The next day, Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… knew something had changed in Gaping. It was subtle, but she'd been there long enough to have caught on to the patterns of everyday life. Had someone died? Had the peddler come into town off schedule? Had there been a fire? No, the first would probably have some ritual to go along with it, and there was none of the frantic activity one would expect from the later two. Well she was bound to find out eventually. Word spread quickly.
In the early afternoon, Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… found Nahlarun working in his garden. A Storyteller didn't have to work, of course – the community would support him – but it was not unheard of. He peeled back one of the long leaves of the lettuce that would only grow in well-cultivated soil, and inspected it for infestation. He carefully restored the leaf to its place between two others so it would grow properly, then moved on to the dry, green-brown stalks of a variety of radish Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… had only seen in Gaping.
The lettuce looked good, although anything that wasn't an over-boiled root vegetable seemed appetizing at this point. She watched as he peered at the radish stalks. It didn't seem like he had noticed her approach from his gardener's crouch. “Storyteller?” Her voice felt kind of loud in the afternoon lull.
If Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with…'s voice felt loud, Nahlarun's was booming. “Ah. You have returned after six days of seeking.” He patted down the soil around the raddish, and, with only a little difficulty, stood up. “Have you found my story?”
Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… shifted a little. Even after thinking on it for most of the morning, she wasn't entirely sure what the story was. She stepped a bit closer, “Yes, although it doesn't seem to have an end. Unfortunately, they don't use words, or at least none that I understand, so I'm afraid it will be tough to convey. I sought out their burrows and tracks, and I found nothing, even where they reveled for a night. They travel to and from angles that make no sense…” She gestured from one end of the garden to the other, then vaguely at her scratched face and newly patched jacket, “Though I assure you they are really here, at least sometimes.
“Tell me, Storyteller, have you ever heard of creatures that do these things before?” Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… noticed the incredulous note in her voice, and it was true; she was still trying to wrap her head around what had happened the previous night.
“Only the vagaries of the peddler's half-remembered tales, and stories from the occasional stranger who doesn't know what a story is. Tell me everything you saw and heard.”
Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… told the story as objectively as she could, without a lot of flourish. She had some difficulty describing her mental conversation with the injured nitsie. Nahlarun had a lot of clarifying questions, which she tried to answer with as much detail as possible, but her combination of distaste and confusion about their magic showed through.
When Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… was finished, Nahlarun closed his eyes and recited, “She peered through the looking glass and spoke to the raven child's soul… This will be an excellent story. You have certainly fulfilled your end of our bargain. I will tell the Dream of Faulkan tonight. I realize that I have never asked your name.”
She told him.
“No, that won't do. Too many consonants for a story like this. You will be Ahled. Ahled's Dance with the Nitsies. No. Dances in the Looking Glass? The Soul of Ilsupeichplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigThe Five Moons
Five moons rise and set in the sky of Aerv, never crossing paths. At the end of the world, they will all wane together, and diminish to nothing for the Zioth.
Quite a lot of mythology centers around the moons. Zahirans' theology revolves around the Moon Children. The Moon Wanderers in the Shirahjat Cohilition migrate with the rising and setting of the moons in ways that only they fully understand.? No matter. I will come up with an appropriate title. I have a lot of work to do. You may sit at the outer circle tonight.” Nahlarun immediately turned and entered his home. The outer circle. Of course a foreigner wouldn't be allowed in the inner circle during a story, and even the outer circle was pushing the boundary of what was acceptable. Most people, especially outsiders, would sit on straw mats outside of both circles. Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… sitting in the middle of the room would surely create a stir.
Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… felt her dwindling hopes for a useful story sink as the Storyteller changed her name and tried out titles for her evening before returning to his cottage. Hm… her new name still had the same number of consonants. Maybe they just don't spell properly here. She thought back on the illustrated signposts that dotted the village. She stood in the empty garden for a moment and considered the unattended, pleasantly green lettuce leaves. No, she couldn't afford to lose any progress with these people over some lettuce. Especially Nahlarun's lettuce. She smoothed her jacket and grazed her pocket, feeling the nitsie talon inside. More comfortable there than in her shoulder, certainly. It hadn't felt right to toss it into the scrub at her campsite.
Maybe the story wouldn't be that useful, but hopefully it would at least give some context to Behnai's tale. She wandered through the center of Gaping, if it could be called a center, and headed towards the weaver's hovel to pick up her pricey gloves. With a short visit, she should still have time to return to the middle of town, find a comfortable rock, and catch the attention of the first person who didn't look away quickly enough to politely avoid conversation. She'd rather not, but she doubted she would be brought into the loop even if she did have an invitation to sit beyond the straw mats tonight. She should be more pleased at the sign of… gratitude? But sitting closer among the villagers' rituals didn't seem appealing; what is the joy in listening to a song you wouldn't sing?
As usual, the people of Gaping didn't have much to say to her. They were used to her presence, so they weren't outright rude, but they were still quick to get on with their business. So Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… settled for watching and listening, and soon learned why things didn't seem quite right. There were strangers in town, and not like her either. These were more foreign, tall, with dark hair. One was a monster of a man, huge and illustrated, and another was the fattest man any of them had seen who wasn't bedridden. There were five in all, and they were uncomfortably chatty, asking questions of everyone they met. Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… caught a glimpse of the group as they were leaving town, heading for the Polies.
That evening, Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… settled into her chair near the center of the room. It was warm so close to the bubbling cauldrons of stew, and strange to be sitting in a chair when most of the room was on the floor. She noticed that there was a subtly larger space around her chair than around the others, and she caught sidelong glances that ranged from curious to hostile.
She finished her portion of the bland but filling stew before the first story was complete. The second story was dull, some second-hand tale from the peddler's time in the city that Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… knew had very little resemblance to reality. Finally, Nahlarun got to the promised Dream of Faulkan. The crowd was surprised, but pleased. It was clearly a local favorite.
“Since Gaping Mouth was first settled,” Nahlarun began, using the full name of their village, “every youth has spent a night in the cave. The Mouth is what turns a boy into a man, a girl into a woman. The Mouth is ours to protect, and ours to respect. It is our namesake, our culture, our Story. Runes are runes etched above the entrance, 'Surah, rahsu, piterana,' 'Take nothing out, leave nothing behind, disturb nothing.'” Adults in the room nodded with understanding. Youths watched wide-eyed and eager for the tale that they had heard numerous times before. Nahlarun went on to describe the ritual of entering the Mouth. Void the bladder and bowels, bathe thoroughly with brushes and sand. Then dress, covering the nose and mouth and most of the skin, and wrap smooth-bottomed shoes in cloth. Nothing could be taken or left, not even dust, or moisture from sweat or breath. Youths would step out of their shoes' wrappings and into the cave. There they would wait for dawn, when they would brush all dust from their clothing and shoes, and step out of the cave.
“No one ventures deeper, and no one sleeps, but Faulkan did. Tired from the day's labor, he sat against the wall, and fell asleep. When he emerged, he would say nothing of his dreams, but he was changed. He lived his life in Gaping and grew old, but would not speak of what he saw in the Mouth. This was the Dream of Faulkan.”
The room was silent. An older woman cleared her throat. Then a young man jabbed a child in the side, and the boy, looking embarrassed, asked too loudly, “Did Faulkan never tell his Story? What did he see?” So it was all part of the show.
“Oh yes,” Nahlarun said, “but not until he was very old. Lying in his deathbed, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, the youngest among them asked the very question you just asked: what did he see? Old Faulkan sent his family away and called in the Storyteller, for he knew this was important, and that a Storyteller had to hear it first.
”'The guardians appeared before me,' Faulkan said, remembering that long ago night. 'They clove me in two, again and again, for daring to take it out, even though I did not.' The Storyteller asked him what it was that they thought he took, and he answered, 'The cave, and anything in it, even the dust on the ground or the moisture on the wall. They chased me through the night, and I saw the others that were not there, and the man.' What others, the Storyteller asked, what man? 'The others who waited with me, who were in the cave, but not in the dream, who had been wise enough to stay awake. And the man was your father, Storyteller, who had wisely advised us on how to respect the Mouth. The Voice controlled my will, bending my thoughts until I was not sure what was right and what was wrong.' Whose voice, the Storyteller asked. 'The voice of my own fear. And I saw the beginning, and they were all with me, and I saw the end, and they all followed the voice of my fear.' And the remembrance was so fearful that Faulkan died with the last words on his lips.
“So beware, those who will soon enter the Mouth. Respect it, perform the proper rituals, and remember the Dream of Faulkan.”
Some of the young people looked frightened, or at least awed. Most had forced stern looks on their faces, to show how seriously they took this particular Story. There was one more story which Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… had to sit through, since there was no polite way to leave from her spot in the outer circle, and finally, the night was over.
Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… lingered as the warm, stuffy room cleared. At least her hopes hadn't been too high. The story repeated much of Behnai's, and the dream itself… well… There was maybe some similarity with what happened with the nitsies, but it was likely a boy's vivid nightmare filtered through generations of Storytellers and given an appropriately dramatic ending. She made her way among the mats and out into the evening air, pretending not to see more of the villagers' glances. Turns out it was poor timing to move to the outer circle; she might otherwise have had a chance to go unnoticed compared to the newcomers. Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… didn't see them at the Hall tonight, but maybe they just hadn't yet figured out which of the nondescript buildings it was.
She made her way back toward her comfortable stone, idly watching people chat before dispersing. There weren't a lot of reasons for a foreign stranger to visit Gaping; no special trades or resources, nor the food, architecture, or hospitality. It was either the Stories, the nitsies, or the Mouth. Her stomach dropped at a fourth option, but it was too far for the Houseplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigThe House of Morenth
As the primary place of worship for a population of six thousand, the House of Morenth is an enormous structure, perhaps five or six hundred feet across at the longest, but it's not just one big rectangular building. It looks like it's been added to many times over hundreds of years. Whether the building is bigger or smaller underground is impossible to tell. It is known that a library exists under the House, to which access is severely restricted. Expensive glass windows d… to bother coming here. They had probably never looked outside the city, and definitely not towards the Polies. Aldetplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigAldet Bray
Aldet is about 25, 5’4”, with a wiry, almost boyish frame. Her blonde hair is lightened further by the sun and pulled back neatly and unceremoniously. She has muddy hazel eyes and a thin-lipped, solemn demeanor. She has a ragged, still pink scar on her right brow. She wears new mahogany studded leather armor with matching gloves and boots, all finely made but lacking any real flourish to their design. The light crossbow and heavy, curved dagger that she carries are well-crafted, with… straightened in her seat and soothed her worries. The group had been too far off to see what they were, but if they were really as chatty as people said she would just have to be around to talk tomorrow.
When she felt the night air chill a bit further, she mutely gathered herself and hiked back out to her camp among the rocks. She kept her fire low to heat her water – the pile of sticks was almost gone anyway – and made the effort to wash up and quietly sing her thanks for the day. Hopefully all this was better than nothing, but she resigned herself to another restless night. Yes, maybe it would be good to get some news of the world outside Gaping from an overly nice scholar and his lackeys.