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[Subject:]

Legates, included persons therein:

As instructed, the document that contains the details and suggestions for the Vice Chancellor, and how to proceed with his arrival, is penned out. This is for the Legates to edit or discard as you see fit.

For any further editions, or suggestions, pen Scribe Amani al-Ibrahim.

-Scribe Amani al-Ibrahim
Office of the Scribes of the Sublime Garden.

Subject: The Vice Chancellor of Tlonsiyya.

Objective: Convince him to lax the time of our obligations in manpower.

Why: We need labor to build the new district. Sending these workers to Tlonsiyya will require us to hire more workers and go over-budget (of which it is 500,000 dinari).

Details about the Vice Chancellor:

- He enjoys his excesses. It is said his personal ship is like a pleasure barge. He smokes frequently, he is bulbous from frequent feasting.

- It is said he used to love tormenting Deputy Chief Scribe Bashir. He is a bully, who exacts humor from someone small and good-natured being given reason to panic.

- His diplomat Raonn was most displeased when he was not greeted with ceremony and pomp. Both he and the Vice Chancellor seem to share an affinity for spectacle and praise.

- They are crass. Raonn swears as the Qadiran sailors do. Elegant words will not sway them.

Strategy:

- Greet The Vice Chancellor with music and rose petals. We will bring a palanquin to carry him and the Legates. (Hire bards from the Krak de Roses.)

- Treat him to mizzar or other narcotics on the travel. Treat him to Well water, when he thirsts. Fan him with palm fronds, for a man of this much mass will not enjoy suffering before the sun. (Ask Themis if he can acquire mizzar for cheaper than Elossi's.)

- Treat him to dinner, host him somewhere that is not the Palatial Pyramid (La Casa Manta is a good suggestion.). The rest of the delegation will meet the Legates and the Vice Chancellor.

- Ease into the subject of our dues, and affirm that we are fulfilling them. Provide a date that will not conflict with our needs.


Diplomatic Attache:

- Jamileh Attar (Jamileh has a history with the Tlonsiyyans, and was the original signator of the agreement for the war. Jamileh is crass, it is easy for her to translate our interests into barroom rambling).

- Apothar Zol Nur & Nadiri Eva Keter (They also seem to know the Tlonsiyyan diplomat, and spent time in the Vice Chancellor's company as they pestered DCS Bashir for fun.)

- Niamh Amoinn (She is as pure as freshly fallen snow and is perfect for the role of a jester, for him to pester).

- The Legates.

- Chef Ritz Orton or Talhah al-Qasi (Chefs that will cook the feast that satisfies the Vice Chancellor.)

Greet the dawn.

I am Amani al-Ibrahim, a participant of the Gold League. I want to serve Ephia's Well in more than just the political process. I am looking for employment.

You can send a letter to Eel Avenue in the Souk of Salt and Spice, flat number 6.

- Amani al-Ibrahim.

Rise with the dawn, Gold League.

I am Amani and I have come to join you. There was ideas I had hoped to share for Legate Vellyn's re-election campaign but the room had become much too loud. I will be forwarding this to Legate Vellyn for her consideration.

In the meantime, I require 3,000 dinars to pay for my Voice, if I am to vote in this election. This is a service, not a debt, my want for cooperation is eager but it is conditional.

Strategy that was agreed upon should be expressed to me and soon.

- Amani al-Ibrahim

! BUYING !

Objects marked with the aspectral mark of the Clueless Fist.

Offers should be sent to Jaculus Amulius at the Krak des Roses.

What: Give Halberd, Short Spear & Long Spear the reach more reach than a greatsword & falchion.

Why?: A polearm should reach further than a greatsword. I also like using weapon reach to shore up formation chokes. I think Dire Mace is 2.8 by default, for whatever reason?

Hello Cogsworth.

I know what I want to do with my Banded Mail. I have included an example I prepared.

Will you prepare a hauberk that looks like this, to wear over my armor?

Tell me how much this will cost. I will begin saving money for a new helmet that looks better for this armor, after that.

Gulgrea.

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[Starsundered,]

Name: Katya Belyaeva
Deity: The Fount
Alignment: True Neutral
Level: 10 (Fighter, Executioner)
Final Orc killcount during the war: 9,027 (number would be higher, if they counted orc deaths in Bet Nappahi. Closer to 10,000.)

You're invited to share your own pictures, so many of my pictures got lost!
----

Katya was a fun gimmick. I made her to:

1) Help people quest when they got caught in a death spiral.

2) Try Good in a way that didn't require putting boots to asses, crusader style.


Originally an Arelith and Cormyr/Dalelands character where I just fucked around with Improved Whirlwind for funsies, Katya was a want to play a character that interacted with characters of dubious morality and probe them philosophically, if they could defend what they were doing with reasoning. Sometimes I had some pretty good answers out of people.

Katya was born in Ring 238, the Painted Plains. Much like how The King bestowed The King's Commons his royal banner that could conjure miracles for those who won it in combat, their ring was given a brush that would, quite literally, paint their reality, and switch hands, each time the previous artist passed, competing against one another. Niece and apprentice to the great Kapitan Vasiliv Belyaeva, Breaker of Rings, a ringrunner-turned-conquistador, who used his unorthodox style of mass combat and their unique sorcery - pictomancy - to amass fortunes, be they taken from the hands of beast or man.

