Ohm freezes, then wheels about, dashing back to Yuna's side. She circles around behind the Terrestrial's leg, like a cat fleeing to its owner. Casting her gaze up towards Yuna, the Lunar speaks in a hushed and hurried tone. "Human coming back with the cats. Say I'm with you." With that, she falls silent, locking her golden eyes forward. As she continues to gaze out at the forest, her moonsilver tattoos shimmer, and then grow faint, the dense, swirling, chaotic pattern fading into the near-black of her skin.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:29, Sat 08 Aug 2020.

Yuna froze as the 'servitor' denied being sent by Momodi or seemingly even knowing that was her name or that she was a Dynastic Dragon-Blood. She watched the strange creature-- what could she be, then? a demon? a fae?-- without moving to follow, uncertain as to the intent of the invitation. If this was an Anathema, then why save her from the sinking ship, why move as if she had intended to help fight off the leopards? To make use of Yuna later? But then why give the option for her to simply leave now? If what Yuna had seen of the creature's physical ability in the water was any indication of her general martial prowess, the Yuna certainly wouldn't stand much chance in a fight.

The creature-- the Anathema?-- was getting further away as Yuna hesitated. Momodi warned against that, the indecision. You had to be decisive, like breathing fire at the cats. But what about here, where she could get herself killed or maybe cause trouble for Momodi or--

The maybe-Anathema raced back to her and hid behind her like a shy child. Yuna blinked, half-turning, watching as the tattoos receded. "With the cats?" she asked somewhat gormlessly. This... well, it wasn't her strangest day since Exalting. Decisive. Right. A human with the cats. Maybe they'd know the way to Kori, if they were friendly. If they weren't or if this was a trick from the maybe-Anathema-- though she did not seem particularly skilled with guile-- then the Guardian should help her hold her own and... and she'd figure things out from there.

Turning back around once more, Yuna projected a sense of confidence, folding her hands in front of her as she waited for a sign of whoever was apparently approaching with the leopards. A little globe of flame hovered just behind her and off to the side.

A few moments later, the two leopards once more break through the trees, through now they are slinking forward with their heads down, still the impressive sight of a major predator but without any overt hostility. Between the two cats comes a person, heavily dressed in leathers and furs to the point that any defining features are indistinguishable beneath the clothes. The newcomer holds a bow, arrow nocked but undrawn, and surveys the two Exalts with wary eyes covered by thick glasses.

"What is this, now," the figure says in a high-pitched voice, seemingly unfazed by Ohm's appearance, "survivors from the shipwreck?"

Judging by their size and the pitch of their voice, the newcomer doesn't seem to be much older than a child.

The two leopards emerged once again, but Yuna kept her gaze focused on the figure between them who seemed to be... younger than the Dragon-Blood herself. But that wasn't saying much considering Momodi hardly looked a few years older but was more than twice Yuna's age. And there was, of course, also the maybe-Anathema behind her, who was similarly child-sized and child-sounding. And this apparent child seemed to command the leopards. So. At the very least, certainly not an ordinary child, if not something else entirely.

Yuna bowed a polite greeting to the child, just deep enough for an equal and no more, a great honor if this truly was a child. "Well met. I am V'neef Yuna." And that still felt odd to say, but confidence. Always confidence. The Exalt left enough of a pause for the stranger-- or the maybe-Anathema-- to supply their name if they chose, but not enough to imply she was waiting for it. "As you surmised, we've had a rather unfortunate incident at sea. I don't suppose you could point us in the direction of the nearest town?" They shouldn't know about the shipwreck, not with how far off it had occurred. But never ask obvious questions, don't give away that you're surprised, don't give up the advantage.

There's a noticeable moment of stillness from the fur-garbed hunter when Yuna says her name. It's hard to be sure due to the amount of clothes and the thick glasses obscuring their face, but it seems that the hunter's gaze turns to Ohm momentarily before settling back on Yuna. As the Dynast continues to talk diplomatically, however, the hunter puts away the bow, and one of their hands strays to scratch one of the leopards behind their neck.

