A Divine Theater

[Lichtenhart]

Irohim - Volor Gnomes - the unknown island

Irohim doesn't want to alarm Morev and his companions, Torem and Luagor, so he approaches unseen the strange creature. Feeling a sparks of thought coming from it, he reveals himself to the creature, and, thank to his liquide nature, assumes a from similar to her own. Then he stretches out a tentacle, trying to reach the shapeless creature the same way he communicates with his tribe, to find out at least if it's hostile and dangerous to the explorers, or rather friendly and curious as they are.

 

[WizWrm]

Irohim:
The creature bubbles menacingly, mirroring the emotions you feel from it. It lashes out, striking your proferred tentacle. You feel a terrible sort of confusion, as if your entire mind was shattered and then all the pieces were superimposed over each other on top of your perceptions. You quickly revert back to your normal state of being, but notice that in your confusion, you had taken the shape of a two-foot wide clamshell.

 

[WizWrm]

Eilil:
The scouts gather plants as you instructed and begin their journey back to the village.

The work with the horses progresses quickly, and after a few days, one of the Radu thinks to attach a horse to a cart, providing enough strength to carry much greater loads in the carts. This allows them to pile clay into the carts from up and down the riverbank and carry it to the new building site, so there will be enough for a larger settlement. Using the clay bricks, they construct several houses for the best horse-trainers, and using wood, they build a fence around a large area for the horses to roam.

Your help is required in dispatching the wolves, which is a deed that tires you for the first time. The cubs are brought into the Radu village, and soon become doggedly attached to their trainer/owners, although it will be several years before they are full-grown and of use to the tribe.

If you want, you could try to send a canoe out into the ocean to the east, but there is no land in sight.

 

[Kavyk]

Not wanting to have to repeat such a scene as with the wolves, Eilil makes it a point to teach the magic-users how to do it, though, by now, he realizes they will have a much more difficult time of it than he did. Recognizing the similarities between magic and physical effort, Eilil begins to experiment with his own abilities, 'exercising' them in the hopes that he can build up some stamina. Regardless of his own efforts, he also wants the Radu elves who can use the power to exercise the same.

Curious as to the nature of the wolf cubs, Eilil explores the mind of a sleeping pup. He will also examine the relationship between the cub and its master. He wonders if this tentative link between them can be strengthened somehow. Not wanting to harm either of them, he begins with a gentle encouragment of the bond and observes this over the course of a few days. If this seems to work well, he will go a little further. At the point when there seems to be some sort of negative side-effect, he will stop.

Sending a canoe into the ocean seems like a bad idea at the moment, as far as Eilil is concerned. If a pack of wolves can tire him when they are close to the village, he does not want to risk anything larger.

Since the process of domesticating the wolves and horses seems to be going relatively well, Eilil's curiosity leads him to wonder what other kinds of animals can be used for the good of the tribe. Certainly small animals that hunt mice would be useful, since mice sometimes get into the stores and ruin food. Therefore, he sends a couple of young adults to hunt for a ferret den. He would like them to get the kits. He has also noticed a plethora of birds. Since the Eilil do not yet hunt these birds, they would be a good source of food. Indeed, other birds seem to hunt them best. He sends a pair of adult hunters to track a pair of these bird-hunting birds to their nest and capture them, with eggs or young, if possible.

Eilil is very pleased with the progress of his tribe so far. The things which they themselves cannot do well can be compensated for with the use of animals, which can do them better and that, he finds, is a good thing.

Eilil envisions two halves of the same whole, in time. One half will live in the tree village, fishing and growing crops. They will use birds to help them hunt and ferrets to protect their harvest from ruin. During the dry season, they will work the land, but in the flood season, they will spend their time learning and devising new things.

The second half will be the protectors and guardians of the first, with their horses and wolves, perhaps even birds if such can be had for them as well. They will roam during the flood season, so that Eilil can learn much of the world and return to the village during the dry season to help their fellow tribesmen.

Eilil isn't certain how he will divide them. In truth, he thinks it will be best if the younger tribesmen are wanderers, becoming more sedentary when they tire of the nomadic life. This, however, is a long way off, he knows. The thought of it fills him with pleasure and over the course of a few weeks, he sends pleasant dreams of it to his people, so they will know that they have a glorious future ahead of them.

 

[Lichtenhart]

Irohim - Volor Gnomes - the unknown island

The starchild, uncertain if the creature percieved his offer of communication as an attack, or if she's merely malicious, reverts to his usual form, then grows until he's huge and towering over the creature. Without allowing her to touch him any more, he shows her some simple but strong, even violent images: there is pain waiting for her if she harms a gnome; he shows a creature of her kind touch a Marev and then wriggle in pain, then another trying to eat Luagor and suffer an excruciating pain, till she becomes a lifeless grey heap of mismatched flesh.

Then he leaves the beast, shrinks to his normal height, and warns the explorers of the danger on this island, how the creature looks like, what they could do to them, and advise them to explore the island quickly, while he watches upon them, and then sail back to Quam, carrying the seeds and the fruits of the most interesting plants they found here.
Irohim focuses his entire attention then to the surroundings of the three gnomes while they climb the mountain, careful not to let another of those creature sneak upon them, and not to miss any sign of civilization that could lead them to another tribe or intelligent being.

