Tiding 04: The Paths We Choose

## Content Warnings

Mind control and loss of self, small dark spaces

*"It is strange to be somewhere so familiar and yet find it so unwell. The space below ground is no stranger to me. I have heard poetry humming in the warmth of the earth; I have heard old songs that still sing in the soil... and it is there, deep below where the start of all things slumbers, that you can feel the echoes as new thoughts form into new things.
 We should have heeded more its silence."*

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*Even the world itself can catch a sickness, once the wound has festered, hidden, for too long. I wonder now, of course- how did I not feel the fever burning in its caverns. How I could not see the threads of fate there, cut and twisted out of shape? Perhaps with more attention, we could have spared Ninut that struggle, that brutal second birth.
 And yet, there were so many other ways to leave the Sharrow. They are easier and faster, most of them well-known. There are less fearful roads to take, and there are... well, there are other ways that others took to escape their people's suffering.
 And yet Carn Veskl called us, like a beacon; pulled us deep into its wounds and I think perhaps... perhaps we were meant to be there, though we did not know it then, and it would feel for so long like a mistake. Perhaps we were brought below to see what must be done? We had to see. Perhaps the world knew, even then. It needed tending.*"

―Belka

## Summary

The scouting party reaches Carn Veskl's caves and, inside them, find an unexpected presence. Venz, after his encounter with the eagle, decides to take a different path. In the forest below the mountain the storm catches up and Challa tries to guide the stragglers back to the caravan's relative safety. Challa leads a dance, Venz flies a kite, Bris takes us below and Belka knocks hello.

## Synopsis

Venz wakes, supported on each side by Belka and Shu. Ahead are Kallan and Bris, working together to string two lengths of rope across the cavern; behind is the advancing storm. Sharrow's last words still echo: "I'm dying, tend to me". Taking his bearings, he thanks Belka and Shu for helping him, and stays sitting. Shu asks him if he's alright, and Venz replies that he's just tired. Shu, having seen Venz lose consciousness due to casting a Weaving spell, says nothing but hands him water and goes to help the others. Belka is crouched directly in front of Venz, staring at him.

Bris and Kallan have finished the rope bridge, and Bris makes her way back across the chasm. As she arrives, she sees Shu and Kallan nod to one another in a professional, awkward manner. Bris asks if Shu and Venz found a better way up, and Shu reports back about their encounter with the eagle. Bris suggests that Shu stay at the bridge to babysit Belka and Venz while she and Kallan head over the chasm to the caves. When he doesn't seem very keen, she asks if he'd rather be left alone with Kallan, at which he shrugs awkwardly. As soon as Bris and Shu Kallan have gone, Belka follows them. As they take a small jump to finish the crossing, one of the chains on their horns snag on the rope. Bris and Kallan, hearing: bells, a thump, and a swearword in a foreign language, surmise that Belka has got into trouble, and run back to help disentangle them from the rope bridge and pull them up the cliff face. Bris reprimands Belka, but they pointedly continue to remain part of Bris' party.

Challa, meanwhile, is lost in the storm with Ayof, Savel, Ven, Venren, Ailen, and Korrin; Iene is still nowhere to be seen. following the loud scream that silenced it for a moment, the storm has renewed its laughter. Challa, crying slightly with fear, is holding the hands of Savel and Korrin, who has the hand of Venren. Ayof is holding the hands of Ailen and Ven. Visibility is effectively nothing, and the snow swirls. The sound around them is oddly layered and distorted, with the wind overlaying a yawning silence, overlaying the laughter, overlaying the scream; the layers twist into one another. The group is following the trail of the caravan- dropped items and so on, until suddenly the trail disappears and Ayof stops. He asks which way they should go- they are surrounded by trees. Challa suggests heading towards the mountains, as she knows the caravan was due to turn that way soon after she left.

As they walk on, the storm seems to abate slightly, and they gain confidence. Suddenly, Challa hears Korrin scream and squeeze her hand. He waves his empty right hand at her, which appears to have scratch wounds down it. Venren is no longer holding him, and Korrin exclaims that she bit him and ran. Challa sees Venren retreating in a different direction from Ayof's group, and chooses to go and find Venren rather than keep up with Ayof. Venren is dancing happily by a koak tree, and has taken off their jacket. Challa asks Savel hesitantly if something like this happens often to Venren, only to see an unnaturally wide grin appearing on his lips as he removes his veil and lets go of her hand to join Venren in the dance.