When the Nothing came, Vasiliv's legend of being a brutal conqueror was betrayed by one unexpected act of selflessness, rallying the survivors of Ring 238 for their flight in-ring, helping them navigate the puzzles and challenges to obtain the keys and allow them to pass through. This rare act of heroism, for a man who let violence destroy him, greed consume him and anger control him, inspired Katya to believe that all men can change their stars, that it was never too late to try again.

Katya was more of a redeemer, who believed that the world was doomed to evil, that she was no-one's hero, but she could perhaps change someone's life for the better before they made a mistake they could not take back. Realistically, this goal went nowhere, but sometimes she could convince Angelique to not do something batshit insane, so, it was all the proof she needed to keep trying.

Her efforts lead her to the company of those who would one day grow to be great and mighty, and create much doubt to where her loyalties lie, but it created an insight where she could both rationalize and even navigate the world perspectives that made these infamous people work, and influence the decisions they made. In this, she could interact with La Banda Rossa as something of a friend, rather than an employer and employee, and even brought her before the graces of the iconic Legate Argent Argryis and his cabal of schemers.

Though the world might have thought of her as a fence-sitter, she knew what she was aiming for, and such efforts bore fruit, small and subtle in the ways they were.

Her time in the Balladeers of the Lost Hearth was evolutionary to her being, for she dared not to just accept the world as it was, but to see the world as it could be, and dare greatly, knowing the risks she took. Under the tutorage of Aeronwy Caddick, she learned this dare from her firebrand of a master, and even the want to take initiative, taking roles of leadership as they formed, creating efforts of her own and amplifying what was already there. A tumultuous time, but one that was expected.

Art students are contractually obligated to be messy bitches.

So it was, that when promoted to Balladeer, she happened upon a host of recruits, the Thorncrest brothers, Quincy, Lyrei, Elrin, Kyria and Nisve. Their ambition and want was similar to her own, and when brought before the face of Iakmes' war, she despaired that they would march to war without ever gaining the chance to mold the future that they were to inherit.

She would dare greater, just for them, that they might be spared the reaper's touch.

She leaves behind a student of her own, Nisve, she who held the foundation of her philosophy Kist' Khudozhnika, and the beginning foundation of her martial art. She shall be worthy for the future to be decided after Bet Nappahi.

Some screenshots:

Her sword. Originally called The Longest Dirk, she treated it with contempt, as she would for all things that are built only to destroy. She came to lament that name, once she understood it to be a living, feeling thing, and lamented more that she shaped it to be a weapon of war. Still, it forgave her and offered her its protection - she always hoped to be worthy of its forgiveness.

A new name was added to it.

Starsundered, The Longest Dirk.

Alongside that, was her helmet. A kind gift by Aeronwy, given emphasis with magic that she had collected come the winter solstice. It was a humble thing, but it was symbolic, representing the kind of people she hoped to serve the most. A Sallet that became the Stewpot.

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That was most precious:

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The Balladeers of the Lost Hearth was a home when home ceased to exist, and Zina's Emporium was a hub to colorful people that were the light in Katya's life, especially when there were times when the world seemed especially dark. Nigel, Cort, Selwyn, Manta, Ritz and Zina were fast friends, and their antics are immortal, even as the Emporium enters new hands.

But there was more that she cared for, and that list spanned longer than just Mokonnen, or Jamileh, or Gideon, or Garen.

She cared greatly of those who were entrenched in a dark world, for their betterment was not some laurel of glory that she wore, but a genuine link of empathy, where she saw the person beneath the demeanor that the world had come to know them by, from Mirielle's rise to Condottiero, to the Bad Company of La Banda Rossa, ranging from Angelique, Emilia, Rigas, Artabastes, Kazadun and more.

They were worth the hardship. Every last one.

Some other shenanigans, in no particular order:

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And some sick shots of Operation: Fireball Palace (courtesy of Atticus), handed off to her by Arnock Reyer, assisted with Aurelio d'Lyon, they braved blazing sands to remove Iron Titan production from Bet Nappahi, before the last push. A harrowing undertaking, that was pulled through by the skin of their teeth. (thanks for hosting this, Bearic)

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This path, I've walked before, what new adventures lie in store?

[What?:]

What?: Make Steppe Archer's Mighty Bonus from their rage permanent.

Why?: Quests take much longer than the duration of all three rages, and sometimes it's good to do *some* damage while you're unable to rage, or saving your rage for something special. The insane 20 CHA rage bonuses would never be able to be hit without raging, anyways, so, nobody's roaming the wasteland handing out free 1d8+8 shots on a whim.

I do want to play it at some point! Legolas shit is so cool, but, it just lacks the staying power, even if you stack CON into the ceiling and take Thug to extend the rage.

My fellows,

The hour comes and swift. You helped us scout it out, will you help us strike this construct that the orcs hold as sacrosanct?

Reyer was stationed elsewhere so we are going to need a replacement.


Balladeer Katya Belyaeva.