Several moments of silence pass, and finally the hunter speaks. "You come to this land you call Kori to wage war." It is not a question. "My tribe cares not for those who live behind walls, and does not bother them. Yet we know the meaning of Realm justice, Dynast, and how cheap our lives are to one such as you. How easy it is to deal with possible nuisances, in the name of maintaining order."

The leopard purrs, and the hunter shifts their hand to scratch at the cat's jaw instead.

"We want no part of your war, Yuna-of-the-Realm. If I lead you to where you must go, will you speak for my tribe when your legions come for our blood?"

Yuna took note of the moment the stranger froze, but kept her own expression unchanged. Perhaps she shouldn't have revealed that she was a Dynast-- an outcaste, she didn't really belong among them, kind though the V'neefs had been-- but there were benefits to having that out no matter how this person felt about it. She listened as the stranger spoke, considering for a moment. Momodi would appreciate results with less loss. Yuna herself would prefer this ended as bloodlessly and swiftly as possible, if for no better reason than she had little and less place on a battlefield and she was still eager to prove her worth to Momodi and the V'neefs.

"I am here because, from what I have heard, there has been an increase of raids on the Satrapy," she began. Make not mention of Momodi, not unless she had to. No reason to give up that information if she didn't have to. "If it is your tribe, but you all wish for peace, I'm sure we can negotiate something amenable for both sides. I'd prefer to end this with as little loss of life as possible-- preferably none, in fact. If it's another tribe issuing attacks on the Realm's interests, then perhaps you could assist us in the signs that differentiate you? I am not familiar with this land yet, its customs and manners of dress and whatnot, so I will admit that I would not know how to mark the differences between your tribe and any others."

Dangerous to offer more promises, promises like the stranger was asking for, without a more solid understanding of what was going on here. She was still trying to figure out what the creature behind her was, let alone knowing what delicate political climate she might be walking into.

Ohm's eyes flash as she meets the cloaked hunter's gaze, the diminutive Exalt hunching lower behind Yuna. Though she gestures cowardice, her eyes are steadfast and unblinking, watching the stranger's motions with curiousity. That glance... they know more about Ohm than they let on to Yuna. The discretion is appreciated by the Lunar, though no less mysterious.

The hunter scoffs, shaking their head. "I said we do not bother those who live behind walls. Did you pretend not to hear it, or do you simply not believe my words?"

The hunter finally lets go of the leopard, turning fully to face the two Exalts.

"We are not in what you call the Blessed Isle anymore, girl. You are not on your high courts, with your fancy heraldry and your silks. Here there is no manner of dress other than that which keeps you warm and alive in the heart of winter."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:28, Sun 09 Aug 2020.

Yuna tilted her head at the stranger. 'Girl'. But all she said was, "What I am is unfamiliar with the particulars of the situation here. As I said, I am but newly arrived in these lands. You have said your people make no trouble for those within the cities. Very well. Shall I believe that I have been called here on false pretenses by the satrap? Or are there indeed other tribes?" Firm. Confident. She couldn't react to a scolding by being meek, she wasn't a simple scribe any more. "As I said, if your people desire peace, then I'm sure negotiations can be made."

The hunter shakes their head again. "Of course there are other tribes, girl, and other forces at work in here. They are who you are here to wage war with, at least at first. But I know how the Realm works, I know how easy it is for your people to do genocide in the name of establishing order."

She steps back a few feet, turning towards the trees.

"I will repeat my terms. Will you promise to safeguard my tribe to the best of your ability, if I lead you to where you need to be?"

Yuna tried to keep her expression smooth and neither to rankle nor shrink down at the way the stranger referred to her. As the stranger made their offer one more time, the Dragon-Blood glanced back toward the maybe-Anathema behind her, still not sure what to make of her. Was this a set up of some sort between the two of them or simply a truly odd coincidence? Yuna turned back to the stranger.

"I have two conditions. The first is that my agreement hinges upon your tribe upholding the neutrality that you've said, unless first provoked. And the second is that I will need a name for your tribe, a way to know them from the others; otherwise, any agreement on my part is worthless, anyway." Yuna watched the stranger as they faced the trees. "If that is agreeable, then I will promise to do what I can to make sure your tribe is safe if you will help me to reach the city."

