Open The Tenday Of Trinkets

[Tazrae]

It was interesting meeting one of the Verusk. Tazrae had seen them around, especially Seladonna, but she hadn’t actually talked to the woman so far. The woman was friendly, approachable, and seemingly open on magic. Tazrae hadn’t realized the Verusk might feel isolated out here with so few of their kind and so many humans about, but the stranger was making an effort to reach out and make connections. Taz wasn’t willing to let that go unappreciated, so she did in fact decide to join the woman for a bit of lunch.

Surprisingly, Moritz joined the pair of them in the discussion. Seladonna had answered his question about her ability to use Auristics with an affirmative. “That would be a waste of the magic, Moritz. You must focus on one thing and not everything. Do you want to be overwhelmed so easily? One uses Auristics with a purpose, not just to see all djed at once. Auristics sees specific things and does not concentrate on focusing on djed. It is detail orientated, not a general ability like you have been describing. Those old djed sniffing powers got yanked out of the mainstream magical teachings for a reason. All they are good for is spies and assassins and those hunting the lost. You don’t have “Magic Eyes” child. You have Pathfinding, that old Iraso Art. There’s a whole world of difference. You talk like a child, yet look like an adult. Act like it. Use your adult words. When I was younger, Kelvics wasn’t delegated to being pet status and taught that being stupid was acceptable. They were educated and taught to be upstanding citizens.” Seladonna regarded Moritz thoughtfully. “Maybe you are from one of those places they fight them in pits and chain them in their courtyards like hounds. But you are more than that. You should act like it.” She said acidly and shook her head. “I saw Indigo using you as a pack animal the other day. Shame on that.” She said, shaking her head.

“No child, it's not. It's not a bottom or beginning of a line. It’s something more. As I’ve already told you.” She snapped, looking a bit frustrated. “Yes, exactly like that. Now you are getting it. I knew you didn’t look stupid even though you act it. And stop saying a Witch gave you eyes. She didn’t. She taught you power. It’s a totally different thing. Your mother and father gave you eyes. And the Gods, who let you live through your birth.” Seladonna continued.

“Why in the world would I want to see all auras at once? That’s just plain reckless and lacks finesse. Of course, I have more djed than Tazrae. I’m a hybrid human, half Velispar which is a creature of pure djed, and half-human. My father is a grand creature… thousands of years old and wise beyond measure. Djed pools happen for a multitude of reasons. They can happen by accident of birth… just like talent. Sometimes children are born incredibly talented at running or doing mathematics… but when two talented parents breed and produce offspring, odds are their children will be highly talented too, sometimes more so. In the case of Tazrae, she probably comes from a deliberately bred line of mages. She has the look of power about her like that. Accidental births with large djed pools aren’t usually that large. They shine bright, but they aren’t like the sun… not like Verusk are. Nor are they often like bright stars, such as Tazrae.” Seladonna continued.

“Of course, you can’t see detail. All you are is a glorified bloodhound for djed. You can see or smell or hear it out and track it down. It’s an assassin’s ability.” She snorted, laughing slightly. “I’m not sure why someone would teach you. You don’t seem the type.” She added.

Seladonna turned to Oralie. “Jamoura look like someone took a human and a gorilla and bred them together. They are incredibly tall, long-legged, and peaceful. They look like giant humanoid gorillas and have a peaceful way about themselves. You’ll like the one you are going to go meet. No one, save perhaps a monkey’s ass, could dislike the guardian of Caiyha’s Arbor.” Seladonna said.

Tazrae lifted an eyebrow at that. The Verusk were outspoken and forthright. She liked the tendency.

Seladonna nodded to Oralie. “We are the same. My people and I have not long been here either. We were told this would be a safe place to live. And we were told correctly.” She added. “The Founders made us welcome, though we are vastly different than your people and live longer.” She added. “I hope you feel as welcome, Oralie.” Seladonna added. Before long, the quartet of them were headed towards the Kitchen Commons where people were lining up to dish up plates of food. There was a pit-cooked pig, and dozens of sides and bread as well as quite a few desserts. As was Syka’s standard, fruit was abundant and they all could dish up large plates. It was unusual that a city had such abundance, but Syka didn’t have a huge population to feed and it was surrounded by resources.

Taz glanced at Oralie at her question. She offered the Kelvic a smile and nodded. “Indeed, I know what djed is. It’s one of the first things a mage will learn, Oralie. Do you have an interest in magic?” She asked. Then continued on, answering Oralie’s question. “Djed is a power that fills everything, from the simplest stone to each of us living creatures. Everything has djed and to a certain extent that djed gives us our identity. It is something that can neither be created or destroyed, though in the cases of mages, they can transform it to other things. I do know that some forms of djed are purer than others… like people have more intense djed than a seashell washed up on the beach. And from person to person, djed can vary drastically. I also know that sometimes when you transform djed, you transform it forever. Like for example, the act of eating something… like one of the pineapples in the food line… you eat that, you transform its djed, and it will never be a pineapple again. It will become your own djed and djed that fuels your body.” Taz replied, smiling at Oralie.

“Where did you hear that term?” Tazrae asked, curious.

Seladonna turned around, studied the Kelvic, and smiled. “Djed is the building block of everything. Before the Gods made anything, they made djed.” She added into the conversation, moving to stand in the line to grab plates, utensils, and food.

Tazrae turned around, noticed the new woman – an Isur – and offered a smile. “I haven’t met you before. I’m Tazrae, this is Oralie, Moritz, and we’ve just met Seladonna. We’d be pleased to have you join us. Do you have anything to add to our explanation of Oralie’s question? I am just learning about magic myself – newly inducted into Reimancy – but looking to pick up some other disciplines. I’d be glad for a conversation over food.” Taz supplied, happy to meet another resident she didn’t know.