(Friday the 4th at 3:30 PST, UTC-08:00)

We require 6 more volunteers for Operation: Fireball Palace.

This is VERY DANGEROUS undertaking and comes with extreme risk of heat stroke and immolation.

Volunteers who wish to apply WILL REQUIRE the following:

1) Equipment that protects them not just against the sting of fire, but also help them acclimate to the persistent exposure to extreme heat. We suggest an ensemble marked by The Flaming Fortress, or something similar.

2) A Tlonsiyyan Rebreather. Conversations are occurring, to see if these can be provided, but for now, assume that you will have to source your own.

3) At least two Geothermal Orbs, offered by Quartermaster Gebb. (These have since been afforded to us by the Warmaster.)

4) Potions of Insulation.

5) Potions of Polarization.

6) Potions of Invisibility.

7) Potions of See Invisibility.



We intend to leave two days from now. ((3:30 PST, Friday the 4th))

Interested volunteers should contact Katya Belyaeva. Thank you.

[I cannot stress enough the terrible, terrible danger we are all in,]

[This is a letter delivered to: Lieutenant Rennik Colmes, Condottiera & Warmaster Mirielle Rosseu, Sister Selsi, Lyrist Aubrey Domergue, Balestrier Melody Stearwood, the Astronomers of Q'tolip, Balladeer Aurelio d'Lyon, Ulfgrim Grimgarson, Maqqari Ahmad, Legate Vellyn, Legate Alexandria.]

Also included is the Sukaitza Gudari, specifically one who is literate and not currently addicted to any substance (this description is literally given to the courier, ver batim, with an attached post-script: "Pretend that you will be at a meeting with the Lendakari. You know exactly the kind of mannerisms of which I require of you."]

Companions, colleagues, Honored Legates

I am Katya Belyaeva, a Balladeer of the Lost Hearth. I write to you all with razor-keen sensitivity to the current situation we find ourselves in with Kha'esh's imminent departure. We are exposing ourselves to great danger, and our political decisions have put us here.

We have need of new friends, and quickly. To that end, we must turn now to our generous benefactor and beg for His endless love for more help. Do not mistake this for a second: if Ephia's Well retakes Arslan and re-installs The Grand Tutors, Kha'esh will not abide it, there will be no union, and there be great strife. I cannot stress enough the terrible, terrible danger we are all in, and the level of insult it is, to betray men who cast down their slave masters, to favor those who openly practice slavery.

Three Legions has The Sultan promised us. We are going to need even more Legions, if we are going to somehow make up for the absence of the largest host The Great Ring has ever seen in 500 years. Sultan Osman VI - Peace Be Upon Him, Long May His Line Reign - has given us so much, and now we find ourselves in an ungrateful position where we must extend a hand out to him again, like a beggar who has become accustomed to the kindness shown to him and expect even more.

This shall be an act of groveling that in of itself shall define the meaning of the word Grovel, but grovel we must, if we are to spare our brothers and sisters, nevermind ourselves. Time is against us, and once Kha'esh completely uproots, we are well and truly under-equipped for a war of this scale. This is not hyperbole, this is a critical situation where the entire campaign can unravel. We know not when they mean to attack the Kusatma, but we know that they are constructing the weapon, and without the manpower of The Great Serdar Yataghan, it will become a considerably easier target, and it is no small thing to simply hide under a blanket.

We are not in a position where we can bargain, and that in itself is an enticing prospect, for our desperation will be reason to hear our plea. All the more that the Satrap can make itself of use to Sultan Osman VI - Peace Be Upon Him, Long May His Line Reign - and show our appreciation for His endless generosity.

So how do we draw the attention of eyes that are so high above us that they will not pay heed to us lowly mortals?

-----
First, a bold declaration, gilded and with great majesty.
-----


Something that must span the height of the Majordomo's desk, that he might read it and occupy his afternoon. No other function of The Palatial Pyramid ought be important to him, save for his service unto dizzying heights. It will be a use of great vocabulary and extreme posturing, framing it as a joined interest of the greatest Ephia's Well has to offer. Men of title, men of renown, all joined in harmony to express a dire need. Scrounge whatever accomplishment in recent memory you can find, embellish its proportions to the most realistic capacity that you can.


We ought form a rough draft together some afternoon, put our signatures to it when complete. We can discuss the wording, but, not for long, for the hourglass is against us.
 
If this even gets anywhere, it ought be organized, so as to not overwhelm those who turn their ear to us. A handful to mark the delegation, but the masses to bare witness to the sincerity of our plea.

I suggest:

1) Lyrist Aubrey Domergue.
2) Lieutenant Rennik Colmes.
3) Balestrier Melody Stearwood.
4) Sister Selsi.
5) Ulfgrim Grimgarson.
6) An Astronomer in proximity to the Zenithar and has their expressed trust. Mae Stern? Welly Wormswill? Zol Nur? I beg your forgiveness, that we do not often meet.

In addition, I suggest including the names of the war effort that will be known by those who are observing such an ordeal, and even adding emphasis to their role in the war.

1) Warmaster Mirielle Rosseu.
2) Master of Logistics, Maqqari Ahmad. (Previously held by Durgin Doomed-Oath, may he rest in peace.)
3) Thronebreaker, Aurelio d'Lyon.
4) The Slayer, Katya Belyaeva.