 

[WizWrm]

Eilil:
Despite their best efforts, the magic-using elves are not able to learn how to attack with magic, though you feel that it is not an unsurpassable limitation that they face.

Greater exertion, for you, does not seem to bring greater stamina. However, the magic-users in the tribe (there are ten, including the one who can calm the horses) do seem to become tired less often when they keep up a regimen of daily magical activity. The difference is slight but noticeable over a period of several months. You resume your attack-magic training, and three of the magic-users are able to stun small animals with a few more weeks' worth of training.

When the seasonal feast is held, though, in honor of the original bounty you provided with the river-plants, you feel a surge of strength and renewal. This gives you cause to reflect upon your time guiding the Radu, and you realize that you are stronger than you were when you first encountered them; the tribe has nearly doubled in size since then, a fact that is surely not unconnected to your growing strength.

You encourage the cubs' bond, but there is not too much that you can do - it's already a strong familial relationship that the wolves feel.

The pair of elves you send to the hawks' nesting ground finds itself beaten back by the vicious birds protecting their young, but you watch them over the course of a few days, and when one goes to hunt, you get the first elf to occupy the other while the second elf grabs several eggs, though he takes a few scratches to the hand from the young hawks.

Irohim:
When you show the creature the images, it suddenly seems to flow with a new burst of activity and energy. It begins rolling down the coast towards Morev, Torem, and Luagor. From its jumbled mind you feel an alien hatred, a destructive impulse that you've never encountered before.

 

[Lichtenhart]

Irohim - Volor Gnomes - the unknown island

Not really understanding the creature, Irohim flies to defend his tribesman. If the beast attacks them, ignoring his promise of pain, he'll take the form of a bubble all around the gnomes so she won't touch them. He doesn't want to hurt or kill the creature, but if she really goes on with this mindless hate and destructive rage, he'll shoot at her a burning star out of his body. That will hurt him, for it will open a wound on his liquid body, but at least it will end the threat to the explorers. If he's forced to kill her, he'll weep for her, because he would have prefered to live in peace with her, and his pearl-like tears will roll away on the sand.

 

[John E Smoke]

Attar and the Jasad

Upon the death of Larhk, an aged hunter of the Jasad who in his latter days was always ready to tell a tale of the bravery of others, Attar appears once again in the guise of an orc. With great reverence, Attar directs the tribe to take his remains to the shore and construct a pyre, then claims the old hunter's spirit as the fire is lit and takes it back with him into his own "spirit" world from where he watches over the tribe.

"Larhk, you have lived a full life and given much to your people. I give you a choice; I can scatter your essence so that you might one day be reborn, or you may remain here with me, and watch over our people for so long as your name is honored by their memory."

When the rest of the tribe arrives at their new home, Attar appears to take part in the lively celebration. Attar takes a moment during this time to take Jalakar aside to speak in relative privacy.

"The Jasad prosper more now than ever, but there is always more to be done. Without your guidance, I believe much of what I have asked could not be accomplished. The tribe regards you as irreplaceable, but the inevitable must come despite all our wishes. Though you shall be the first chieftain to reside in the great lodge, you shall not be the last. You must choose a successor to walk in your place when the time comes."

The day after the feast, Attar decides to try spurring the imagination of one of the children. As the young orc watches over the herd, the notion appears in her mind to attempt to make images, just as Attar himself.

The tribe continues to live as they have, though some are encouraged to learn even more about the plants in the region, and how to make them grow. Some of the hunters eventually tire of flint weapons and seek out better materials if they can, while others still grow jealous of the great speed of the wild horses they witness, wondering if they could capture these beasts much as they did the oxen from the tundra.

 

[Kavyk]

Experimentation

[OOC: What about the ferret plan? How'd that work?]
Now that they have some eggs, he tells his people what he has observed about the mother hawks and what they do to keep the eggs warm and what they feed the nestlings. He can't help but think that an adult bird would be useful in training the hatchlings, so he applies a portion of his mind to the task for later on, perhaps a trap with fresh meat and then throwing a net over the bird?

Intrigued by the progress he has witnessed in the Radu's abilities with magic, he examines each of the magic users intimately, as well as examining himself, to see if he can find some sort of resonance for what it is that lets them use magic. He also examines all of the children in the tribe, wondering if magic is something that they all possess, but some lose as they grow older. When he has found an answer to what allows the elves to use magic, he begins another path of emperimentation, once again, out of curiosity.

A young elf, Jora, one of the magic-users who was able to learn to use the 'stun' ability, has caught his attention because she seems to be both curious and level-headed. Just before the floods begin, he will send her to the caves where the tribe used to stay before the village was built. He will have others accompany her and take enough food for her to remain one month, then order them to bring one month's supply at a time until she is ready to leave the cave.