Words: 1200

[Moritz Craven]

As more people came up and joined their small burgeoning group, Tazrae seemed to have taken the initiative to be the master of introductions. Which made sense to Moritz, seeing as everyone seemed to know Tazrae and so it made her best fitted for such a task. Also Moritz had issues with recalling peoples names, which made him particularly ill suited for the task.

The new person Moritz had not met before Oralie seemed interested as well in food and so moved along with the others. While Moritz focused once their at the food on the plants and such things Oralie seemed instead to focus on the meat, taking some fruit as a side. Moritz grabbed a fruit skewer, taking some time to find one without any meat, and slowly chewing on the cooked plant matter.

Mentally noting down what the Verusk woman said about Auristics Moritz nodded along, filing them away for later. He knew bits and pieces about Auristics, but not the whole, let alone how it worked. And from what she said, it worked better one or one rather than widespread like his sight.

"Ah, I did not realize. That was what I wanted to find out. To compare to something I know about. So then it is more of a one on one, targeted thing... Interesting. So then it seems you must actively inspect each Aura one at a time then, with each one being a drain. I've had Auristics or bits of it explained to me before, by my mother and some others, but never in detail as to the actual process. That helps greatly to understand the mechanism."

At her comment on his own abilities Moritz puzzled for a moment, realizing as she spoke more she knew quite a bit about his abilities and what it actually was.

"Perhaps, but I think everything has a use. And I would think there are things needing finding, and people needing killing. I'm still young, I have much to learn. Perhaps with some time I will be good at one or the other of those, and better able to make use of such things."

Somewhat relieved that his frail subterfuge had been upended, Moritz nodded as the woman spoke and explained his abilities, showing she knew even more of them than he had thought at first.

"Oh, you already know of Iraso and Pathfinding? Well I suppose that makes things easier. No need to be purposely confounding then. My Iraso mentor told me of Iraso and Pathfinding when she initiated me, but she also told me to keep the specific details of both private, such as what exactly it is and what it lets me do. So I've been referring to them as the eyes the Witch gave me and tried to keep away from too many specifics on what all it can do. But it seems you already know all that, so no need to hide it. Actually, you are the first person I've met who knew of Iraso or Pathfinding. I've even met another person who was an Iraso, and they did not know the terms or function."

As the woman spoke more Moritz pondered if she was insulting him, but felt it was simply from her inferring one thing from one thing he said and assuming it applied to everything he said.

"I was educated properly, but I felt the need to keep my words simple about Pathfinding in order to keep the promise I made to my mentor. And while she, the Mountain With who initiated me, did not give me my eyes themselves, she did perform the alteration of my eyes djed which resulted in making me a Iraso, and so did give me the current eyes in the current state I have."

"There are many things I don't know, I will admit. Like Auristics, I know only bits about it, thus all my questions earlier. As for helping Indigo, I see no problem with that. If a friend asked you to help carry a chair from one room to another, would that be considered demeaning? I see no difference from that and me helping carry a load. I was asked, I accepted, and I did it. I don't mind helping people if I can. Plus it was a chance for me to see more of Syka, and explore a bit while doing so safely. While it is not my end goal, I see nothing wrong with performing menial labor while i learn. Its one of the few ways I can help the settlement for now. If its all I'm good for in a year, then there might be a point, but I only just arrived."

At the explanation of djed pools and Velispar Moritz listened even more closely, finally understanding what the woman was. He did not know exactly what a Velispar was, but he know knew she was half human and half some other creature... Which was a being of pure djed? He was unsure what exactly that meant, or how it worked, but it was clearly a higher order of being than a human with mundane bodies.

Moritz himself did come from a family of mages, at least on his mothers side, though being Spiritists who did use other magics they were mainly world mages. They were still a carefully bred family, at least compared to a normal person. His father on the other hand, a Kelvic, Moritz knew little to nothing about. He was fairly certain he had never been a magic user, and had no idea of his parenting or family.

"I've never tried Auristics, nor learned it, so I cannot say. The only magics I know are Pathfinding, and a bit of Spiritism. I've never really tried any others. So my knowledge of them is a bit limited to what I've been told of them in passing. I've not really had the chance to learn any others, though perhaps now that I'm in Syka I will get the chance. I suppose we won't know until I've had the chance to try."

Feeling a bit attacked by the Verusks barbed comments Moritz tried to focus on some food and other things, though some of her words still remained in his mind afterwards. Much of what she had said had been belittling, and despite appearing much older physically the Kelvic was still not quite three years old. He did not mind comments on his own lacking knowledge when true, but felt some had been untrue and questioned his own past studies without merit.

As he slowly chewed and swallowed anither bite he noticed someone coming near, canting his head as he inspected them for a moment. He was unsure why, but the woman reminded Moritz of home. Of Kalea. And yet... He could tell something was off about her. What was off he did not know, but something... Something was not right.

His Iraso sight still active he peered back at Tazrae, over to the new Verusk woman, and back to the new woman who reminded him of home. She had a metal looking arm on one side... And some items whose djed shown brightly for their size...

When the woman spoke to the others Moritz nodded along, something prickling his mind as off but unsure what... She seemed nicely spoken even if her common was a bit thick. And she also seemed interested in magic, while also professing to know things on the topic. The oddness and fidgeting, such physical things, were lost on Moritz, but something other was just beyond his notice.

With a genuine smile Moritz turned to the woman, Tazrae having just welcomed her and introduced all of them the woman knew his name along with the others, and so Moritz tried to open some dialogue.

"Hello, nice to meet you. As Tazrae said I am Moritz. Something about you seems... Familiar... Have you ever been in Lhavit, over in Kalea? Or around there? Something about you stirs a memory of home, though I'm not sure what."

While not common in Lhavit Moritz had met a few Isur among the city, and while not recalling the race he did vaguely recall some features which he saw in the woman. As he peered at her more closely he tried to work out what was off, seeing her in both his Iraso sight and more mundane vision. Finally the discrepancy clicked, and Moritz eyes widened as he figured it out.