"Always the stipulations and conditions with you Dynasts. Very well. I will take you to your precious city, but we cannot make it there before nightfall. Follow me, and I will take you to my tribe's camp instead."

Without waiting for a reply, the hunter starts walking into the woods, the leopards meekly following behind.

Yuna only smiled and dipped her head in acknowledgement of the stranger's acceptance of her additional terms, watching as they began walking off and withholding the way she wanted to let her shoulders slump and breathe a long breath out. She was certain Momodi would see things the same way she did, that there was hardly any sense to full-scale slaughter... and hopefully she wouldn't find Yuna presumptuous for having struck this bargain.

She started forward, little globe of fire trailing close behind. She glanced back only once at the maybe-Anathema, uncertain if the stranger's invitation had extended to her and not sure if it would be better if it did or did not.

Ohm either does not notice or does not care about the ambiguity of the wildling's  offer, following along behind Yuna like a particularly humanoid dog. She also does not look up at the Terrestrial, the only reaction to Yuna's backwards glance a twitch of her large, pointed ears. Her six clawed limbs make an odd pattern of footprints in the wet sand, transitioning into an inscrutable pattern on the leave-covered soil. Her footfalls make noticeably less sound than Yuna's — even when not trying to hide, her instincts guide her to choose her steps. Her golden eyes stay locked on the ground ahead, picking her path out ahead of time. Partly thanks to that, partly due to her low-slung frame, she scrambles lithely over the various roots and irregularities in their path without so much as a stumble.

The hunter leads the two Exalts through the trees, silent. Twisted and naked trees slowly give way to a boreal forest, mainly of pine trees, boughs heavy with snow. At some point the two leopards slink into the woods, disappearing from view, and still the hunter remains silent. Eventually the sound of voices becomes clear through the forest noises, and the group breaks out of the woods into a large clearing filled with people.

Several heavy, fur-lined tents are set around campfires, and heavily-dressed tribesmen go about doing chores and preparing for the night. A few dozen people can be seen around the clearing, and amidst them a number of seemingly tame leopards, full grown ones lazing about beside tents or with their paws hanging from low-hanging tree branches, while younger kittens could be seen playing around amidst themselves or with tribesmen children. Unlike their guide, most of the tribesmen in sight did not have their faces covered, and the Exalts could see they seemed to be normal men and women with the pale complexions common to the North, their faces sometimes painted with elaborate tribal tattoos.

Some of the tribesmen call out greetings to the Exalts' guide, who waves back and sometimes makes strange, quick hand gestures, but otherwise keeps leading the two newcomers to a tent at the center of the camp. There, their guide stops before a wrinkled woman smoking a pipe and stirring a pot brimming with some sort of soup. As the group approaches, the hunter again performs a series of quick hand gestures, seemingly communicating without the need for words. They then nod, and take their leave of the group.

The old woman smiles to the two Exalted,

"Welcome, friends, to the campfire of the Bao. My name is Snow Lily, and I was chosen by these fools to be what you would call their chief. Will you join me for supper?"

She motions to a tree trunk set sideways beside the fire, similar to the one she herself is sitting on, clearly inviting the Exalts to sit down.

As they emerged into the campsite, Yuna had to school her curiosity so as not to stare openly. Mostly at the tattoos. Might they be some form of script or symbology? And, if so, what might the different patterns mean? But there wasn't enough time to study them in the brief glances she made toward various members of the tribe. More than enough time, however, to notice that none of them were nearly so covered as their guide. Their guide who knew things they shouldn't. So very likely not human, then, but what might they be instead?

In much the same way as she had glanced surreptitiously at the tribepeoples' tattoos, Yuna watched the quick series of hand gestures the guide made with a similar fascination that she kept somewhat poorly concealed. Or quite poorly concealed as her eyes glued to the quick series of motions, each subtle turn of the hand and sharper movements of the wrist. Almost instinctively, curiosity getting far the better of her, Yuna breathed in and felt the Essence of this place suffuse her, sharpening her understanding and feeding her curiosity.

The guide left without much in the way of a good-bye, though Yuna offered a nod of thanks and farewell.