Eilil will also summon Watcher Alade to the cave, where the three of them will engage in magical experiments to determine what can be done. Firstly, Eilil examines Jora's structure very closely, discerning as best he can how she is put together and things function. Once this is accomplished, he will ask her to cut herself and then Eilil will try to mend the cut. He will slowly progress upwards until he can keep Jora from feeling the pain and he can mend a broken bone. He wants her to be healthy, so she will exercise each day, with Eilil accompanying her. Time will not matter. She will eat when she is hungry, sleep when she is tired and work the rest of the time.

Further, he will see if he can 'encourage' Jora's magical centers to develop faster. He will see if he or Alade can 'boost' her power and if she can in turn boost their power in some way, perhaps by praying or chanting. If these prove successful, he will next find a way for her to 'see' Alade, perhaps trying to lend her a portion of Eilil's own senses. He will see what part of his powers she can 'borrow' and how much of it she can duplicate on her own, particularly with regards to healing. He would also like to see if Alade can teach her anything. Eilil will try to possess her, and will also see if Alade can do the same, as it would be handy to know that dead magic-users could come back in time of danger. Eilil will then determine, if he can possess her, if his 'other' senses still work. Can he still see at a distance and protect his poeple? Can he split off a portion of himself to inhabit her body while the rest does its job?

Eilil will spend no more than six months at a time on this experimentation, but his end goal is to create, in Jora's womb, a perfect Radu elf, which will then be Eilil's body. This elf child will be male and must have all of the best qualities of the Radu, including magic use, etc. Then, a part of Eilil's spirit will occupy the body and allow it to be born and grow up as a Radu elf. Eilil plans for the child to have children of his own so that the Radu will have champions of special ability and eventually, all of the Radu will truly be Eilil's children. Again, Eilil is not in a hurry. He will continue to experiment until such time as he 'gets it right'. If it continues more than a few years, he will choose another female elf and continue. He has all the time he needs and in the mean time, when he learns something else useful, he will communicate it to the rest of the elves and magic-users so that they may benefit from it.

Eilil is thinking that this will probably take up to 10 years. With breeding horses and wolves, training the hawks and ferrets, and then with the information that Eilil will give them from the experiments, this seems like more than enough improvements for a few more years. In fact, Eilil is hoping that this new knowledge will lead to more innovation by the elves.

 

[Serpenteye]

ooc: It's scary how much I've fallen behind in just a couple of days. the EN-World site has not been kind to me. Now to make up for some lost ground...

--

Asveh takes the reservations of the elderly to heart and decides to give the people a chance to prove their maturity as a nation and as individuals. The realisation that he was the ultimate personification of their tribe is not enough, for the tribe consists of individuals who need to work their own will, lest they lose themselves in the collective and stop thinking for themselves. He would give them the tools to form their own future. He would give them control, and make that control an illusion.

At noon a few days after the raid, Asveh summons the people to the central clearing of the village and appears when they have assembled. He looks out over the people with pride and warmth, letting his blessing envelop the listeners; filling them with joy and pleasure for a moment. The feeling recedes, but lingers pleasantly in the background to his words.

"We have come a long way in only a few years. Our labour has brought us unprecedented wealth and security. You no longer need to fear starvation or the depradations of wild animals. For the first time you are building roofs and walls to keep you safe at night, to keep your warmth and your privacy. It might seem that your needs are fulfilled, there are certainly reasons to be content. Some would say that there is no need for further change and progress. Such a statement would be wrong.

The world is vast and full of danger. There are spirits out there who would like nothing better than to extinguish our growing civilization. There are beasts who could devour you all. And there are forces in the world that threaten even me.

We can never afford to grow complacent. We can never afford to stop our growth in wisdom, strength and numbers. We must master this world, lest it master us. We must never fear, but we must always be prepared. We are few now, we are small and weak, but our strength is growing. And as your power grows so will mine. If we grow great enough nothing will be able to stand in our way.

We must always contemplate ways to make our lives better, for when we are happy as individuals are we also better able to serve our fellows. We must work for the improvement of society even as we consider our own needs. None of us benefit when the potential of another is wasted. None of us can enjoy success when the tribe as a whole is suffering. Without unity there is no power. Without power there is no security. Without security there is no peace. Without peace there is no prosperity. Nothing is more important than the unity of the people. A body that is divided will die.

The world is vast and full of riches. It exists for you to use it. And uses can be found for almost everything in it. You must learn to look at nature in a new way, to always see it for what it is. Do not be content with old explanations and justifications. Always explore reality to the best of your ability. Individually you don't have to know everything, but as a society you must always strive to. The world can be shaped, and there is always room for improvements.

There are energies in the world that can be harnessed for our use. I work trough these energies, this force called magic. It was trough that force I slayed the wolves, it is trough that force that I speak with you in your dreams. The ability to wield it is proportionate to the wielders power. I cannot yet teach you to kill or to give life back to the dead, but I can teach you a hundred little things that can be useful to you. If you wish it, send me your prayer.

I am here to lead you, teach you and protect you. All I ask for in return is your gratitude and your worship. I am the ultimate personification of our people and we must always stay united. Nothing is more important than the unity of the people.

I have one more order and it is of great importance. Procreate. Fill the world with Halflings."