Whereas the people around him were varying levels of brightness or density of djed, his eyes almost passed right over the woman. Like a dead spot in the eye, only further juxtaposed by the items she wore alive with djed. Looking more closely he found he could see... Something... But it was so weak, if he had not known to look for her and was not standing feet away looking at her with his mundane sight he did not doubt he would entirely miss her. Was she alive?

No, Moritz reminded himself, he had seen a ghosts djed... And this was not it. Something was clearly off, different from anyone else he had ever seen. Where a ghosts djed was weaker or changed, altered by death, this was... Another thing entirely.

Still focused on the woman an urge to understand her swept over him, and he felt a similar sensation to before. A spark of something within himself, something off this other woman, both at the same time. His was the same as before, the feeling from himself, but this time the new woman's was weaker than before. Or at least weaker compared to the strong feeling from the Verusk woman. The two feelings were much more similar to each other, perhaps of the same amount or similar enough between the two to not be distinguishable.

"I'm sorry for staring... But your djed... I don't think I've seen any quite like it. I'm curious, what sort of magic do you work on? If you don't mind saying. Its almost like... Your not here. Which doesn't make any sense, does it?"

Seriously confused and hoping the new woman would be willing to explain something, Moritz canted his head the other way before remembering he shouldn't stare and turning to look at Tazrae. As he did the feeling or presence from the woman vanished, just as it had when he had looked away from the Verusk.

Looking down at the new item on his bracelet, Moritz realized the new feeling was likely connected, just as the other had been connected to the new feeling he received when touching his mother after getting the bracelet the first time.

WC: 1,779

[Oralie]

Oralie liked Seladonna immediately. Though she was too shy to show it properly, she appreciated the succinct way the woman spoke, not to mention the fact that she clearly had a wealth of knowledge that she seemed more than happy to share with relative strangers.

If she had been in her feline form, Oralie’s ears would have pricked right up when the Verusk woman spoke of the Kelvic. She wondered how old she was, just from the choice of words. Kelvic had seemingly not always been slaves or creatures used to do things that other people could not or would not do. Kelvics used to be educated! How Oralie wished that she had had a caring family who had taught her things, even simple things like reading and writing. She had not yet told anyone here that she could do neither of those things. Perhaps, if she could summon enough courage, Oralie might ask her about the Kelvics she had known.

Oralie was still trying to understand a lot of what was being said about auras, but the explanation of Velispar and djed pools was a little easier to grasp. Again she wondered if she had an aura that would show a djed pool or not. She was certain that she was a product of some sort of magic. Turning into an ocelot was not a normal thing that normal people could do. Everyone seemed to have much more knowledge about magic than she did and Oralie felt a little inadequate. She knew that it was not her fault, but she was struggling to keep up with the conversation. She knew Tazrae had magic, and it seemed that Moritz too knew a couple of different magics that she had never heard of.

She blinked at Seladonna in surprise for a tick as the woman then addressed her directly. The hint of a smile twitched at the corner of her mouth at her words. After the new description of Jamoura, she was now even more intrigued at the thought of this impending trip into the jungle. She met Seladonna’s gaze and nodded at her next words. “I do, yes. Everyone here has been wonderful.”

Oralie held her plate firmly, mouth watering a little at the smell of the cooked pig she had slices of. She was thankful to Tazrae for launching into an explanation of djed for her. “I am starting to become curious about it. There seems to be a lot of it here.” It seemed that every person and object had djed. The way Tazrae worded it made it sound almost like energy. If you ate a pineapple, you gained energy, but apparently you also gained the pineapples djed.

Seladonna’s addition to the conversation was curious too. Oralie wondered how the woman seemed to know such things that clearly happened many ages ago. “So…if every person has djed, does that mean anybody can learn to use magic?” While she had no idea how what magics were out there, or even how many there were, she was wondering if there might be even just one that she could learn. Everyone seemed to know some sort of magic here, and Oralie wanted to be a true member of the settlement and help as much as she could.

Oralie turned too, as an unfamiliar voice sounded. It was a woman, but not like anyone the Kelvic had seen before. Her skin was a pale blue colour and her right arm was a solid black. Oralie couldn’t help but look at it, trying to see if it was a sleeve, but no, it appeared to be her actual arm. It had a metallic sheen to it which was very curious. Neither Tazrae or Seladonna seemed at all fazed by the woman so Oralie shrugged off her curiosity as best she could and smiled politely when the Innkeeper introduced her. “Hello.”

She noticed Moritz staring at the new woman very intently, and wondered what he was seeing. Oralie, with her plate piled nicely, led the way over to an empty table hoping that the others were following. Usually she was not so bold, but the smell of the food was making her even hungrier. She sat down and chewed on a piece of the pork meat.
She looked thoughtfully at the others in the little group she had found herself in. “What magics does everyone know?” Again, Oralie would never usually dream of asking such questions to a group, let alone one person, but her curiosity was getting the better of her. “I hope that is not a rude question… I um, I have none.”


+771

[Ialari Pythone]

Ialari smiled at Tazrae’s welcome to her and responded to the introductions in kind, ”My name is Ialari Pythone. It is pleasing to make your acquaintance.” She spoke slowly and deliberately; her accent having necessitated such a thing when conversing with non-isur. Her grasp of the common human tongue was decent enough yet her accent often made speaking rapidly difficult to understand. Ialari, without thinking of it, continued to keep her back facing any solid structure she was next to; be it a wall or support. She was however actively watching everyone around her and noting key details about as many as possible; a habit she acquired living amongst the dead of Sahova. She noted the differing appearances of the four individuals she was standing with as they collected their food. The musician, Tazrae, was obviously human at least in appearance. Seladonna, Ialari was already somewhat familiar with as a Verusk although the woman’s visage was one that was always fascinating. The other two, Moritz and Oralie, both had a uniqueness to their eyes. Although she couldn’t be certain, Ialari guessed they were not fully human. The fact that she was quite possibly the shortest person in the immediate area brought her a brief smile.