-----
Second, a spectacle, to catch the eye.
-----


Ceremony and pomp are critical, for if we simply ask The Majordomo and stop there, it can and will be taken as an insult and a gesture of being ungrateful. Rather, by doing this, we make our first impression as a celebration and gesture of appreciation of The Sultan Osman VI's boundless generosity - Peace Be Upon Him, Long May His Line Reign -.

This will have to be extreme, for we are not just doing it to bring a smile to The Sultan's face - Peace Be Upon Him, Long May His Line Reign -, but because He must be able to see us from where ever He lingers, be it one of His summer homes, or upon His balcony at the greatest height of Baz'eel. The sight must gleam like a gem on the horizon, the sound must carry on the wind. How exactly we do that is up to you, but, below is my proposal.

Whatever you decide, we ought communicate with each other, so that when we do it, it is in harmony.

After the submission is put forward, we begin a grand parade, with banners held high, the thunder and clatter of plated boots and percussion of Sukaitza explosives obliterating anything that might think us an easy mark, its explosion to ring out like the firing of cannons in ceremony.

Two things herald our approach to the seal of the Barrier of Baz'eel: first, the fall of rose petals, as my colleague and former master Aeronwy Caddick takes to the skies of her griffon, and soars high the great standard of the Red and Black, whilst casting fistfuls for the wind to pull down.

The second, an arrangement of brass. Our newest student Quincy is arranging our brothers in parade formation, Lyrei is to lead the song in instrument arrangement. We and the Sisterhood join choir, to sing the great songs that shall carry into the wind.

I suggest the Fourth Legion form columns with their helmet tops polished, that it might catch the light of the highnoon sun. Each column should have a divide, where the camel of a Sergeant sits in this gap, Lieutenant Rennik Colmes to take the front

The Astronomers of Q'tolip might call upon Welly Wormswill to call upon his expertise to lure great and fantastical beasts to take to the edges of the parade.

The Duunthal take both the front and the flank of the march, that the strength of Kulklund be great enough to bear all of us.

The Legates should be in the exact center of the entire formation, carried there by the Scribes and volunteers within a palanquin, bearing the colors of their Leagues.

The Sukaitza ought to dot the left and right flanks of the march, both to maximize the visibility of their bright orange and the expand the distance of which their bombs might boom through the air, but also for our safety.

Spectators ought to give distance to the march, but show the attention this march ought command by how many have come to behold such a great and dire request.

-----
Lastly, our requests.
-----

It should be done with great humility. There is no delicate way to phrase this, but, we have need for much and not in any position to say no. There will be much shaming and condemning of our carelessness, there will be much doubt that we will not also squander what else is given to us.


We need to be proactive, because if we wait, Iakmes' horde will hit us where we are most delicate. We know what they are planning, but not when or where, which adds to the time sensitivity of this.

This is where we sink or swim, everyone.

Balladeer Katya Belyaeva.

[Either someone who has a high tolerance to heat, or a fully-linked ensemble of The Flaming Fortress, is required. One could easily die of heatstroke out there. Insulation potions were fleeting between our number.]

Dear reader,

This is what we have gathered from The Fireball Palace. Arnock Reyer has a drawn map of the area and the point of entry.

- The heat is unimaginably intense at night. It will be even more intense during the day. This is a night time operation.

Either someone who has a high tolerance to heat, or a fully-linked ensemble of The Flaming Fortress, is required. One could easily die of heatstroke out there. Insulation potions were fleeting between our number.

- There is a temple that they care very much about. So much so that they built it in sight of all their watch towers. It is opened only by a giant cog on the side. That space that opens the gate is going to be a killzone.

We are figuring that our best bet for cover, from spellfire, is magical darkness.

- Speaking of towers, there are six towers that overlook a long stretch of trenches meant to keep the advancement confined. There seems to be a magic webbing that bound the magi to its top and a barrier that protects them from archery fire. All magic tethers seem to connect to a tower that is closest to the temple.

Can we detonate it with Sukaitza bombs, or somehow dispel the tether?

- The soldiers they have on display seem to lack War Priests, but we did detect a Voidcaller closest to the temple. The regiment they keep, I think, is intended to serve as fodder, or perhaps have judged that we will not be able to endure the heat, and have not put their specialized units at this base.

They may have judged correctly. That heat is intense and will be just as, if not more, dangerous than facing off against their strongest soldiers.

- There is one sector we did not search, because our allies ran out of supplies. Not sure if it is of that much concern or if it will be something we can deal with as it comes.

- They are building a weapon to destroy the Kusatma. Double the security surrounding the cannon.

As you can see, the conditions are decidedly grim, but not impossible. My tactical assessment is:

- They have several clans' worth of infantry guarding that palace. It will be a hard fight in, and an equally hard fight getting out. I suggest we go in under the cover of invisibility, begin our work, eliminate our target, then fight our way out. I think we will run out of water if we both fight our way in, and fight our way out.

This is not an operation that will be solved by total victory, or sacking the place. Speed is the factor that wins us this fight.