Looking back to Snow Lily, Yuna smiled and offered a respectful bow. "I would be honored to join you, ma'am," she said, gaze wandering only briefly to her fluffy companion, wondering if she was expected to speak for her or no. Probably not; they were together by happenstance and Yuna still didn't know anything about her, much less what to make of her. The Dragon-Blood took the offered seat.

"Is there anything I might assist you with in preparing supper?" she asked, forcing her still-rampant curiosity down in the name of being polite, ears still keying in to the particular dialects of Skytongue being used around the camp.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:04, Tue 11 Aug 2020.

As Yuna pays attention to the hand gestures done by their guide -- and, in fact, done by other members of the tribe among themselves, as this seems to be a secondary form of communication for them -- the meaning behind each sweep and turn gradually become clear, to the point where Yuna is confident she would be able to mimic the gestures and communicate using them as well. Recalling what their guide had said to those who hailed them, they were simple messages of greeting and an explanation that the newcomers were being taken to the chief.

The message their guide left for the chief, however, was far more complex. The hunter reported that they were dangerous, but not aggressive, and succinctly relayed a summary of their exchange with Yuna, including the promises made. Lastly, the hunter apologized and said they needed some time to think; Yuna couldn't catch the last of the message because their guide had already been turning and their hand were out of her sight by that point.

Ohm follows Yuna who follows the stranger into the camp. The setting is familiar to her, if a bit dimly so. She'd spent some months in similar places, the hidden warcamps and hunting posts of a Lunar dominion. She glances about herself as they venture towards its heart, noting the swirling tattoos that adorn many of its residents. She is notably less subtle about this observation than is Yuna, and dismisses the hand gestures entirely as "spiderpaw hand-wiggling".

Invited to sit, Ohm rather halfway crawls onto the log, her forelimbs curling up on each other atop it and her chin nestling down into her fur. She watches the chief with those huge eyes of hers, curious though not confrontational. A leopard watching a bear from a tree. She remains silent, still playing the part of quiet companion.

"No, dear, you're guests here."

The old lady picks up three wooden bowls from the ground, and uses a similarly wooden ladle to fill them up with soup from the pot. She passes one bowl to Yuna, then looks inquisitively at Ohm, wordlessly asking her if she would join in, before handing out wooden spoons and starting in on the food herself. The soup turns out to be a thick broth full of taste, with several large chunks of vegetables and some kind of meat.

"I hope that child didn't give you too hard a time." The chief looks in the direction the hunter had gone, a sad smile on her face. "Y'mithra is not very fond of the Realm, you see, and when you feel so strongly about something it can color your perceptions and actions even when it by rights shouldn't."

Ohm obligingly shifts her paws, making a spot on the log between them exactly big enough to store a bowl. When one is deposited into the cavity, her limbs close around the wooden offering like a spider enwrapping its prey in legs. The bowl having vanished into a mound of porcelain fur, there is nowhere for Snow Lily to place the spoon, until the elder eventually sets it atop the Lunar's head, where it remains nestled in fluff until further notice. The diminutive fuzzball offers an appreciative burble, followed by a muffled staccato slurp as the now-hidden bowl's contents are presumably inhaled into her gullet. As she consumes, Ohm's eyes peak over the crest of her fuzzy forearms, watching what she expects to be yet more negotiations, the complexities of which she will not understand but will nevertheless try and commit to memory.

Yuna accepted the bowl and spoon from Snow Lily with a grateful bow of her head, waiting for the elder to begin before setting in herself, half-recalling lessons about the dangers of dining with Dynasts and moreover recalling her typical polite meekness-- which she was supposed to have abandoned. Old habits. But it was that politeness that was all that kept her from veritably attacking the stew as Yuna had not realized quite how hungry she was.

"Oh, no, not at all," Yuna assured Snow Lily. "If anything, they were quite helpful to bring us here... though I believe their leopards had originally intended to make a meal of us." There was a sincerity to the light-heartedness, though also a slightly nervous note... and another part of the Exalt's mind that was tucking away the information for later. Emotions, positive or negative, were a powerful force when properly pushed.