Ialari helped to herself to the offered food as she moved through the line. She did not wait to taste each new thing that she was presented with. The meat of the cooked pig was such that she held a bite in her mouth and rolled it around with her tongue; savoring the taste and letting it absorb between each chew.

As she enjoyed the food while piling more on her plate, she offered a response to Moritz’s initial question, ”I have been to many places although I have never been to this place you call, Lhavit. I grew up beneath the mountains of Kalea. As for familiarity? I do not understand what you mean. You have never been in my presence before.?

Ialari was quick to note the girl, Oralie, leading them to a nearby table and she went along. In response to Tazrae’s request to add to the discussion involving djed, Ialari took a moment. In her experience, such discussions were exceedingly rare in such informal settings. As she paused to collect her thoughts, she recalled what she initially overheard regarding the various descriptions of the nature of djed. Her brief discomfort at the awkwardness of magical discussion would likely be overshadowed by her obvious interest in the food.

As they arrived at the table and took their seats, Ialari swallowed a bite of pork and then said, ”Your descriptions of djed are not incorrect although they lack a bit of further context.”

She took a deep drink of whatever fruit juice she’d picked up before continuing. It tasted like a blend of different fruits. ”The source of things such as djed is found in the weave of energy that touches all things; from the tiniest grain of sand to the greatest mountain and all things existing in between as well as the sky and stars themselves. As it touches all things, all things in turn are connected. The gods themselves are born of this energy. When you manipulate djed, you are unknowingly touching these connections. This weave is known as the Ukalas. Most forms of life in this world are unaware of the Ukalas and unable to truly comprehend it in any meaningful way. As I understand it, a select few beings have a sense of at least part of the Ukalas. Seladonna for example, I imagine you know something of what I speak of. “ She left out the part of how she herself was aware of the Ukalas; a much more complicated part.

It was then that Ialari turned her gaze to Moritz; unable to ignore his eyes being overly focused on her. At his response, she offered a glare and swallowed back the momentary urge to backhand him with her metallic hand. She reached for her drink and took an even deeper swallow of the flavor-filled juice without ever looking away from the man. With a deep breath, she calmed herself while vocalizing her momentary slip. ”My apologies. I forget how carefree people of Syka are. Where I am from and in the places I have been, it is uncommon to speak freely of magic openly. In some places, it is even considered a terrible insult to ask a mage about their own use of djed. Do please excuse my momentary discomfort.”

It was then that Oralie spoke up; repeating part of Moritz’s question. Ialari’s glare faded and was replaced by a calm smile. Taking a few more bites to eat, she swallowed and said while glancing in Moritz’s direction, ”For the sake of friendly conversation and meeting new people, I can tell you that, if you do indeed perceive my djed, the reason for why it likely looks quite off is a complex one. I assure you I am indeed here…or at least in part. As for my form of magic, I am a world mage with knowledge of a variety of disciplines including Magecraft and a bit of spiritism.”

She turned to Oralie and commented on the mention of a rude question. ”Such a line of questioning is considered rude in more formal, less free settings than this. Having been away from Syka for so long, I’ve forgotten how innocent people can be here.”

Ialari glanced over to Tazrae and said, ”You mentioned reimancy. I am familiar with it yet I am not initiated. From what I know, it can have amazing potential but is also rather dangerous. I myself lean more toward manipulating djed around me. There are a few reasons for this but mainly its due to my love of experimentation. Pulling the strings of djed in a space or an object and transforming into something else is…well, I bet it is similar with reimancy…it is like a drug. Is that how the rest of you who have experienced your own manipulations of djed?”

At one point Ialari circled back on a comment Oralie made about having none in regards to magic. ”Not everyone needs to be a mage in order to experience magic. For example, there are things called philters, more specifically potions, that can grant you such an experience. I would be happy to make one for you sometime if you would like. Potions are amazing things. They can convey all manner of magical effects.”

Ialari continued to eat each and every bit of food she had gathered. The breads, the fruits, the pork, she took special care to fully taste every flavor; paying close attention to how the flavors were layered and how the textures felt in her mouth. To those around her, it would like she was taking a somewhat unnatural joy in her food; as if she hadn’t eaten in a long time. Aside from her momentary bout of discomfort at Moritz’s question about her djed, her posture was mostly welcoming with a hint of guarding. The mark of a scythe on the palm of her hand would sooner or later be noticeable during the meal although Ialari paid it no attention herself.

Words: 1,203

[Tazrae]

Seladonna frowned at Moritz. “I’m not your teacher, kid. I’m not even your mother. But I do know you aren’t keeping a single promise to a witch if you are just talking about things using code words that dumb down an art rather than keep your mouth shut about it at all. There’s a reason no one likes Pathfinders. They are bounty hunters and cut throats. The only good reason to have Pathfinding is to hunt someone. And no, you weren’t educated properly if that’s the way you keep your word. That’s the problem with the ignorant. They rarely know they are in fact ignorant. I’ll have to keep your idea of what ‘keeping secrets’ is in mind.” The Verusk said to Moritz. She shook her head at him, disapprovingly.

As Moritz went on about helping Indigo and not knowing Auristics, Seladonna grew bored and turned to the rest of the people in the group… looking them over. She knew the Isur that had just joined them, having become acquainted with her during the first time the Verusk had passed through the world gate. When she heard Moritz speak to Ialari like that, Seladonna winced and shook her head. It was truly that the boy had no manners. Kelvics had changed, then, unless the other Kelvic was vastly different.

Seladonna studied Oralie, trying to determine if she was like or opposite Moritz. She was pleasantly surprised that the woman answered politely and with a nice nod. “Magic is like anything else. Just because someone has a recipe before them, doesn’t mean they can all cook. Some can… and will follow the recipe exactly and get a decent dish. Some won’t and get a burnt dish. And some will add a little something here and a little something there and come out with a truly amazing dish. Then there are those that don’t need a recipe… they just cook and do so brilliantly.” She added, smiling. “Everything in the world has djed. That doesn’t mean everything in the world can utilize magic.” She summed it up for the girl, taking pity on her bright outlook.

