Tiding 13: Written in Stone

## Content Warnings

Discussion of grief

*"Vassan, Lef. My hope for you both is that you’ll never have to go through this. That we’ll find a home that you’ll never have to leave unless you choose to. When I was younger, I dreamed of one day leaving Ninut. After your grandparents passed, me and your uncle Shu, we spoke about it many times. If Strael hadn't come, we may have left on our own when you were both old enough. But that decision was taken from us."*

 *Show more/less*

*And our flight hasn't really replaced that desire. There's still that part of me that wants to pack up all of our things and leave everything that we've known behind; that longs for that easy way out, for life without all of these inherited burdens. But, in leaving Ninut, we are all of us tied closer together. We are bound by the role that others expect us to play.

 I've spoken before about how much loss we have faced, both in leaving our community behind, and also on our journey. But I've never really spoken about the wounds those losses cause... how much each of them hurts... how it never gets easier, and, how you're never sure with each of them whether this will be the one that fails to heal. I know it's a foolish dream, but I do not want this life for either of you. I wish I could forever shield you both from the pain that grief causes.

 Today I watched Bris hand Kallan the sword of his aunt Ri, whom he lost in the caves. She had been forced from her home twice: first Brisal, then Ninut. Both times, the Remnant she had put her faith in had failed her. When her generation first arrived in the Sharrow, they had hoped to build a better life for us: their children, and their children that came after that. As I watched that story being handed down, I wondered what she would have felt. Would he have felt like she had failed?

 My promise to you both is that I will leave to you a better inheritance. I will leave you a place to call home, so that when you are both grown, you will have homes in which to raise a family; fields to grow the food that you need, and values that you can use to rebuild our community; and I hope that the hardest decision you'll ever have to make is what to call our new home.*"

―An extract from the letters of Jeddah Assum

## Summary

The caravan continues its journey through the grave-strewn landscape of Cenja. They head towards Eulogy, following the trail of a scientist who was seen fleeing Carn Veskl. There an order of monks, devoted to capturing memory and assuaging grief, make their home. But, there is much road still to cover between here and there.
Venz shares his burdens, Bris hears harsh truths, Challa demands Strael’s attention and Belka investigates a grave.

## Synopsis

Venz is gravely injured spiritually and physically, so he pulls Belka aside but struggles to know how to ask for help. Eventually Belka states that he looks terrible, and offers him an arm. Venz asks if anyone in the Parish might be able to tend to his Unravelling. Belka remarks that at his age, he should be looking more at his physical wounds. Venz opens up to Belka about his fears around losing Sharrow, and about Unravelling, and about how things are getting out of his control in a way that hasn't happened to him before. Belka, going through something similar, honorarily welcomes Venz to the Parish. Belka opens a bag of beads and threads one onto some twine, giving it to Venz to carry with him. Venz intimates that he intends to help the community.

Days pass as the caravan travels further into Cenja. Bris comes back from a scouting trip with Kallan and Shu and speaks with Belka, Ayof, Nilkat, Vilte, Jeddah and Korrin, to try and clarify the situation with the caravan and the direction of travel physically and metaphorically. She is keen to keep people moving and put out when Jeddah says there might be some complaints.

Nilkat reprimands her, pointing out that people are still dealing with serious wounds (pointing out Tyal and Polav still nursing Verask. He sympathises with Bris' frustrations, but advises her to be patient and understanding, otherwise people will turn against her. He tells her to sit down and breathe, to notice that there are birds here. He says that he's not able to go back to his home, and the whole reason he had to leave was because he had tried to help make it a better place. He tells Bris that, like it or not, she is going to have to become a leader that people look up to, otherwise the community won't survive. Bris turns back to look at Korrin, then turns her back and walks into the wilderness.

Challa has been trying to communicate with Strael over the last few days, but is only getting the odd image back. Eventually she demands they speak with her. Eventually, that evening, smoke drifts out of her and forms the shape of a weasel; Strael says it is a form it thought she would like. Strael says it is recovering and wants to thank her, stating that she had more choice than she thought when choosing to help it. Challa tries to work out what Strael is really feeling, but instead gives away more about her own uncertainties.

Strael then asks Challa a favour, instructing her to bring Savel and Ailen Yalto to it the following night, and to use Challa as a mouthpiece. Challa is perturbed, and tries to work out what Strael might want with them- but Strael just disappears, leaving the ice-shard-like parts of her eyes feeling intensely cold.

Belka's last few days on the road have been peppered with wounded, exhausted and scared people asking them for help or just venting. Jeddah confides that she didn't mean to speak so sharply with Bris at the last meeting, but also shares her frustration that Bris is refusing to assume any sort of leadership, whereas she, also thrust into that position, is having to just do her best.

Belka has brought soup to Tyal and Polav, who have been spending a lot of time looking after Verask, who is still unconscious. Belka has been telling them children's stories.

Madi, through the medium of them sharing their poetry, confides her loss of her entire community- that she and Kalyn are the last ones left- as well as her discomfort around being out in the open rather than in the caverns she grew up in.

Belka as also been spending a lot of time with Fenrir when Nilkat hasn't been looking after him (Nilkat has been nursing Aachen, who has a wounded leg).

Belka is out examining a heavily-inscribed Voëk tombstone at the centre of a glade, a source of fascination for them (to Belka's culture, writing someone's name down is tantamount to erasing them from existence). Kallan approaches, and sits beside them at the stone. Belka wonders whether it would be possible to make a palm-sized version of such an obelisk, concluding that it would be so small as to only hold 'the important bits'. They paint a few symbols onto a small rock with their finger. Kallan starts carving at the rock, wondering aloud how they made it out of the caves. His eyes scan up to a ridge, where two figures are standing, and reaches for his spear.

## Game Mechanics

* Belka rolls 10 in Sad with Soothing Way to help heal Venz. *Clears two trauma points; question from Read Person: What are their intentions?*
* Belka gains a Bond on Venz for healing him
* Challa spends a Bond on Strael to use Demand Action so Strael will talk to her
* Challa rolls 6 in Peaceful with Read Person to find out what Strael is really thinking (Fail - mark XP). Strael instead gets to 'read person' on Challa
* Strael uses its Bond on Challa to instruct her to bring it Savel and Ailen and use her as a mouthpiece
* Challa rolls 5 in Scared with Read Person to find out what Strael's intentions are with Savel and Ailen (Fail - mark XP).
* Belka rolls 6 in Joyful with Read Person to understand Kallan's feelings (Fail- Mark XP)

## Plot Notes

**Warning! There may be spoilers ahead!**

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