Yuna cast a brief, sidelong glance at the other member of the dinner. She was... much cuter for something the Dragon-Blood half-thought could be an Anathema than was comfortable. And fluffy. She was so fluffy. But it would not be acceptable to pet her fellow guest's head. Especially if she was an Anathema. That would be entirely inappropriate.

Yuna cleared her throat, eyes pulling back to Snow Lily. "Y'mithra had mentioned trouble brewing between the Realm and your people here, possibly as the result of actions by other tribes? Could you tell more about the situation here?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:50, Thu 13 Aug 2020.

Snow Lily laughs at the leopard comment, "Well, you can't fault predators for being predators, can you? Thankfully, however, you showed yourself to be a bigger predator, and scared them away without hurting them. My thanks for that, by the way. I fear our meeting would have gone very differently otherwise."

The chief's expression takes on a sad cast when Yuna brings up the brewing troubles. "Oh, yes. Not all of those who live in the wilds are content to leave the cityfolk to their walls. Many look upon them -- upon you -- and see weakness, and opportunity. Others still have grudges, or an agenda against your Realm. Especially with the recent withdrawals of troops, many have grown bold, as I am sure you are aware."

Snow Lily slurps from her bowl, taking a moment to think. "As for the Bao, we've had skirmishes with the people of Kori in the past, mostly when misunderstandings happened. More often we've traded, or left each other well alone. We have no desire to make the future any different."

Yuna smiled in reply to Snow Lily's laugh, tried not to let her nerves show as scaring the leopards off had been just about all she'd really been able to confidently do. Combat was not her strong suit and there was only so much the Guardian could do. Though there was also her... new companion? The Exalt resisted the urge to look over to her. She'd been gearing up to fight the leopards, it had seemed.

She nodded slowly, considering the elder's words on the tribes out here. She hid a wince as Snow Lily slurped her stew. "Y'mithra had mentioned some of that as well. I would be more than willing to speak on your behalf with that in mind, though I imagine any negotiations would take some time. And a more detailed knowledge of the situation..." Yuna trailed off, clearly thinking. "Perhaps not right away, but it would almost certainly be a good idea to elect a liaison of sorts to represent the Bao and handle some of the communications-- someone with more experience among your people than me and more authority to speak for them. Though, that will likely require some groundwork be laid to facilitate."

It was difficult to promise much when she couldn't be sure what the details of the situation would be once she arrived in Kori. There were too many factors she was not familiar with.

Snow Lily smiles, but shakes her head, putting the wooden bowl -- now empty -- aside.

"That is a tad bit more than we want, or would be comfortable with, actually. If any of us had any desire to live behind walls, or to be subject to your 'civilized' lifestyles, we wouldn't be out here in the wilds. Besides, we know how Realm politics work... and we have no desire to be drawn into its conflicts. We merely wish to stand apart, as we have until now."

Yuna frowned at Snow Lily's words, still working on her own bowl of stew. "I confess that I'm not sure that will be possible," the Exalt said, still considering. "It will all hinge on the particulars of the situation, of course, but at the very least... I don't know your people very well, their habits, their manners, their way of dress, and so forth. I can provide some general guidance and I'm sure that you could offer me some small education on the matter across the remainder of the day, but not nearly enough to truly familiarize myself.

"Without that, I won't be able to as effectively speak on behalf of your people. I simply don't know them that well. Furthermore, I can't speak to your customs or smooth potential misunderstandings; I can't explain where to avoid and on and on. I can pass along your neutrality on the matter and lack of ill intent and offer my opposition on any matter that would entail animosity toward the Bao-- and that will carry some weight." Still strange to know that was true. Low Yuna might be among the hierarchy of the Realm, she still carried the V'neef name now and, so long as Momodi agreed with her, all the weight of her mentor's approval. "But a more permanent, more invested and integrated representative will likely serve you much better than I. And, indeed, would aid me in helping cement your situation as noncombatants."

The Dragon-Blood set her empty bowl down on the log beside her and shook her head. "I am, perhaps, planning too far ahead or too thoroughly for a relatively small and undeveloped problem, but Y'mithra had implied that they expected the situation to develop into a genocide, so I am assuming that it would be best to plan a somewhat more in-depth campaign. Or, at least, to set the stage for one as necessary."