The Verusk pursed her lips. “It’s considered a very dangerous question most places in the world. In Syka, its probably acceptable. But everywhere else, it would likely get you killed either asking that or answering it. But I suppose its even more rare that a leadership group of a Settlement gives out free magic to everyone.” Seladonna half warned and half mused.

Through all of this, Taz remained silent. It was rare that someone had a conversation about magic going in public. It was rarer still that there was a potluck going on without her having cooked significantly for it. So, she got in line without complaint and began filling up her plate at random. She’d hadn’t gotten a chance to sit down and eat among the Sykan’s for a while now, because she was always in the kitchen or doing clean up, or helping out somewhere that kept her away from all feasts. Today was different though and she could feel that difference just like she could feel the new ring burning on her finger. She’d need to know more about it. Oralie’s question didn’t strike her as rude. But others took offense. Taz listened with interest, curious.

Taz narrowed her eyes at Ialari declaring Sykan’s innocent. But she shouldn’t have taken offense, the Innkeeper realized. Ialari was right, in many ways, for the Settlement sheltered them in ways Tazrae was just beginning to understand. Taz wasn’t sure she liked the short woman’s intent on her as Ialari turned her gaze back to Tazrae. The young Innkeeper didn’t know of any drugs, it wasn’t something she actually partook of. So, comparing magic to drugs wasn’t something she could actually do. “I find it similar to cooking… you take components and transform them by intermingling and manipulating them, adding heat or cold, letting them co-mingle and transform.” She said softly. “I am unfamiliar with drugs.” Taz declared softly.

By now they’d made it into the big shelter next to the kitchens and Tazrae claimed a table in the shade. She sat her plate down and circled back around to get something to drink to go with it. She was back in short order and pulled her eating knife and began to work on the bbq pork. Someone had done an enormously good job roasting a pig in the ground, and Taz took advantage of that. She let the conversation ebb and flow around her, listening, but not feeling like joining in until Ialari mentioned philtering.

“I have an interest in such things.” Tazrae said softly. “Tegan helped me turn my office into a philtering lab, but he had to leave the settlement so I haven’t progressed much past that. What sorts of philters are your favorite to make?” Taz asked, wanting to keep Ialari talking about philtering. It was a lot like her own beloved cooking, she decided. “I haven’t made much in my lab, just essential oils. If you have need of a lab, your welcome to come use mine any time. It’d be my hope for the use of it, you’d show me a thing or two a beginner might need to know.” Taz made the offer lightly. “And I am a good cook… I’d feed you while you are around.” She sweetened the deal, not sure if Ialari was food motivated.

Words: 908

[Moritz Craven]

As more conversations began taking place near Moritz, the more he had trouble keeping up. Tazrae was speaking to Oralie, and Ialari, and the new scaled woman, and many were speaking to each other.

He tried to talk when someone brought something up or spoke to him, but from Seladonna's response she did not seem too interested in speaking to Moritz. Which further confused him, as she had been the one to ask him the question, which he had only tried to answer...

The more he tried to listen the more the other voices and sounds of the tenday seemed to invade his mental space.

At Seledonna's words on his secret keeping or lack thereof Moritz face reddened, realizing his quite drastic failure in logic. In a few moments it faded, his face returning to normal, but he realized then that he had likely misunderstood Aja his Pathfinding mentor's words.

"Ah... I did not realize that was what she meant... But it makes sense."

He had figured his eyes changing was quite clearly a mark of magic, something Zach had pointed out as well, and so did not think he could entirely hide his change. But shifting the focus, that seemed to be better than trying to lie and hide something that was obvious to anyone looking at his eyes. Perhaps though Aja had not meant that, and would have explained such if he had asked. Another instance of him failing to ask clarifying questions... Though often those also annoyed people, which was one of the reasons he avoided them.

He had felt a need to defend himself and his mentor, but that had seemed to not go well either... This left Moritz feeling more like a failed punch which had been blocked and countered more so than simple spoken words. And with Seladonna pointing out another of his failings which seemed all too true Moritz was left unsure how to proceed with the woman, or if she wanted him to.

Moritz pondered how to speak further, but found himself further unsure he would not anger someone else by speaking... Instead he tried to listen, rather than speaking, though even that proved troublesome with so many conversations going on at once.

Struggling for words Moritz nodded along, agreeing with her assessment. Moritz had never met her before.

"Ah no, I meant... Something about you reminded me of someone I met in Lhavit, but not you specifically... Maybe a cousin or something..."

Moritz not overly familiar with the race of Isur did not immediately realize Ialari was one, but if nothing else could see some common features to ones he had seen in Lhavit. The fact that she grew up in Kalea, or under it as she said, seemed to further indicate some level commonality or closeness, Lhavit being in Kalea and so likely close to were she was from.

If nothing else Moritz had learned quite a bit about how people described djed, the new ones he had heard today being quite different from how his mother had explained it. Iialari's though seemed especially detailed and interesting, while also confusing. The explanation of the Ukulas and connection of all things also seemed quite interesting, leaving Moritz wanting to ask more but deciding against.

Focusing on his food more than eyes Moritz willed his Iraso sight to turn off, the active djed vanishing in an instant and his gaze returning to normal.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable Ialari. I'm not completely clear on what should or should not be asked about magic. It is good to know that some people find it rude to ask such things, I will be more careful in the future."

From thinking things should not be discussed, to then find an open discussion going on, to trying to partake in that discussion, only to be led back to the first thing he had been told to not talk on such things of magic... It seemed then that different people had different views on magic, and also differing freeness in talking about magic... Another thing he would have to try to measure and appropriately react to in the future rather than treating all the same.

