astorl and Bingling. This time he holds up the first three fingers of his right hand. When Inkarne has finished with the cloth he speaks again.

Inkarne tries speaking in one of the elemental languages, but Tamarkorda does not react.  She says something in another Tongue  which Tamarkorda seems to understand.

Looking over to Aranda, Inkarne says, "go back to the Temple and ask for Eldresa."  While Aranda is gone, Inkarne tries other languages which garner no seeming recognition from Tamarkorda.

After about 10 minutes, Eldresa returns.  Inkarne says to the Earth Priestess, "he is speaking in the language of Fire.  He does not seem to be able to speak any other tongue."

Inkarne looks over to those in the room, "what happened?"

---

Eldresa in the meantime talks with Tamarkorda.

In reply to Narrator (msg # 32):

In Darktongue Bingling replies "When we came in, blood from his his eyes, nose, and ears."

He tilts his head.

"As an initiate of the Surface Darkness, sometimes I can supress Lodr -- uh. That."

Tamarkorda replies to Eldresa and starts getting to his feet.

Eldresa announces to the people in the house, "he wants to go outside."

She then speaks to Tamarkorda.

Tamarkorda pauses as he leaves the room Mother is in and gives yelp of alarm.  he sidles up to the hearth hesitantly and inspects it from several angles before backing away from it and fumbling his way to the door outside.

Backing out into a thin layer of snow on the ground he pauses again kicking at it with his feet with a puzzled expression.  Finally he turns to survey the scene, looking around the sky and the town. His breathing becomes rapid and his eyes widen noticeably. He speaks briefly to Eldresa ending with '..., Oww!' He looks past Edresa to include anybody else who has come with them 'Oww!' he says again, running his hand through his hair.

He shivers, though the wind is not unusually cold. Looking around uncertainly he starts to walk up the hill.

Arriving with Eldresa, Henetha tries to make sense of the scene. She hesitantly follows Tamarkorda up the hill, looking at Eldresa for guidance.

Eldresa looks at you and shrugs. You realize he is speaking in one of the sacred tongues of the elements, but you are not sure which one until Eldreasa says, "he is speaking in firetongue.  He does speak with spirits, so he may be possessed.  If so, then this is a strange spirit."

Henetha also suspected possession, but like Eldresa, she has never seen anyone possessed behave this way.  Another thought comes to Henetha, that he has possibly been touched by the Trickster.

"He is cold.  Henetha, see if there is a blanket in Sandien's house that we can cover him in.  Oh, where is Sandien!"

Tamarkorda strides up the hill purposefully, but moves from feature to feature in the landscape rather than following the path to the temple. He pauses at some of these, talking to an ant's nest and a tree. He seems to have no particular goal in mind, and is perhaps trying to get his bearings as if in an unknown place.

Henetha returns to Sandien's house to find a blanket, and possibly Sandien.

There are people in the house, but Sandien is not there.  When asked, Aranda of Garlin replies, "Sandien is not here.  She went to help the Lunar Enlo.  Sanuzi and Tamarkorda went to find her hours ago, but only Tamarkorda returned.  He went to check on Mother, who was sitting up and staring at the wall.  I heard a fall, and found mother on the bed and Tamarkorda on the floor.  Do you know if he is alright?"

Aranda says all of this while getting a good blanket for Henetha to take out sie. Aranda seems very worried about Tamarkorda, more than you might expect.

Inkarne listens to Aranda's accounts.  "Would someone go to the Lunar Fort and fetch Sandein.  I would rather not involve the Uz priestess if at all possible."

Eldresa continues to follow Tamarkorda, but seems increasingly confused.  She speaks with him in one of the ancient languages.

"What do you seek?", asks Eldresa.

Tamarkorda having walked up the hill to the edge of the temple precinct, by the time Eldressa prompts him, seems increasingly agitated. He tries to communicate his concerns to her at more length in the ancient language that they share.
Having stopped to talk he begins to shiver again and wraps himself in the blanket before continuing his disposition, throwing  his hands in the air before calming down again.  He clasps his elbows with his opposing hands wrapping the blanket around himself. Degenerating into a muttering cough, his attempted explanation seems to further perturb Eldressa. Then Tamarkorda seems to hear something and heads off towards the top of the ravine more slowly that he was walking before and with no stops to engage local wildlife.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:00, Wed 13 Nov 2019.

As Tamarkorda moves up the hill, Eldresa calls out to the women near the temple.  "Get Desola quickly.  We need her wisdom."  She then calls out to Tamarkorda.

Tamarkorda carries on walking, but now and then spins around as he continues his conversation with Eldresa.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:12, Sun 10 Nov 2019.

INSIDE THE HOUSE

Inkarne says, "Eldresa should have returned."  She looks outside, then calls from the doorway.  "Desola is moving swiftly toward the Lunar's fort."  Looking toward Henetha, she says, "we should follow.  This could involve Tamarkorda."  She then looks toward the Uz, "Bingling, correct?  You should come along in case your strength is needed to restrain Tamarkorda."

Looking to the rest of the people in the room, "stay and watch Mother.  If she does anything, and I mean anything, one of you come to find me."

In reply to Inkarne (msg # 46):

Bingling replies "I am. I follow. I try."

Henetha follows, of course.

Eldresa followed you out of the fort, but continued down the hill as those bound for Sandien's house to the path to the shaman's house.  After knocking, Aranda opens the door.  She is holding a tunic with a tear in it; it is obvious she was in the middle of repairing it.  "Hello.  Is Tamarkorda doing better?" She asks with some concern in her voice.

Listening to the translation Zeti responds to the woman "The spirit in the one called Tamarkorda is not his own. As this happened here then perhaps his spirit is trapped in this place. Can we come in and look?"

"The one called Mother, he was with her when it happened, where is she?"

A voice calls out to the people standing outside Sandien's house.

"Ho!  You have no business entering my house or going to MY Mother without my permission, and woe be the fool that tries to enter the house of one such as I!"

OOC:  This can be heard all the way down the hill.

Eldresa stops, and looks back.  "Ah, Sandien, we were looking for you."

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.