D&D 5E Dark sun Times of change

[roll0]

"The metal I understand. These paintings you want us to copy are wealth too? "

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using EN World mobile app

Kanna stayed high, when she could, in the hive of the big folk. On rooftops, across the tops of walls. There were many places where the tiles were too thin for bigger ones to follow her. Many places where she could hide and not be found. It was important. She could not run quite as fast as their longer strides. If she was not clever, they could catch her and take her water.

Kanna knew more of them now than before. Their loyalties were split and confused. They didn't know who their friends and enemies were, beyond a few close ones each. They feared one another, but also hoped for alliances with one another, so they made rules called laws. It was like a child's game. Break a law, and your water was taken. Obey the law, and someone who broke the law might take your water. The rules, the laws, took the place of trust and community, to ensure they could have something like a culture.

It was a hollow, soulless thing to Kanna...but she would not shed a tear for their choices.

She'd come at first at the call of a spirit in the earth. In healing it, a poisoned bit of ground had been cleaned...and there were big ones nearby who planted seeds in it. Thinking everything that happened was about them, they had thanked her and offered her food and water. Kanna stayed nearby for a time, making sure the poison was really gone, that the spirits were appeased. During that time, they had kept leaving things for her.

Eventually words, carefully, were exchanged. Within a few nights, others were talking to her. There were other places where the land was corrupted. Of course there were! There was no END to the corruption beyond the forests in the mountains! Was she meant to cure it all?

Where duty had compelled Kanna to go, curiosity compelled her to stay beyond that initial rite. They were so strange, the 'humans' and 'dwarves' and giants.' Strange, but interesting. A giant, she thought, had water enough for an entire tribe, for a little while. Odd to think something that massive could live. Imagine the food it would need!

So Kanna had tidied up a place outside the city, near the seed-planting place. She kept her distance from most of the big people, always wary. Unlike them, she knew who her people were. And yet, some words could be exchanged. A few started standing near her little lair and speaking aloud to no one, commenting on a stream that was blocked or an animal that was sick, then walking away. Then Kanna would go out at night, find the thing, and fix it. And they would leave food and water out.

Strange, but interesting.

Then once, the food and water were there again, but with paper folded inside paper.

Kanna could read. Humans didn't understand that the First People were educated. When she was young, Kanna had learned to read letters around the same time she'd learned to read the wind, or the moods of beasts, or the health of soil. Not just the letters of the First People, but of big folk as well.

Maybe she'd always known. Or perhaps the spirits had whispered to her, even then.

The letters had asked her to come into the hive, to this place. No, not place. 'Palace.' It was a little different. There was another letter there. She was unclear on the difference in meaning, but assumed every 'palace' was a place, but not every place was a 'palace.'

From the roof of the row of houses overlooking the shops of the bazaar, she'd leapt across onto the scraggly branches of a tree near the wall. A human would have snapped those branches clean off, but Kanna was able to vault off and reach the top of the wall. There she scurried over and dropped the letters onto the giant's head before quickly moving past...still atop the wall.

From that vantage she watched the others congregate, keeping low.

One of them, female, splashed in the water, dirtying it. If it was running, it would be all right, but it was a pool! Kanna hadn't seen anyone doing that before. Was it something unique to a 'palace?' A ritual? There was no spirit here in the hive. Why have a rite if there was no spirit?

Another played a song. The instrument she'd seen before from afar, but this was closer than she'd been before. It was pleasant enough, though Kanna preferred something with more rhythm.

Her blood cooled and she flattened herself on seeing the thri-kreen though. One did not hunt one of those alone. Very dangerous. Cunning. Surprisingly little meat too, for something that big. The shells were annoying to deal with. The worst thing about them though was that they were NEVER alone. This one seemed to be though. Strange. Interesting.

Then another one appeared and was talking. Ah, the one who had set the letters down. Listening carefully from her perch, Kanna pieced together he wanted everyone to go somewhere and fetch things. She wasn't clear on why this was, exactly, other than it would make him rich.

Why would he think any of these would care if he was rich or not?

Even so, curiosity compelled Kanna to remain, a little longer.

(insight [roll0])

"Not all wealth is money friend, Kalak hid great knowledge from us I would only like to see what is there."
[Sblock=Insight 16]You get the feeling that while Harash is being perfectly honest with his answers you fwel there is a bigger picture behind what he is doing[/sblock]

Tyr/Villa
Midday

Kimet stiffened as the massive half-giant entered. She growled lightly. Servants of the tyrants, they were. She had killed her share in the rebellion that overthrew the sorcerer-king. She would keep an eye on this one, as well.

Then an inner door opens and Kimet recognizes the champion of the Tyr arena, the Mul named Ghaal, who introduces his patron, a soft-spoken, ebony-skinned human who was sponsoring this meeting.

She listened as he described the newly found cache of metal and...paintings? Odd. But then the wealthy were odd anyway. Look at that wasteful fountain. But he wasn’t telling them everything. Still, that was the way most employers were. She would still keep alert.

“So you have a cart and draft animals?” she asked “And a guide to show us the way? How long is it expected to take out there? We will need supplies.”

Insight: 1D20+3 = [15]+3 = 18

[sblock=Kimet Mini Stats]
Inspiration: 0
AC: 17
HP: 18/18 HD: 1/1d12
Rage: 2/2 LR
[/sblock]

Tyr/Villa
Midday

“Fair enough,” Kimet commented. “Did they find any trouble out there? Anything we should know about? When do you want us to leave?”

[sblock=Kimet Mini Stats]
Inspiration: 0
AC: 17
HP: 18/18 HD: 1/1d12
Rage: 2/2 LR
[/sblock]

Tyr/Villa
Midday

“Hm. Tonight, then, when the heat of the day is ended,” Kimet said. “We can make any other purchases we need this afternoon, though I have little coin,” she admitted.

[sblock=Kimet Mini Stats]
Inspiration: 0
AC: 17
HP: 18/18 HD: 1/1d12
Rage: 2/2 LR
[/sblock]