At the mention of drugs and magic Moritz was further confused, unsure of the reference Ialari was trying to make. Having never taken a drug and also being a bit hazy on what specific drugs where, he knew little beyond the vague word and concept of a drug, so did not think he could help much there.

Hearing Tazrae also did not know much on the topic Moritz nodded along, chewing on a particularly large piece of green fruit that forced his mouth closed and helped avoid having to talk for the moment.

The topic of philtering also seemed interesting, a concoction one could use to pass on magic... Temporarily, he assumed. That Tazrae also knew a bit of it was also of interest, though he was unsure if he would be any good at it. He was still just learning cooking, and had enough trouble mastering it. Perhaps he would be better off learning another weapon or such thing, rather than making concoctions.

WC: 866

[Oralie]

Oralie stored the newcomers name away in her memory. She was meeting so many new people recently since arriving in Syka, that sometimes she had to think a while to remember who was who. Seated at the table with companions around her new and old, Oralie listened attentively as the discussion about djed continued on. She liked Ialari’s description, the idea of everything being connected conjuring up a somehow comforting feeling.

She tilted her head to one side as another new word was heard. She tested it out, mumbling under her breath to herself. “Ukalas…” It seemed too abstract of a concept for her to grasp at the moment, having no proper knowledge of magic and no experience wielding any to draw upon. It almost sounded as though Ialari was saying that some people could see it.

Seladonna’s comments too on how different people seemed to have a different level of affinity for magic was interesting. The Verusk woman explained it in a simple way for the Kelvic to understand, which Oralie was very grateful for. She wondered where she would fit on the magic-cookery scale. She hoped that she might be able to one day use magic at least somewhat efficiently, as a competent cook. She nodded at the explanation to show that she had understood.

Both Seladonna and Ialari mentioned the danger and the impoliteness of asking people about their magic use in casual conversation, and Oralie cast her gaze to wards the table, abashed. Seladonna’s was merely a caution, noting that Syka appeared to be the exception to the rule. Ialari on the other hand appeared to take a moment to regain composure, the topic seemingly having made her uncomfortable. She lifted her gaze, golden eyes finding both Seladonna, and then Ialari’s. “I’m sorry. I um, I know little of magic and maybe less of the nature of conversations in social gatherings.” She knew that Tazrae would understand what she meant, and she hoped that the others would take her apology without further questions, at least for the time being.

She was relieved that Ialari had not seemed to take too much offence to the question, which had also been put forward by Moritz, for she went on to explain she practiced Magecraft and Spiritism, two more new words for the Kelvic. She could venture a guess as to what sort of thing they entailed. Spirits meant ghosts, as far as she knew, so Spiritism must be to do with them. Magecraft she was less certain, though it sounded like the crafting of something magical. Items, perhaps, like the ones everyone had received today?

She listened carefully as Ialari and Tazrae discussed reimancy, a magic she knew very little about. She noticed that Moritz had lapsed into silence, and saw him looking a little confused, much like she had been feeling trying to keep up with the conversation. She recalled that he had mentioned he also knew Spiritism. “Moritz, you said you know Spiritism too, is that right? Is that something to do with ghosts?”

When Ialari addressed Oralie again, the Kelvic returned her attention to the woman. She offered a warm smile at the explanation of something called ‘philters’ and the offer of one being made for her. “That sounds wonderful.” It truly did, for Oralie desperately wanted to experience magic. “I would like that very much, it is truly a generous offer. I would be happy to help you, if that is possible?” It seemed like Tazrae too was familiar with philters, and Oralie let out an ‘ah’ of realisation as the Innkeeper explained that her office doubled as a philterig lab. That surely explained all the equipment the Kelvic had seen in there that clearly was not part of a usual office setup. She nodded at Tazrae’s words. “Tazrae really is the best cook.” She smiled.

Oralie realised she had been neglecting her plate, and hastily ate a couple of mouthfuls of the pork. She chewed thoughtfully, before speaking the thought that was on her mind, mostly to herself, though it was loud enough for the others to hear if they were listening. “There really are so many different kinds of magic. I wonder how long it would take a person to know them all…”


+711

[Ialari Pythone]

Ialari caught a bit of the conversation regarding Pathfinders before joining fully in the rather unique conversation regarding magic. Seladonna’s comments to Moritz about it seemed harsh due to the lack of context but Ialari chose to avoid that topic; deciding it was best to inquire about it later. She did however note the possible meaning of the term in relation to Moritz’s mention of perceiving her djed. Perhaps the two were related, she thought.

Seladonna did seem to have a good grasp on some of the finer points of djed and magic use which Ialari found refreshing. It had been a long time since Ialari had heard one speak of such things like the Verusk did.

To Moritz’s apology to her along with Oralie’s mention of not knowing about magic in conversation, Ialari smiled and nodded. ”We are all new to each other. I take no lasting offense. As it is, I am somewhat unfamiliar with many of the social elements of the living. Most of my more recent experiences with people has been with ghosts or those who are otherwise unliving. They aren’t exactly the best for lively conversation.”

She considered Moritz’s mention of familiarity. ”None of my family, at least none that I know of, have ever left Kalea. I am the first and only one and I have traveled farther than any isur that I know of. Still…in all of my travels, in all the forms that such journeys have taken, there is always the chance that you may have seen me. As I said, I have traveled extensively.”

Ialari considered Tazrae’s comparison between manipulating djed and cooking to be rather thoughtful. "Cooking? I never thought of it like that but it makes sense. Cooking is not too far removed from philtering which I find to be quite exciting. The mixing and blending of ingredients to create completely new substances is somewhat addictive. As far as drugs are concerned, there effects often feel magical, even if the feeling is more of an illusion.”

When Tazrae and Oralie showed interest in the concept of philtering, Ialari felt some of her awkward feelings subside a bit. Where she’d been concerned about how she would be able to relate to strangers, she was instead quickly finding something in common with them in the form of shared interest. While such a thing may be simple and not even thought much of by others, Ialari was thrilled. Her excitement could be seen with the growing smile on her face as she continued to enjoy her food alongside the conversation.