Challa turns to Korrin, hoping the same isn't happening to him. His eyes are shut tight, and he appears to be fighting the urge that Challa can feel too: a pervasive joyfulness running through her being. She tells Korrin to trust her, and moves to join the dance with the others. Holding on to the feeling of how annoyed she is with the situation, she dances, grabbing Venren and Savel's hands. Shouting to Korrin that they're going to run, she dances, laughing and skipping, back to everyone else. Challa's group reaches Ayof, who is sitting on a tree stump with his head in his hands. In front of him, Ven and Ailen are dancing with each other, holding hands.

Venz heads over to Shu once the others have gone. Shu immediately asks what happened with the eagle. Venz tries to act ignorant, but when Shu presses him, saying he knows what Venz did and asks who he really is, Venz says simply that he's here to help Shu and his people, by channelling the protection of the Sharrow. Shu argues back that Sharrow has turned it back on Ninut, and that it was Venz who did all the protecting, at which Venz repeats that he merely channelled Sharrow. He admits that he's a Weaver, and convinces Shu to come with him to see the Sharrow and help it. Venz places his hand on Shu's chest (where Shu has a spirit-bead) and Weaves an ever-flying bird-shaped, feathery kite as a beacon for the caravan while they're gone looking for Sharrow.

As Venz channels the spirit from the bead through himself into the kite, he feels immense resignation; the feeling of having made peace with a tough decision. He sees the room in Etrys (that Challa broke into) with five or six people, from the eyes of someone lying on a surface. They are holding someone's hand as someone else stands over them, and a part of their soul is removed from them and contained in the orb. Back in the present, the orb goes white and Venz Unravels a little. The Sharrow can feel that Venz has used his powers to help the village instead of it. Venz and Shu head northwards, skirting around the mountain.

Bris, Belka, and Kallan are at the cave entrance, which is large enough for a person to enter. Bris lights a torch and enters, lifting her veil. The tunnel remains narrow for the first few minutes, twisting and turning. Belka and Kallan follow, Belka's horns jangling and scraping on the close walls. An irritated Bris asks if Belka can muffle their bells, and gets a long, frosty silence in return- but they do wrap a scarf around their horns. Further into the cave, the group is forced to head down and to the right, where they can see a dim, pale green glow. Bris asks the others if this seems normal, but the consensus seems to be that caves are strange in general. Kallan references the strange mushroom caves (including one with bones) that 'a kid' (i.e. Challa) found previously. Bris remarks that those mushrooms are likely what poisoned Vilte.

Further down the tunnel, they come to a wooden barricade through which the green light glows, preventing further progress. Belka immediately knocks on the planks before Bris can stop them. Bris pulls them back around the corner and they argue about whether to go forward. The knock echoes through the tunnels. Bris listens, and hears the sound of somebody behind the barricade dropping an object and shuffling away. The group hastily tries to decide whether and how to make contact with the inhabitants, unsure if they are dangerous. Bris calls through the planks, giving her name and saying that they are looking for shelter for their community.
A pair of hazel eyes show at the planks, and someone asks who they are. Bris introduces Belka and Kallan, and the voice seems very interested in what kind of stories 'the storyteller' can tell. Belka gets out various stones and string from their scarf, and notes that they also use words sometimes, and dance and occasionally song. The stranger says they are also a storyteller, and that Belka should tell them one of theirs, if they are who they say they are.

## Quotes

**Shu**: "What was that? Back there, what was that?"
**Venz**: "What was what?"
**Shu**: "Whatever you did with the eagle!"
**Venz**: "Barely escaped. I didn't do anything with the eagle."
**Shu**: "Was- was- was that Weaving? Who are you?"
**Venz**: "You know who I am, I'm Venz. Clearly the Sharrow was looking over us both there."
**Shu**: "I know what you did."
**Venz**: "Well if you know, why are you still asking questions?"
**Shu**: "Because I want to know how you did it. What- Who are you, why are you here, what-"
**Venz**: "Shu... If anything, know that I'm here to help."

―*Shu confronts Venz about his apparent spellcasting (Weaving).*
## Game Mechanics

* Belka rolls 4 in Joyful (they are excited) with Tempt Fate to cross the rope bridge. (Fail- mark XP)
* Challa rolls 9 in Scared with Tempt Fate to find the right way to head after getting lost in the storm
* Challa rolls 7 in Mad with Pack Leader to convince Savel and Venren to stop dancing and come back to the group
* Venz rolls 8 in Scared with Manipulate to convince Shu to go with him to Sharrow
* Venz rolls 7 in Joyful with Weave A Spell to Weave a kite to use as a beacon for the caravan to lead them to the caves
* Venz Unravels after casting the spell, causing him to act against his own best interests
* Bris rolls 7 in Mad with Pay Attention to the World Around You to listen for an answering knock in the cave
* Bris rolls 8 in Scared with Manipulate to ask the cave inhabitants for help

## Notes

### Plot Notes

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

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