- We are going to need several of Cogsworth's globes for when the line gets choked in for a fight. I cannot stress how bad the heat is.



For any further questions, write to me at Room 16, the Homely Home & Art Studio of Katya Belyaeva.

Never shall we wilt,
Katya Belyaeva.

Hello neighbors,


I feel like we have been on the wrong foot for the better of a year. It has always saddened me deep down, I find your shenanigans amusing, your antics impressive and your study a thing of true fascination, but, we never had the chance to talk about it.

I want to invite you over for tea, tomorrow. Just a normal conversation, you two and I. It should not take too long, and it is nothing particularly probing beyond your personal life. You can expect much tea, sweets and even gifts, for your time.

You need only send for me, to let me know you are on the way. We can bend to your schedule.

Your neighbor,
Katya Belyaeva.

Dear Mirielle,

I have new information for you. You have no doubt been told about the lumbering, bronze creatures, but, if you have not, do tell me and I can inform you.

What I am writing to you today, is much worse: the warlocks have learned a new ritual.

Three of them will join, far away from the battlefield, and draw a strange symbol in fire. It seems to use a component of fifteen fireball scrolls. When the symbol is completed, it rains fire from the sky, with extreme brutality. It is as if hell itself yawns wide and belches an inferno onto the earth.

It is my recommendation that we push for more marksmen to deal with them. Reyer is a keen marksman, but, he is going to need help.

Here are other details I have gleamed:

- The ritual seems to take great focus. They will not turn themselves invisible or shield themselves with protective magic. Maybe they can grant it to themselves with scrolls and potions, but, they would not cast it on themselves.

- It requires three to begin but less than can maintain it, once it has started. We were struck with less frequency as Tharrik and Alice began to shoot them, so I assume that the less there are to maintain the ritual, the slower it becomes.

- They begin this from a great distance but the reach of this ritual spans the entirety of the battlefield.

- The lines form scorch marks in the ground but its meaning is lost on me. It also includes fifteen scrolls of Fireball, of which I have one in my possession to hand off to you.

Here is my best attempt to draw the symbol by hand.



I hope this was helpful.

Yours,
Katya.

I have a unique problem and would appreciate your help with your sorcery employed.

I can explain the finer details to you, as to the why and how, but in brief summary: I require you to dominate a baleful monster and lead it into a cage provided to us by La Banda Rossa. It is for that gods-awful bloodsport.

Find me soon or write back when it pleases you.

Yours,
Katya.

Hello Mirielle,

I am at a strange point in my service to the College of the Lost Hearth and would appreciate your help. I have nothing left to learn, though the Lyrist Aubrey feels that I should define myself, if I am to take on more responsibility and serve faithfully as a Balladeer in full-measure.

The things of note I have done I am not proud of, nor do I feel comfortable to wear my accomplishments that I achieved with my dead friends, brothers and sisters, as laurels to parade about. I have told her this, and defined what that was, but she does not feel it adequate.

You know me well: I abhor violence, but, in times such as these, words fall silent before the sound of ringing steel and lamentation.

If you have any projects that you require volunteers for, I would like you to enlist me for them. Danger is not an issue, if it needs doing. I pray only that it is for a righteous purpose.


Your friend,
Katya.

[This is not a letter asking for a promotion.]

Ser Knight & Chronicler,

I am Katya Belyaeva, a student under the study of my master, Aeronwy Caddick.

I write you today with inquiry.

As a Student, I strive to learn how to best serve the quest of the Cinquefoil Rose, and the virtues it has inherited from the storied men of days bast.

Under my master, I have learned humility - that we are mortals, fallible and prone to err. That although perfection is an impossible ideal for those such as us, that we must strive towards it all the same.

From the Grandmaster, I have learned forgiveness - to behold her forgive all of those who have broken oaths to her, and embrace them again as kin with a second chance. How could I hope to call myself better, if I could not forgive those who would forgive in kind?

From my brothers and sisters, I have learned initiative and resolve, and it has helped me in both the pursuit of political engagement, and in battle, where I owe them my survival against the likes of Baldasare and Vinny, and against the Thousand Clans and their ambush upon that distant volcanic battlefield, both in the martial arts they taught me, and in their protection, for those who died so that I might live.

This is not a letter asking for a promotion. Only a foolish student declares to their tutor "I am ready". That is a decision you make, not one I demand you make.

I only ask: where do I continue my study from here, to be all that I can be for the Cinquefoil Rose?

Signed,
Katya Belyaeva.

[Cuts of bison, ash iguana, pork and a whole-bodied awassi goat, seasoned with dried and crushed Tumble Creep, are stored in layers of salt and barreled for preservation. Alongside these barreled sweet meats, is a stack of naan bread, made with garlic. They are instructed to be kept somewhere dry. There is a letter attached.]

Gulgrea


Dinner is free, if there is a seat at the table for me. We can discuss prices if there are no seats.

DV for the Awassi Goat, if you need it.

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(PM for in-game pickup.)

[Before this book is put on sale, a sending is made.]

"For ages past, it has been our way to avoid the written word - to lay the lessons of the past to our Praise Singers, for their words to give them vigor and power, and give blossom to the seed of knowledge in the listener's hearts. As the days continue to change, I must break from this tradition. Not just for myself, but, for the outringers who come.

I have written a book. If you are new to The Great Ring, and are unfamiliar with the lay of its land, you will find 'Surviving The Great Ring' for sale in the Souk of the city Ephia's Well. It will guide your way, where city walls and wagons seem so distant. It would be good for you to read it."

Living In The Great Ring

Gulgrea Lanbruk

To survive, improve and prosper. To live without a spellbook.

Water:

Water

You can live two days without water. It is important you know where to draw water, This is not as hard as it seems, yet it is still of great importance.

Seek greenage, or walk along dried river beds and dig down. There is still a water table beneath, that is giving life to what is grown. If you have time still, but are failing to find water, watch an animal in the wild, for they will do as previously instructed, and know its source.

If your water source is contaminated, the steps to take it are simple. Sand, when tightly packed, can separate water from contaminant. You will have to run the water through its source at least three to four times, to be certain. After doing this, boil it over a fire, and it is safe for drinking.

Ash that comes from beyond the Great Ring is a harmless contaminant, and does not require purification. In days passed, it would be mixed into waters to sup for aches and pains. It is when it is flung at you at high speeds, that the danger begins, piercing thin metal and wood.

It is not advised to drink from cactus, as when cactus, or its fruit, begins to ferment, its juices can confuse and trick the mind, and can wither the body as if swallowing salt by the fistfull. It is said that some drink it on purpose, to see beyond the air, and know the other side.

Beware that is thick, soupy and unclear. Contaminated by heway hatcheries, or other sources, this water can wither the body from the inside-out, and leave behind carcasses for the hatchlings to feast upon.

It is also not advised to drink animal waste, or your own waste. It is the waste your body is disposing of, to imbibe it is to make yourself sick. Instead, it is better used to moisten your clothes and cool your body during hot days, when drinking water is scarce and must be preserved.

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Food:

Food

Food is abundant, if you know where to look. We begin with bugs.

Bugs are best used as bait, not food. Once cooked, they draw predators. Predators that you can ambush and eat. If you are not in a position to fight larger beasts, these bugs can give you extra time to continue living.

Do not eat Death Midge flies, and avoid Hellfire Wasps as best possible. You will know them by the charcoal color carapace they wear, for in large amounts, they can induce paralysis. Hellfire Wasps can cause mouth and bowel irritation.

Tumblecreep leaves are best used as seasoning but can be consumed. You will know a tumblecreep by its moving roots. Not to be confused with Assassin Vines, with long, black tendril roots, that attempt to entangle and paralyze its victims.

Many plants, their leaves and more can be eaten. If you are uncertain as to what is safe and what is not, await ground squirrels, okapi, or other green-eaters. If they avoid the plant, it is best you do as well.

Food poisoning may not kill you by itself, but as you are getting sick, you are shedding water through waste and vomiting.

Scavengers, such as sandworms and small boar, must be cooked thoroughly, as there is no certainty in their diet, and can carry diseases and parasites that are dangerous to the mortal races. It is sure to dampen the taste, but there is no greater spice in all of the Great Ring like hunger.

Be warned, that it is advised to wash your things, to scrub it free of oils, fats and blood. The smell can attract predators, who will attack you.

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Hunting, Food Continued:

Hunting.

Continuing from the food section, there are many animals that are not so easily baited and require you to hunt it. While you wander the territory, it is important to note that the beast is the second thing you are looking for. An opportunity you take if you have the advantage. The truest gain, is the bedding that they will make for themselves. Okapi, for example, will pad sand and ash out until they have a smooth place they can sleep, usually against a rock or something that can break the blowing of wind against them.

From here, you wait a distance, and take your opportunity when they go to sleep for the night. If their droppings or waste are nearby, you can make use of them to cover your scent.

Once you have your catch, give thanks to it for its sacrifice, before you begin dressing it to harvest its meat. As with most animals, you will want to splay its arms and legs out, cutting to form a complete slit from one limb to the other, then up the neck, before coming to the belly. It is important that you are thin with your cuts as you reach the belly, lest you spill its guts.

Afterwords, remove the hide - most can be done by hand, though some species have tighter skin that may require a blade.


Split the muscles at each limb to lax the tension before amputating, and do so again at the pelvis. Be careful that you do not cut upwards and spill the guts. There, you will want to split the tendon that binds the bones to the pelvis. Once this is done, you cut to the spine, up to the back of the head, and from there, you may harvest the meat across its back to its neck, the meat on its ribs, its heart, liver and tenderloin.

The skin can be harvested for wrapping on a stick, cooking and eating. Its testicles and eyeballs can be pickled, and what remains that cannot be eaten, such as the stomach or the brain, can be used as bait for future catches.

As there will be more meat than there are mouths to eat it, preservation will be required. To do so, build a tripod of sticks, with a place to hang the meats at least two to three feet above the fire. Use the hide of the slain animal to wrap around the tripod while leaving an opening at the top for heat to escape, and mind the fire for at least twelve hours, so that the fire does not grow so hot that it makes the meat tender. The meat should be hard to chew, as leather, but will be slow to rot. Store this food in somewhere that is dry and cool, to slow this process even more.

For the best results, if you can bring it with you, is salt. Once you have bled the meat of all blood, rub the meat in salt until the salt sticks to its surface, then leave it in darkness and cool air for several days, as it bleeds out the juices. It is important that it does not marinate in these juices, for the purpose is to dry them. In several days' time, you will see the meat is stiff and brown in color. Rub and rinse of extra salt and you may eat it at your choice.

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Shelter:

Shelter.

Shelter is vital. At the highest point of noon, and the deep of night, the elements are a threat to the unprotected traveler.

Firm winds can carry stone and sand at high speed, that can slash open skin and wound terribly. It is good to make your body as small as possible to avoid the larger debris, getting against a solid surface, like an outcropping of stone. Protect the face, especially the eyes, and cover with armor, padding or hide, to protect yourself from what comes at you.


Ash, blown in at great speeds, can carve through armor in the way sand against padded tabards, gambeson and steel breastplates could not, further amplifying the need of good shelter. If the light of the sun gradually begins to fade, shadows become less pronounced or the air becomes colder despite the time of day, the onset of a storm may be forming, and it is a crucial moment where you should take stock of your options to take shelter.

Seek caves, ruins, or other places that give halt to the wind.

When not exposed to the danger of ash storms, but you have need of immediate shelter against the cold wind of the night, you can make use of animal pelt or blanket, and a candle or a fire no greater than a match, to maintain warmth until dawn.

To do so, brace your back against a surface, then cast the material over you. While it is in place, ignite the candle, or set the fire. Remember that the kindling should be no more than the width of your fingertips, and not gradually added. So long as the seal holds, the warmth will build beneath the material. Snuff it, when it is warm, and hold until dawn.

In addition, should you see worm holes, you can also use them as cover to break the wind, and cover with the width of a handshield. This should not be used to avoid ash storms, as you run the risk of being buried alive by ash.

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Safety:

Safety.

The mortal races of the Great Ring are targets of beasts, who have long lived beside them. It is not immediately noticeable, as to their whereabouts, but there are telltale signs that they are in the area.

- Cats & Birds -

Nature, even in the Great Ring, makes sound. You hear it all around you, from the birds, to the blowing of the wind, to the scraping of sand against itself as it is blows. On rare occasion and during the late month of Iyar, to the early month of Maribeh, you may hear mating calls, from animals nearby.

It is either the directional, or complete absence, of this sound, that you should keep aware of. Except for the owl, who hoots at all who trespass, birds do not sing when they feel they are threatened. It speaks to a predator bird settling on the nearest bough, or a predator capable of climbing trees, something that felines do to store carcasses.


- Burrowers -

Many types of spiders, as well as worms, are known to settle in what is warm, dark and damp, and the conditions are easily satisfied underground. It is also from these areas, that they like to dig through shallow sand and ash to rise and ambush.

As the wind carries both, and buries these holes over time, it may be difficult to tell if such a nest is in your area. Look for unusual sputterings of ash or sand, that are brought about by kicking legs from beneath, or, if they are a large species, slow your step and feel for small tremors under the earth.

If you have been bit, do not attempt to drain it by mouth but instead wrap it with a wet cloth and elevate it. It is important that the heart is slow, so that the venom does not circulate quickly in the body. Keep the spider, or a piece of it if it is too big, and bring it to a man of medicine. It is advised you heed their words, so that if you are far away from other people, you can take the steps needed to save yourself.

Amputation is a last resort, if you are too far from help to make it in time.

- Canines -

Canines are cowards by themselves, scavengers who hunt only in packs. Hunger can drive them to dare impossible odds and opportunity can provoke them to prey upon the small, like children, halflings and gnomes. You will hear and see them before they attack, howling to one another and acting shy, before they are joined with the pack and attack.

If you are beginning to be surrounded, they can be scared by bright light, and loud noises. A proud posture and a voice filled with anger can ease the nerve of a committed jackal.

It is to be warned, that canines are clever animals and may wait for an opportunity, or seek a blindspot to begin their attack. What one knows, the pack is soon to know.

- Intelligent life -

Intelligent beings, such as ogres, trolls, lizardfolk and humans make noise, the more that are gathered together, amplified by the load they are carrying and any weaponry they may carry with them. They move at the speed of their slowest. They are often wasteful, leaving behind their garbage and waste, or camp sites.

Those that hunt men, will travel as other men do, by road and during sunlight hours. Although it may take you time, you can avoid pursuit by straying from the path, while maintaining the directional bearing of your destination. It is best to travel during the evening, when visibility is low, but your eyes have adjusted to the darkness and you know where best to go.

The greatest danger they pose is not in the obvious of great numbers and cooperation, but small numbers that are agile and capable of giving chase. They will increase their odds from attacking with vertical superiority, distance and with snares, and in a chase, will familiarize themselves with the terrain to split up and box in their target.

They are intelligent and can wait until fatigue sets in, or when it is time to sleep. To best protect against this, consistently change your schedule to make it difficult for them to anticipate an attack. Go to bed at different times, take different paths. It is when your schedule remains the same, that you are at greatest risk of attack.

- The Ash Taken -

There are bodies wreathed in the burning of ash, great in number and in different states of ruin. They are the souls who have been blistered and scattered with ash thrown by a storm, and burn greater with every storm, before finally falling apart and succumbing to brilliant hosts of light. You will know them by the crumbling parts of their bodies they leave behind them, the cinders that linger through the air without kindling to give them life and the bright light that seeps through the cracks of their bodies, or the screaming and groaning that they fill the air with.

Although slow and quickly outpaced, they pose a risk in of their own by being tireless and unstoppable. Their pain has dulled their senses, but not so much that they are oblivious to the world around them. Once encountered, and if they are not destroyed, it is a matter of obstacles between you and them, rather than a matter of distance.

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Health:

Health.

The body wears down in time, and it is important to maintain it before it succumbs to disease and pain.

- Mouth -

To protect from mouth pain, seek tender stemmed plants with firm roots. Mash these roots with a rock until they are flat, then take your sharp object and cut them until they are fanned like a head of a brush. Scrub your teeth with this, to keep away cavities and debris in your gums.

Do not throw away the plants from which you took these roots, because they can dry and be used as kindling, or prepared for rope weaving.

- Hair -

It is advised to run a comb through damp hair frequently, and down to the scalp or chin. This is to dislodge pests such as lice, who will lay eggs and inflict on their host diseases. Do not share headwear and cloths.

- Body -

It is wise to bathe, to prevent lasting illnesses that will creep into sores when they open. As water is to be preserved, it is best to dampen a cloth to rub across the body, then scrub with a coarse surface, such as a rock. This is to shed what sticks to the skin as the day carries on.

When it comes to what you wear, it is best that your things are made wet, then scrubbed with a flat palm of sand, or coarse stone. This is to scrub off what can infect the skin, as well as rid the clothes of fabric stained with the smell of game, so as to protect yourself from pursuing predators.

It is said that the ashfolk of Baz'eel scrub the acid of fruits into clothes, to both give it a better smell, and more deeply purge what lays within the cloth. Sage, grinded down with coarse stone or sand inbetween the cloth, as well.

- Feet -

It is best to wear footwear that is not too small, for the rubbing can wear down skin and open sores. If you wear boots, it is best you wear socks, and change them, as you would bandages. You may wash them the same way you wash other clothes, for repeated use. If you walk along the water often, it is best that you dry them before putting on footwear.

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Tools:

Tools.

Hands are useful, but are made of meat and are doomed to wear as time goes on, and suffer pain. To better serve ourselves, seek rocks. One that is firm and thick for striking, and another that is lighter. To know what you are seeking, tap the thick rock against the other. It will have a distinct "tinking" sound, that sounds as if the sound were traveling through the inside of the rock. For the best results, seek the stones that appears as wax and glass.

Once you have found this, strike the thick rock against the other rock firmly to break off a large, sharp chunk. This you can chip into shape for a consistent sharp edge, for cutting as bladed tool, or for stabbing with a spear tip. You can use this same sharp edge to create a slot into the top of the stick, and fasten it in place with rope you can prepare with plant fiber or hair woven tightly around it.

Tap it gently to break off smaller chunks, which would be of use for ammunition, like arrows.

To keep these sharp, simply rub them through a thin layer of sand sandwiched between rotting wood.

It is also best that you bore a hole into a rock, by slamming the precise end into the face of another thick rock. This will be time intensive, but, one will give way, and when it does, this will be useful for starting a fire.

This rock can cradle another stick. This, combined with a another stick tightly bound with rope, can be dragged across a third flat length of stick to create a small ember. Carefully, you can fit this into kindling, and allow it to settle in. Gentle breath can allow this ember to spread to the rest of the kindling and create fire.

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Navigation:

Navigation.

The invention of the compass has made this much easier, but, in absence of one, or in a place where the earth pulls at metal, and throws the compass arrow into a spin, you can tell the direction by the gathering of hints.

- Observe a crescent moon, and measure from tip to tip. If you are not at the southern edge of The Great Ring, this will form the direction of south.

- Observe puddles, as they are first to dry to the south from the exposure to the sun.

- Observe moss. It grows on all sides, but dry moss is an indicator of more exposure to the sun.

- Observe trees. Many boughed trees, like the sycamore, will have more branches on its south side due to more exposure to the sun. Palm trees bearing coconuts and thick leaves will bend south to absorb more sunlight.

- Observe the stars at night. The polaris star always points north, during the seasons of spring and summer. If you are not at the southern edge of The Great Ring, you can observe it through The Dipping Cup star pattern. From its two edges, look upwards and to the right to spot it. If The Dipping Cup star pattern is not visible, you can look for the pattern of the Bashmukar, that curves like a pronged serpent, or a sideways stretched W from the Common alphabet. The serpent's head is at the bottom, and directly 90 degrees to its head is the polaris star.

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How do you do?

Heard you were putting together a team. How am I to say no?

If you need a marksman, someone who knows how to ride a saddle, read the star patterns and navigate gloom anomalies, I'm your gal.

Risk isn't a factor.

You can leave a letter for me at Hasheema's Hope.

- Isadora.