Regarding the idea of philtering and of Tazrae’s offer of using her modest lab as well as Oralie’s professed interest, Ialari said, ”It would be my pleasure to show you all some of what I know of creating potions. I will never turn away a good meal as well. I haven’t eaten much cooked food in quite some time. As for my favorite philters, I think that would probably be the various scented oils but I also love toying with potions; the possibilities being almost endless. Infusing magic and even divine blessings into philters creates so much potential. Imagine cooking a piece of meat that you can make taste like something completely different while allowing one who eats it to experience divinely enhanced strength.” The thought of more food drove Ialari to devour nearly all of the food she had in front of her.

When Oralie wondered aloud how long it would take someone to know all forms of magic, Ialari thought for a moment about her time in Sahova before offering a few thoughts of her own. ”The problem with pursuing magical study is that it can be all consuming in a very extreme way. I spent a couple of years studying magic on an island off the east coast of Sylira; a place called Sahova. It is a magical research facility inhabited by the undead. They were once living wizards, the most powerful of which lived before the Valterrian. There hunger for magical knowledge led them to condemn their own souls to inhabiting corpses. Their study and use of magic quickly burns out their rotting shells which forces them to transfer their souls into another and then another and so on for centuries. They are obsessed with wanting to know every aspect of magic. Just like nature, magic requires a balance. Go too far in one direction and you risk losing everything else.”

With those words, something sparked in the back of Ialari’s mind; a spark that quickly pushed its way to the forefront of her thoughts. This spark forced her to turn her head to Tazrae. What in Izurdin’s name… She thought to herself as she felt a familiar feeling begin to form. Grasping hold of that feeling, she recognized it as one of the many connections she usually sensed while in the Ukalas but also, on occasion, in the physical world. To those observing her, they would see a look mixed with surprise and profound interest.

"Tazrae…this…I know this is going to seem, for lack of a better word in your language, weird, but…” Ialari could not resist the urge and reached over to Tazrae with her non-metallic hand and touched the human’s arm. When her fingers made contact with Tazrae, two things happened simultaneously. The skin on Ialari’s arm as well as that of Tazrae’s began to move as if some unseen force was pushing, twisting and molding it. While there was no pain, there was an obvious visual effect. Both of their arms quickly revealed something that was not there before, or at least not seen by those around them before that point. Markings formed, ones that were definitely not simple tattoos. Slightly raised from the flesh of their arms was the image of an impossibly detailed tree with branches and roots that wrapped around the arm. There was an unmistakable symbol engraved in the trunk of the tree; a triskelion.

Immediately, Ialari felt the same connection with Tazrae that she felt with other isur; the connection one felt with those baring the same mark of particular deity. Tazrae herself would likely feel the same thing. It was a shared feeling very much like one has with a close family member like a sibling. At seeing the same mark on Tazrae’s arm that Ialari had on her own, she briefly wondered if Tazrae’s mark had already been there, just like her own had, but that until the two of them met, the marks remained unseen by others. Immediately her overanalyzing mind went to work. Is this why I felt the need to come to Syka in the first place, years ago? Is this the connection I barely felt back then? A hint of the future? Why could I not see the mark until now? Could others not see mine? Of course, more divine riddles that I am not supposed to understand more than a few pieces at a time. So many pieces of a complex puzzle were coming together for her though. She’d originally traveled to Syka with the feeling that there was something there for her; a connection she didn’t understand; a connection that kept her coming back. Tanroa had enlightened her on the greater mysteries of time’s flow and seeing some of that play out right in front of her was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

”That…the mark. You’ve been there. Caiyha, the First Tree.” She looked at Tazrae’s mark and then to her own. While both were obviously the same tree, Ialari’s was different in that the tree looked to be growing on a beach littered with seashells.

”I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself…now this feels a little, awkward. Is the right word? Ialari wasn’t sure what to say, she could only look at Tazrae’s arm with a smile that would not go away.

At some point she was able to say in a nervous tone, ”Um…I think maybe we should think about trying out that lab of yours, Tazrae. I think this is a sign; a sign that it is time for me to show you and our other newfound comrades something, en…enl…enlightening?” Ialari struggled with the last word as she was still trying out the common tongue after having not spoken much of it for a good long time.

[Tazrae]

It was nice, being in a group, enjoying a good meal, and discussing various things. Taz watched Moritz as he spoke, then nodded at Oralie as she spoke. Seladonna was interesting. Taz hadn’t spent any time with the Verusk but this woman seemed the strong independent type Tazrae admired among women… a role model if she’d ever seen one. Ialari was similar in many ways. The tiny Isur woman had a loss about her though, something in her eyes that looked almost broken. Tazrae could tell she wasn’t used to being around people, and respected that fact by not asking her many questions and just doing some listening as she ate.

It was fascinating how Moritz recognized something in Ialari, though Ialari had no family in or around Lhavit. Ialari said she was well-traveled, but didn’t volunteer where she’d been. That piqued Tazrae’s interest and she made a mental note to ask the other woman about her travels if the opportunity arose.

The Isur agreed that cooking and magic were similar. Taz knew a bit about philtering, but was curious if Ialari’s use of it was similar or distinctly different from Tegan’s use of it. “I haven’t gotten to use philtering to mix and blend ingredients yet. I’ve just reduced things down to their purer forms… making essential oils and things like that.” The young Innkeeper confessed. She didn’t know anything about drugs, so she kept her thoughts to herself on that matter.

Taz nodded at Ialari’s next words.

It would seem she would have a visitor to the Inn to ask questions about in regards to the philtering for sure. “I’ll trade you all the meals you want to eat for some lessons for sure. I’m particularly interested in making things like cures for snakebites and such. Also, perhaps combining gnosis abilities into potions… things like that. There are so many dangers we might be able to overcome with philtering if some of us knew enough. I’m wondering if its possible to brew a philter that would counteract snakebite, for example.” Taz asked, curious.

