Tiding 12: Murmurations

## Content Warnings

*"Dear Cast,*

*I found your book. Rowl, one of the Jackals I mentioned, left it in the remains of their camp on the Sharrow. It's an incredible thing; I recognise so much of my home in it, even a few things that I didn’t even know. I’d been planning to keep it, but since you’re still around, I thought you might like it back. I hope you continue to work on it, though. I fear that the land we both know is lost with the Sharrow’s death. The book is a fitting tribute."*

 *Show more/less*

*If you plan to continue working on it and if you would indulge me, I would be glad to offer my perspective. There are of course a few changes I'd make, such as your descriptions of the Veilwing's nesting habits: I've seen them building their nests much further north than you describe. Or, in your descriptions of the rituals and celebrations of the people that live here. I bow to your wisdom on the Mishijks, but others, like Ninut, who still keep their old, strange ways? I can definitely help you describe those. When you're ready to talk more about your book, I do have several more comments to add.*

 *I am glad you're still around.*"

―Venz

## Summary

Having decided to head East the survivors of Carn Veskl gather their belongings. Soon they’ll climb the steep path out of the valley into Cenja, a territory devoted to mourning. A forested landscape dotted with graves, tombs and graves from a thousand cultures; where fruit grows bland and grief lingers like a thick fog. As the caravan prepares to leave there are a few moments – to heal wounds, to make plans, to catch-up with old friends. Venz returns a book, Belka reunites with Vilte, Bris shares unwelcome wisdom and Challa sees a bird.

## Synopsis

The group is preparing to travel two weeks east to Cenja.

Challa is alone amongst the huge tree roots, struggling to process everything that has happened. Korrin comes to find her, and asks is she's OK, noticing she is withdrawn and that her irises have taken on an ice-shard quality. He reassures her that he is here to help her, as she helped him when his mother was killed. Challa says she doesn't know how to cope with losing so many people despite everyone's efforts including her own. She admits that Strael is still with her, and Korrin touches her cheek looking again at her eyes, wondering what consequences there might be. He hugs her and holds her hands as she just cries. After a while, they decide to climb the tree roots that intertwine with the canyon wall, stopping and sitting halfway up around where branches start to form.

Challa wonders whom to talk to about Strael without scaring people. Korrin suggests Vilte, but Challa doesn't know her very well and worries that Vilte might see her as a problem. Korrin also suggests Kallan, as he also encountered Strael months ago, and Venz, who is a Snarl and knows about Remnants. Challa also considers Ayof, but worries he would not be sympathetic.

As they climb down, one of the branches shakes and the leaves explode off the tree, turning into small fluttering green birds with dangling tendrils (for attaching to the trees), which fly out across the canyon and into the Irravence forest. Korrin cheers, and Bris sees him several metres up the cliff. Looking up, these re the first birds the community has seen in months and it brings hope.

Cast is leaning against some rocks, Lief laid at his feet, waiting for Venz, his old friend.
Venz has seen ghosts and spirits before, but never a spirit so corporeal- and not after having to bury the body either, so he is cautious around him. cast muses that the last time they met was in Mishijk, when dealing with an issue with Lief. Cast strokes Lief, but his foot goes slightly through him. When Venz asks him how he ended up here, he replies that he hadn't expected Sharrow to go down so quickly, and didn't want Lief to have to cope on his own. Venz admits that he, too, has just been pushed this way by recent events, and Cast worries that now Venz has lost Sharrow, he's no longer grounded to anything.

Venz asks Cast what really happened to him- how he died and how he's here now. Cast now knows that Venz was in his house and saw his mangled body. Venz says he buried him, and Cast is grateful. He asks whether Venz saw a book there, and Venz hands over Cast's life's work, the book "A Guide to Carn Veskl Flora and Fauna". Venz asks if he's on his second life now, and Cast replies that he made a promise to the Sharrow to look after Lief as long as he needs protecting. Venz reaches to clasp his shoulder, but his hand starts to go through him.

Vilte is still sat on the ground against a rock where the meeting took place, looking frail and less vibrant than previously. Belka shuffles over and Vilte smiles. Belka takes Vilte's face in their hands and examines her, finally pronouncing that she looks terrible. Vilte apologises for putting everyone in danger, for taking the poison without telling the Parish, and for not knowing enough about the threat to properly warn people. Belka lightly reprimands Vilte, then more genuinely asks how she feels. Vilte says she is feeling alright, but very tired. Vilte remarks that Belka has been up to a lot since she fell asleep, and Belka shows her their vine-mangled arm almost proudly; Vilte remarks that it will scar well, telling a story. Vilte thanks Belka for helping the caravan come to a decision about their direction, even if there's no guarantee it's the right one.

