"We are learning though. But not as fast as we should be."
"There is much we do not understand about you humans. We do not know how many tribes you have, or how they behave towards each other. Our magic is stronger than yours, but we do not know how much. We do not know your beliefs, or your morals."
0
huma
10
"A very simple, highly magical ritual we have modified you you can take part in it. It will mark you so that you can travel in our lands free from attack."
0
ritu@welc
10
"Alas, to some this is a radical, foolish view."
"Some say peace is impossible, since humans took our leader's souls and killed their guards, but I want peace with the humans not responsible. Just because some of you may be evil doesn't mean you all are."
0
peac@stru
10
"If you stole our crystal souls, it is what you deserve. It would be justice. But if not, it would be a great crime."
"The Council, our overly hasty rulers, created the barriers that choke your lands. They even now prepare disease spells, which will ravage and decay your people, and enormous shockwaves, which will bury them is giant cave-ins."
0
magi@awes
10
"For this gift, you must perform the Ritual of Welcoming. Go to the Chamber of Meditations to do so."
"The Council, rulers of our tribe, sits in Olgai. We have found a way to get them to see you. Go speak with Iglit about it. We also can make you a guest of the Vahnatai, enabling you to travel our lands safely. It also enables you to speak our tongue."
0
prep@gift
10
"Their magics are awesome. If your people are not to die, you must prepare. We have gifts for you."
"I believe there may be many types of humans, with many beliefs, and using our magics to destroy all of you is, for now, wrong. If we could get the Council of Three to question you, then the truth could be known, and we could act with wisdom."
0
coun@scri
10
"It is because of this that I had you come here. You must go to the Council to be scried."
"When we ended the resting, we rebuilt the home of the souls of our greatest Bok's. Not long after, three were stolen, the guards slain by human weapons!" He quivers with anger. "This taught us of humans, and it was then the Council called for your doom."
0
stol@thef
10
"To have stolen them is one of the greatest crimes against us one can commit."
"Not soul crystals, Crystal Souls. It is not a crystal with a soul inside it, it is a soul taking crystal form. A soul of an honored leader, a Bok, staying with us in physical form to provide comfort and guidance. They are our race's greatest prize."
0
crys@soul
10
"When this happened, we discovered a horrible theft. Three of the crystal souls were gone!"
"Ah, yes. Every millenium or so, despite our best efforts, we Vahnatai use up the food in the caves. When this happens, we are able to magically hibernate, to give everything time to recuperate. We only just woke from our last Resting a year ago."
0
rest@awok
10
"After the Resting, when we found of the theft and learned of your people, we all had to learn so much so fast. Some, on how to attack, some on how to talk to you."
0
work@tong
10
He smiles and shakes his head. "Oh, so much work. Learning your tongue, learning of your people, struggling for peace. It is all so hard, after the theft."
He moves up to you. The amazing density of wrinkles in his gray skins betrays him and ancient, but he is quite quick and nimble. "I am Bon-Ihrno, and I gratefully welcome you. Welcome to the land of the Vahnatai."
You approach an ancient Vahnatai, who stands under an unusually tall cavewood tree. He stands with eyes closed, swaying slightly. When you approach, however, he stops and turns to you. You recognize him as the Vahnatai you saw in Formello.
0
stnd
10
50
He grabs the money and stores it in a pocket in his wrap. "Me find scroll! Magic! Hidden in rubble behind me house in southwest! Good magic!"
"Money for me! No fifty, no secret from me!"
10
secr
9
"Tekore-Tel our leader, be tell me to be working and food making, as it me duty. But me do more work, and me should get more. Fair, yes yes? Me!"
0
work@teko
9
"Me tell secret for only 50 gold things, yes? Fair for me so hard working, yes?"
"All us being waked, but me only food maker, and work and work and not get full pay for it." He looks around slyly. "So when me find secret, me deserve it be mine and not to Tekora-Tel go, yes, yes?"
0
food@awak
9
White mushrooms.
6
3
11
purch
9
"Me make food. Only me awake now, to make food for lots. Much work. But food you to buy, if want."