“When I first came to Syka, I was bitten by an eyelash viper and almost died. You would have thought it taught me to hate snakes, but instead I love them. I now keep Mussurana snakes… they are blue-black snakes that have a beautiful rainbow iridescent patterning to their scales. They are an oddly beautiful combination of viper and constrictor… a bridge species I think between the two types of snakes. The mussurana preys on both rodents, which it kills with its venom, and on other snakes, which it kills by constriction. Although Mussurana's fangs contain venom, they pose no danger to humans and other sentient races. They are very calm and laid back, almost never biting when handled. They make good snakes to dwell among humans, within their crops, and to protect their food supplies. Mussurana fangs are in the rear of their mouths instead of in the front like most snakes. I find them fascinating and breed them to release around the Settlement to keep the more dangerous vipers in check.” Taz offered. “But more protection, like emergency potions, would not go unwanted.” She explained, hoping that documented her way of thinking enough for everyone to understand.

Taz listened to Ialari explaining about Sahova and how they conducted research out on the island. She wrinkled her nose at the idea of humans inhabiting corpses. It was oddly chilling and far too close to home with her own problems. Her grandfather was one of them. Was that Florentin Arcadius’ issue? Was he one of these parasite mages? “Ialari… are there many nuits? Have you ever heard of one called Florentin Arcadius?” She asked, curious. “He seems to be a Benshira mage of some remarkable power and age.” Tazrae added, not mentioning the man was her own grandfather.

When Ialari touched her arm, Tazrae froze. “I swallowed the seed. I took the path Caiyha offered.” Tazrae said in reassurance. She understood what she felt from Ialari then… and the immediate trust. “You did too, didn’t you? You have the mark of the first tree and the power of the first tree’s seed inside of you.” It wasn’t a question. It was just a knowledge that Tazrae seemed to suddenly understand.

Taz nodded at Ialari’s words. “Yes… no, it's fine. I was starting to feel it when you reacted. You might feel like it's awkward, but it's reassuring to me. I like being among my own kind.” Taz confessed.

Then Ialari made a suggestion and Tazrae nodded. “I’m done anyhow and its not my turn to collect plates and wash. If anyone wants to come back to the Inn and see the lab, you are all welcome. I have something we can snack on afterward as dessert too.” Taz invited, then gathered up her plate, cup, and took them both over to where a couple of volunteers were washing dishes.

Then she started for the Protea. “I don’t want to make the mood heavy, but have you heard of the Guardian Statues, Ialari? You say you travel a lot, but Syka has five new statues and there are people that can control them. They were a gift from Kihala. When Caiyha marked me… she said something was coming… a grave danger to Syka. Do you know anything about it?” She asked the other woman. “The statues grow into life-sized creatures that can defend the Settlement if necessary. The people that control them can awaken them and direct the protection. It's like nothing I’ve ever heard of in the world. You say you have traveled extensively. Have you ever heard of such a thing?” She asked, meeting Ialari’s gaze.

The Protea wasn’t far, and as they talked, the path was eaten up and they found themselves back at the Inn in no time. Taz lead them all to the north side of the kitchen where there were screens on either side of the northern wall. Taz pushed the screens back, revealing a large alcove that used to function as her spacious office. Counters had been brought in and equipment sat on them… a distiller, multiple alcohol burners, shelves of glassware, and a small stockpile of components. The philtering lab was professional-looking, though in mostly new condition, backing up Tazrae’s statements that she hadn’t had time to peruse more of the craft.

‘I have a few supplies, glassware, burners, all kinds of bowls and beakers… some spare parts…. nothing else’. Taz added to the group. “What do you think?” she asked, curious as to what Ialari thought. “Tegan helped me set it up.” She added, knowing the space was compact but set up to work functionally.

Words: 1121

[Moritz Craven]

Hearing a question directed at him Moritz nodded in reply, glad to be able to explain something to Oralie rather than asking more questions himself. Clearly he had asked too many questions in this conversation, and while not understanding why for the most part he had ended up offending people on several counts. Answering questions then seemed the safer option.

"Yes, Spiritism is about dealing with or interacting with Spirits or Ghosts. And other related things. Like being possessed and controlling the process. Making soulmist to replenish or feed ghosts. Or the other uses of soulmist made by a Spiritist like weapons or armor or things to ward off or fight malevolent spirits. Honestly I could probably use some practice, I'm still newer to the magic, though I don't know of any ghosts around here to practice on or with. And it seems a waste to just make soulmist to rot away later. It doesn't last forever, soulmist made by a spiritist, it decays once made like the food it is made from."

At the new womans acceptance of his apology and the mention of ghosts Moritz wondered for a moment, before responding on what he felt was a safer topic.

"I've spent a lot of time talking to ghosts as well. Growing up our house was full of them. Do you know of any around here? I haven't seen many, which makes sense. Though I have been meaning to practice my spiritism. I think my mother would be quite annoyed if she knew how long it had been since I practiced..."

At Ialari's explanation on herself, her wide travels, and her family, the word Isur came up. This puzzled Moritz, as he had thought the woman was a human more or less. Perhaps not then?

"Wait, whats an Isur?"

Soon after the topic turned to things of Philtering and markings and such which Moritz knew nothing about. As the conversation drifted away from him Moritz let it, staying there while the other members of the group began to break off into pairings. He would simply greet their departure with a wave, silently chewing another piece of fruit he popped into his mouth one by one.

He did not have much more to say himself and the others seemed interested in moving on, whereas Moritz felt mentally spent. After all the talking, the back and forth, he was happy to sit in silence alone for a bit and to possible recharge rather than further interacting.

Drained more than the last time he had tried to test his limits in sprinting, but in a different mental way, the Kelvic took some time to himself and enjoyed the tenday in silence.

WC: 449