Thread: [CLOSED] Pulp Inc. Presents: Thrilling Tales of the New Continent! [Deante & Lasciel]

The jungle canopy was at least thick enough that Siona was rarely in direct sunlight except when they wen talong the beach. There were occasional breaks in the treetops, and when there were, the ground vegetation was thicker. Sunlight was a precious resource to the plant-life. Rain though was far more plentiful, and the two breif showers did help keep her cool. Only until after they departed the riverbanks did Siona remember that Kanjalli would accept a simple prayer in exchange for a drink of water. Damn. The warriors certainly kept their attention on Razel and Garrin, more the former than the latter, who seemed the most physically intimidating. As well as the scars certainly drew respectful looks. The eyes of everyone else seemed to follow Siona, and to a lesser extent Cesarin, than the other two companions. Omani had noticed this as they moved through the village, murmuring in an aside, Few things have the color of your fur. It is pretty. True, the cats had white down their front, but certainly an all-white pelt would make anything so very vulnerable here in the abundance of greens and browns. Once he'd taken in the unfamiliar people and the village's sights, Cesarin's eyes seemed to wander between the comely ladies and the fit men, which was on par with his lack of discriminatory tastes aboard the HMS Horizon Skipper . Razel noticed then that the spears they held were not tipped in metal, but some slices of a glittery black stone held tight between layers of wood. I am Dorandi, chief among my people here, said the older man, and this is Parani, our Speaker to Kanjalli. She incliend her head to Siona. At Parani's side were two younger women, bedecked in similar equipment, suggesting that perhaps the spellcasting was a female tradition, or a family one? Or something similar. Let us sit, he suggested. Which was a wise choice everyone standing around had an air of tension. Let us trade questions, Dorandi suggested. One for one. The mention of strange occurances immediately grabbed the two leaders' attentions. What have you encountered? asked Parani. The explanation got a knowing look from the gathered cats. A crocatta. The word did not seem to fit the ocelots' naming habits. It changes shape, and once it has lured someone alone, it drinks their blood and water. Had its trick worked, you would have lived, but were there more than one, or if you tried to fight rather than submit, you likely would not have lived. They are cowards, too fearful and weak against more than one prey. As well, had your warrior called out to you, the spell likely would have been broken it has only a weak snare of the mind. Had Razel not shown up, Siona's spell had scared the hell out of it, but if she had resisted more physically or called for help... A certainly chilling thought. Parani added, They often do not come as far as to reach us, let alone to the sea. News of your people's arrival must have traveled on the rain to even the things that do not have tribes. The colonly then wouldn't be protected by being unknown to the area's threats. Then Dorandi raised his voice and said jovially, I think that there are many tasks going undone, hey? Which seemed to get a lot of the non-essential villagers looking chagrined and reluctantly moving to their own business. Still some lingered, and it seemed the two women at the cookpots realized that at least one part of breakfast was overcooking. Cesarin took point, and showed his sketchbook. We are hoping to draw the area, so that we can train guides easier. I would love to be told about features surrounding here, landmarks and important places. But that would slow down this exchange I think could I maybe take one of your hunters or guides aside? That is fair, and in exchange, we will ask two questions then. Dorandi murmured to one of the warriors behind him, who went and hailed a fit, seasoned woman who went aside with Cesarin to chat in low tones, regularly pointing at the book. The raccoon flipped pages, as he was keeping several different versions of the map, and made hasty notes. What is it your people seek to find here? Dorandi asked. And, when Siona responded more carefully and politically, he smiled and said nothing. He then got to the real question Do you think they will make war? Interesting that he had phrased it in a way to not put Siona as responsible, as part of it. She got the sense that if she said 'yes', he would not have gotten hostile with her . If there is conflict amonng our neighbors here, we solve it with sport and contest, because allies are few and precious, especially those that do not require payment in return. Parani gave him a look , one he did not acknowledge. By the time it was Siona's turn again, breakfast was done. It seemed to be a village affair, with folks lining up and getting bowls poured from the same pots. The group was invited to join, but most villagers sat nearby, which Dorandi couldn't really say anything about. It was a good segue to ask about food and water. Parani pointed to the food that was being served a mashed yam-like root seemed to be the main course, worked into what amounte dto a brothy soup or stew, sweetened with more waterbelly juice. But there was other kinds of fruit, pulped until it formed a jelly, which was thankfully ladeled on fairly bitter leaves. The leaves were supposedly to keep them healthy, and drive off pesky biting. Siona didn't have time to investigate, but she suspected the leaves had lots of essential dietary elements that the other vegetables and fruit didn't have, or perhaps had something to help fortify against disease, and the smell likely carried in the sweat worked as a natural insect repellant. We will show you what else we eat, later, Parani said. Cesarin was being educated in places of water, and liekly in handling any spirits that might get uppity. Their next question was about the types of goods the colony would likely offer in trade. Dorandi didn't seem as invested in the question as he could've been, but explained that trade was generally done by one or two individuals from each village who traveled in a circuit, hitting the nearby tribes and returning. Terribly inefficient. A few times a year there would be gatherings that effectively created a sort of market environment, as there was no centralized location. Parani seemed most interested in talk of medicine and spells, and one of Drandi's men nudged the chief, to which Dorandi asked about weaponry. When Siona asked about locals, Parani cleared her throat. Do you have any other pressing questions, my chief? No? Then I can handle the rest, if you like. Dorandi took the hint, and politely withdrew after saying he would see them before they left. With that, he and his retinue found other matters to address. When they left, the woman turned to Siona. Either you would ask, or I would have to tell you, about something iportant and yet taboo. While it is taken as seriously by me as it is by all others, I am not as...frightened and protective. Yet she doesn't explain, right away. There are four, five other villages of people like us, ocelots. While Cesarin had the actual map, they did their best with fingers in the dirt. It seemed that this village was the closest to the colony, but one was a day's travel above their base camp. Then there are the Scaled. From the description, they were lizards, who lived half a day's travel to the coloy's right, further up the coast. The land there turned more wet, more swampy. They are a very cautious people, quiet and slow, and when they speak you listen. Further inland, even further than the ocelot villages, there were was another species of cat. Bigger, broader, with whirly spots. These are the Guar. They are great warriors, and like to be left alone. And I say that they keep eachother at the length of an arm, too. They do not live like we do, but more like... She made a grid of dots in the dirt. Territorial, but close enough they can protect one another. Beyond them... I have not met anything else. Only our Watchers have seen other races. There are people who look like your Cesarin--that ringed tail, but with taller ears, more slender. Tree runners. The word I have heard them called are cacomistle. Again, not a word that she would have heard from the cats. There were also apparently snakes, somewhere. The interaction anyone ever had was at the point of something sharp, and they liked raids. Only the guar and one of our furthest villages have fought with them, though the Scales have an old, old grudge. I do not know much about it. Once more it seemed as though the land grew more dangerous as one ventured further inwards, as though it were in layers, and the various people only going along certain layers. For her part, Parani wanted to know words . One of her assistants fetched two clay tablets, and they wrote down phonetically the essential words in the language Siona spoke. Like Ulchark yes no stop and other important things that could be fumbled with in short order. The magic you use to speak to us would be a great boon, but I will not be there for every interaction, as neither will you, she explained. The assistants she explaind hwere her apprentices. It did seem that magic was reserved for those of her role of advisor, healer, and consort to Kanjalli. When the question of the mative fauna, magical and otherwise came up, Parani smiled. Let us go see about food, hm? She rose, sending her assistants off to collect medicines, while she walked with the group. The riverbank was nearby, and there the village had several trellaces with beans and vine-grown fruit, as well as a squash-like vegetable, and chilles, which Siona had no reference for. There are also some peppers, but most of us do not like those. The guar have a lot more variety. The village also had a few coops of barely-tamed birds. We mostly eat the eggs, as the hunters bring plenty of bird-meat. Snares caught lizards and rodents, Kanjalli had fish and eels. Digging tide pools and letting the sea bring you crab and other things was also very easy. Why the colony hadn't thought of that was beiond Siona. Honey also existed, but the village had not yet learned how to domesticate hives, so honey was a rare thing that had to be collected by smoking out a wild hive and being quick. The jungle had boar, but boar were just too tough to kill. Monkeys were edible, but they avoided them. Siona. Cesarin trotted up to her. Let me show you something, he said, smiling, but indicated with a tilt of his head for her to step away. When she did, he opened his book. To the left of Kanjali's left branch on the h there was a mark. He tapped it, and said quietly, This is where our first colonly landed. Then he pointed up, high up, where no marks were on his page. I also get the hint there's something really important, incredibly big, and very taboo, up here. Both topics had my friend being more nervous than a thief in court. There's also a ruined temple here, he indicated, above and to the left of the first colony site. Scary, nasty place, apparently.