He stands up straight and straightens his wrap. "Me Bott. Why you come here?"
A farmer tends long, awkwardly bent rows of mushrooms. His gray skin is creased and pale, and his back is heavily bent. He wears the standard luminescent Vahnatai wrap, but it is creased and dirty.
0
stnd
9
""
105
numb@enou
8
"To see Council, must do right number. They demand you do enough."
She looks angry that you asked. "Yes. I must telling you of three tests. They are all south and southeast, of Strength, Speed, and Mind. When in it, one of you only can entering and pass through. Are dangerous."
0
test
8
"Yes. Peace." She spits out the word as if it was made of poison.
0
peac
8
She smiles grimly. "I said not things about humans stealing." Her voice suddenly turns bitter. "To say humans stealing is interfere with peace. That would be wrong."
0
huma@stea
8
The pale gray of her face darkens slightly. "I am supposed to be helping to you." Her English is slow and awkward. "I am must being acting like you weren't stealing."
She watches you carefully, almost seeming to hope for an excuse to rip you apart. "I am Forla-Te, commander of Avit."
This female Vahnatai is formidably armed. Wickedly pointed razordisks are strapped across her chest, and a heavy, two-handed waveblade is strapped across her back. And, very unfortunately, she isn't at all happy to see you.
0
stnd
8
His lack of response is total.
0
gnrc
7
He says nothing. His chest barely moves. His eyes stay closed. The Vahnatai must be incredibly deep sleepers.
You get no response.
A Vahnatai warrior rests on his delicate bed. These beings must be amazingly light, for such fragile contraptions to support them. His eyes are closed and his arms cross his chest.
0
stnd
7
She returns to scanning Avit's surroundings with fresh enthusiasm.
"Hydras are big and strong, but clumsy and dumb. The real danger is the chitrach. If we don't keep careful watch, a swarm of them could easily destroy this whole village. You don't have many of the foul creatures in your land. You are lucky."
0
hydr@chit
6
"We are rebuilding our cities, brick by brick and home by home. It will take much more than the chitrach to stop us."
0
recl@home
6
"The hydras and chitrachs haven't yet learned that we are reclaiming our home. Just a few of them can do great damage, if we don't prevent them."
0
guar@atta
6
"I'm one of the too few guards for Avit. We have to keep a constant watch for attackers."
"I am called Stal. In your tongue, it means 'swift'."
A Vahnatai warrior sits warming herself at the fire. She often turns to look for creatures approaching the town.
0
stnd
6
"Our weaponsmiths curve the blades to show their skill - the finer the curves, the greater the smith. Sometimes I'm not sure it is wise - a fine wave blade takes long to make."
0
swor@inel
5
"Our weapons are so different from yours. I would like to learn to use one of your swords one day, even though they are so inelegant."
0
blad@disk
5
"We're here to defend Avit, with blade and disk."
She stands and says "Welcome to our circle. I am Azik." Having introduced herself, she sits again.
A Vahnatai warrior sits here, absorbing the heat from the fire. As you approach, she looks at your weapons with great interest.
0
stnd
5
He looks up at you. "I shouldn't say. It is not my job to question Bon-Ihrno's precious peace. Go talk to him."
0
huma@theft
4
"I have thrown these since I could stand. I can take the tip off a stalagmite at the limits of sight. The Gods help you humans if you are guilty of the theft."
0
disk@razo
4
He holds the razordisk out for a moment, then goes back to sharpening it.
He doesn't look up at you. "I am Keripa, human."
A Vahnatai sits by the fire, carefully and quietly running a stone around the edge of a razordisk.
0
stnd
4
"Quiet."
0
gnrc
3
"We take turns listening. More useful than sight. Don't talk to me, human."
0
sear
3
"Quiet. I'm searching."
He whispers, so that you can barely hear, "Aif."
A Vahnatai warrior, wave blade at the ready, sits staring into the fire. His head is cocked, as if he's listening to something far away.
0
stnd
3
"She is not happy about the bringing of humans here, but, unlike some, she sees the wisdom of the Ponders."