Vilte cautions Belka that defeating Corpus will be the hardest thing they have ever done, and that if they cannot convince the caravan to follow them further, Corpus will consume them. Belka assures Vilte that they will try until there is nothing of them left to consume.

Later, everyone is starting to move, walking along a narrow winding path towards Cenja. Bris catches up with Challa and Korrin, who are holding hands and chatting. Bris lets them know she's going to go and scout ahead, and offers him to come with her. Korrin asks if Challa can come, and Bris concedes. Korrin is quite excitable and starts running with Challa ahead.

Bris catches up, reprimands him for running off, and explains that she needs to keep him safe from the dangers around in the world. She states she can teach him how to recognise dangers, including things that are beautiful but can also kill such as the canyon. Korrin immediately starts crying, as his mother Aya died by falling into a canyon. Bris becomes flustered, nervously clasping his shoulder, and sobs that she didn't manage to keep Aya safe.

Korrin asks why Bris can't teach him to look after himself, and Bris replies that her way of life is inevitably a short one. Her job leads her to dangerous people such as the Jackals, who make bad things happen on puropse. She instructs him to run away if he meets people like that rather than trying to fight them. As far as Challa can see, Bris has never been there, has never helped, and there is danger everywhere.

The caravan passes into Cenja. Where the Sharrow is windy and a bit cold, there is a sudden change to a hallowed, still air. There is a mixture of trees and graves. They vary between ordinary gravestones to huge stone columns marked on their sides with thousands of stories about the person inside. Ribbons float from trees, and tapestries have been buried. Skeletons have been picked clean and left as a memorial. Creeping greenery has sprouted up, burying and insinuating itself amongst the monuments. The trees are tall. Members of the caravan are thinking about what tribute might be offered to the Remnant of this territory.

Bris asks Korrin to tell her what he can see, as an introduction to scouting. He describes how it's cold here in a different way to the Sharrow, and how there are 'more' here. When Bris enquires as to more of *what*, exactly, Korrin replies that the air is thicker with spirits, touching everything. He can see it in all of the trees. Looking harder at one of the trees, he says he can see someone in there, and starts to walk towards it. Bris sharply calls him back, confused, and explains that she meant things like thick tree trunks meaning nearby groundwater and therefore a possible drinking source. That in turn means there will probably be edible fruit and animals to hunt. Korrin is immediately enthused about hunting and adding butchery techniques to the cookbook.

Challa notices that Strael feels different in this territory, as if it is trying to push its ideals outwards against the incumbent Remnant, Duier. She feels a hit of warm, nostalgic grief about Ninut. She reaches out to Strael to see if it is alright, and receives an image of a large rock standing in the rush of a river.

Venz and Belka reach the crest of the hill that Bris, Challa and Korrin are on, looking forwards into Cenja and wondering how to deal with something as terrifying as Corpus that advances behind them.

## Quotes

**Venz**: "Losing the Sharrow was tough, and I still don't really know what to do next, you know?"
**Cast**: "Strikes me that you spend your whole life grounded to something. Now that's gone and, well, people like me, if we're lucky, we find something to be grounded to. A lover, a place... maybe even a pet like Lief. But people like you, you're always tethered. Maybe you just have to cope without that for a while."

―*Cast and Venz muse on loss*
## Game Mechanics

* Venz rolls 8 in Peaceful with Manipulate to find out what happened to Cast. *You owe them tribute; you are going to need to give them something upfront*
* Venz gains a Bond on Cast for burying his body
* Bris rolls 8 in Scared with The Guardian to see if Korrin wants to accompany her (1 hold)
* Bris spends the hold on Korrin to make it so Korrin will run from a Jackal in future.

## Trivia

The part of Cenja described in this episode is inspired by Abney Park Cemetery in London.

## Plot Notes

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

*These Flimsy Rituals is distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA license. This wiki contains excerpts of scripted text and official shownotes, and is considered to be under the same license. Official artwork is not to be used on this wiki. Fanart pieces are distributed under licenses determined by the artist- please check the caption or alt-text.*