"There are three tests. They are used to earn position in our tribe, and to redeem those who we find to be crimes." She pauses, not sure if she used the right word. "Go ask Forla-Te about the tests. She will help you."
0
test
2
"It is clever, and tricky. But if you pass through the tests, you may see the council, and they may see sanity."
"A full member of our tribe may always see the council. A not-member of the tribe may become a full member by going through the tests. We have argued that nothing in the laws say a not-member has to be Vahnatai, so you may join us by being tested."
0
refu@tric
2
"Right now, they unwisely refuse to see you, saying you are not of us. But I thought of a trick."
"Our Vahnatai Council has started to attack you humans, by putting up magic barriers. We feel this attack is hasty and may be at the wrong humans, so we want to bring you before the council for questioning. You are the first humans we have brought here."
0
huma
2
"It is a rough translation of our word for it to your language. A Ponder is a person who watches and advises. The advice need not be taken, but very often should be."
0
pond
2
"I am a Ponder. And right now, I am pondering the problem of the humans."
She nods. "I am Iglit, a Ponder of the Vahnatai people."
A Vahnatai woman paces the half-done streets of this city, seemingly lost in thought. She wears the long, billowing, slightly fluorescent wrap typical of the Vahnatai. When you approach, she stops concentrating and turns to you.
0
stnd
2
"The ritual is performed. You are marked, and we will all see that you are welcomed by our people. Be warned - if you perform evil among us, this will not save you from our wrath."
"The ritual is skimming your fingers in a caress across all the waters, going from darkest hue to lightest, as you are now going from the dark of being outside us to the light of our acceptance." He nods to the pools, as if motioning you over to them.
9
1
ritu@teac
1
"I can teach you how to do this ritual, so others may see that you are welcomed in our land."
"For you. I wait here, and keep the pools prepared for you. There is a Vahnatai ritual that we have made able for you to be performing. It is our Ritual of Welcoming, which we use to mark those from other tribes as being our guests."
0
wait
1
"She should be near. She has given much thought to your coming. You should speak with her."
0
mate@igli
1
"I am blessed to be a Ponder. I, and my mate Iglit. A Ponder does thinking and watching, and guides the people without bias. "
0
pond
1
"I am a Ponder. And I wait." As he speaks, his eyes continue to face perfectly forward. His mouth barely moves. The rest of him is perfectly still. It is very eerie.
He opens his eyes, revealing the usual, unsettling pure white eyes. He continues to look at the pools. "I am Sera."
On the floor before you, a Vahnatai male sits cross-legged on a prayer mat. His position and long, spindly legs give him the appearance of some strange, gray-skinned insect.
0
stnd
1
"As for me..." She indicates the papers before her. "I must be back to my planning construction."
"We feared you would not, or could not make the journey. But it fills us with great joy to see you here. There may be hope yet. You should now be speaking with Bon-Ihrno, who lives near. He will tell you stories of what has been happening."
0
prep@arri
0
"We of this town are the only Vahnatai who have some wish for speaking and dealing with humans. Thus it is us who have been your language learning. It is hard, but we think we may profit greatly."
0
lean
0
"The Vahnatai now awake from a great Resting. You should speak to Bon-Ihrno; it is his thoughts that you come here. He rests on an island near to the east."
0
awak@slum
0
"We Vahnatai have awakened from our slumber to find our lands and cities in ruins. We are working hard to build them anew."
0
work@buil
0
"I am a Tel, a ..." She thinks. "A mayor, you would call it. We have worked and built and learned hard, in the preparation for your arrival."
The Vahnatai nods, and motions for you to sit with her. "I am Tekora-Tel, leader of this village. I bid you welcome, humans." She speaks in careful, only slightly flawed English.
An exceptionally tall Vahnatai with a thin gold headband sits at the head of the table.
0
stnd
0
"I don't know much about that."
80
3
Carved on the wall in both Vahnatai and English -
Chamber of Meditations
Carved into the obelisk in both Vahnatai and English:
Welcome to Avit
City of Peace
Carved into the wall:
Barracks
Carved into the obelisk in both Vahnatai and English:
