A Moment of Peace

Orphie Dradius calls Wuaoi Yai-Zhio into her office. They sit for a moment, comfortable in each other's company.
Orphie Dradius: "How is the training of the Ranger Aspirants coming along?"
Wuaoi Yai-Zhio: "As far as path-finding is concerned, quite well. All of them who have sufficient positive regard from the Nations and Factions have learned to use the Pathfinding Amber and they are making good use of the training paths. I have assigned some of our patrols to keep the paths open, since the Kitin activity level is low at the moment."
Orphie Dradius: "What else are they training?
Wuaoi Yai-Zhio: "I have taught them what I know. What more would you have them learn?"
Orphie Dradius: "They need to be able to survive in the wilderness without the help of nearby civilization.
Orphie Dradius: In my travels recently I came across some old hermits in the Deep Roots. They were headed towards the surface. They will have skills to teach our young Rangers-to-be. I encouraged them to teach other homins their special skills and they agreed."
Wuaoi Yai-Zhio: "Why were they not happy where they were?"
Orphie Dradius: "They were growing old and tired. Life in the depths is not for the old. I did them a favor by helping them towards the surface. One of them has already arrived and set up residence in the Burning Desert."
Wuaoi Yai-Zhio: "What do you want me to do now?"
Orphie Dradius: "Gather the aspirants together and encourage them to learn more. While you are doing so, it would be good to appoint some of them to keep an eye on the captured white Kitin in the Forest, and others to interact with the nations."
Wuaoi Yai-Zhio: "I will do that."
Orphie Dradius: "Remember what Wilk sent us in that message. We need the new Rangers to be strong and ready."
Wuaoi Yai-Zhio: "How fares Wilk?"
Orphie Dradius: "I received another message not long ago. He had to detour around a new location, but he continues on his way home."
Wuaoi Yai-Zhio: "May he be equal to his path."
Wuaoi Yai-Zhio leaves and returns to his room. There he pulls out a quill and pens a notice to be posted to all public boards.(*) Sunday, 23 November 2014 20:30:00 UTC (1 decade ago)

Report on the Ranger Meeting of 18 Jan 2015

These notes were taken using automatic writing exercises taught to me by a Zorai mystic. I was asleep most of the time. ((*))

The meeting started with the arrival of Wuoai Yai-Zhio, walking up the ramp from the Kitin Lair, he was preceded by Daomei and Diwu in full armor running up the same ramp.

The first item of business was moving from the noisy center of the Ranger camp to a meeting circle located on the bluff above the ramp leading to the Kitin Lair. There was a circle of barriers around a firepit with a pleasant campfire in it. Wuoai praised us for our industry in harvesting materials to make the enclosure and said that there were enough materials left over to add a few things, subject to approval by Melga Folgore. Suggestions included a larger fire so that Kiwalie could bake fresh cookies for meetings, a bar, and torches to light the gatherings in the evening hours. A request for a tent to keep the rain off was said to be impossible due to Melga's resistance to anything resembling a building.

Wuoai: "Melga has said that the Camp is a Camp, not a center of civilization. I think he feels that too much shelter will make us weak."

As we met, regular patrols of Ranger guards crossed the circle, lending an air of safety to the proceedings.

Once everyone was settled, the actual business of the meeting was started with reports from the Ranger observers for the four Nations.

Daomei reported that she attended meetings of the Zorai Circles which were mostly concerned with internal business. Items of interest to the Rangers were as follows:
The Circles are planning to send a representative to the Matis to join in the Kitin Studies group, but have not named a homin to take the job yet.
They are also exploring better relations with tribes, especially the Gibads. Daomei had offered her assistance in the matter because she has good fame with the Gibads, but her offer was neither accepted nor rejected.
Finally the towns of Hoi Cho in Witherings and Dyron in the Desert have gotten together to drill a well in the Great Outback. They have sent samples of the water to the Trykers and to the Root Tappers in Underspring and are planning to send a sample to the Ecowarriors in Upper Bog in the Forest. Daomei accompanied the caravan to Underspring. Wuoai said that the Ranger Aspirants should support the endeavour, since cooperation between Nations is a good thing.

Kiwalie gave a report on the happenings in the Lakes since our last meeting. The quick summary was that they had not had any meetings of the Taliari and that the populace had spent the time opening presents, shopping, drinking, and ... drinking. There were two small items of note. The first was that the former Marauder Nizyros had been seen and that he is now calm and does not seek to harm other homins. The second, which was brought up by Daomei, was that the Trykers are seeking to once again use the Flyner plants to achieve homin flight.

Wuoai noted that Geyos, the appointed observer for the Fyros, was not present. It was explained that he was off on a long trek and would not be able to attend for some time. Daomei gave a report, since the Desert is the homeland of her and her sister Diwu. The Fyros are much occupied with the matter of the pretender Atreus. Daomei had some information that she said had to be kept secret (for which she was praised by Wuoai for not revealing), but she said that the constitutional crisis seems to have been averted.

There was then a discussion of what to do about Geyos' absence. In the end, two members of Spirit of Alervinda, Kaean and Cliffarson, offered to take up the observer post in Witherings, if Daomei was willing to move over to the Desert. This was accepted by Wuoai and by Daomei, with the stipulation that if Geyos returned, then Daomei would step aside if Geyos wanted to return to his duties.

Wuoai emphasised that all of the Ranger Aspirants should take an interest in the doings of the Nations and also reminded all that there were no ambassadors to the Nations, only observers. Then he called upon Zorroargh to report on the doings in the Forest. (He called first upon Kiwalie to do it, then corrected himself. It would appear that Kiwalie's cookies are good for embarrassment, since the purple tinge faded from his neck soon after he ate one of them.)

Zorroargh reported that we currently have good relations with the Court of the Karan, and that he has not involved himself with the Court of the Karae. He said that at the moment the Rangers and the Kingdom have a lot of common interests, especially in the study of the Kitins. He then noted that Sir Copal and Zakkk had things they might want to bring to the attention of the meeting.

Wuoai said that Serae Ozwomen, since she is the Matis Ambassador to the Rangers, should speak first.

Ozwomen said she had news about a mystery in Kitin Lair that will be being investigated by the Matis scholars and invited the Rangers to join the Matis. Cuiccio Perinia will be leading the expedition from the Karae's Court. Wuoai said that any time we were *invited* to join, we definitely should, and urged all the Aspirants to attend if they could.
Ozwomen also said that there would be an expedition in the near future to investigate and explore the Tunnel of Woe, and the Aspirants were encouraged to help there.

Zakkk, a visibly aged homin who supported himself on a cane and who seemed a bit deaf, came forward with his news of a strange thing in the Kitin Lair. While searching for materials for parchments for his writing, he came across a mound of what he at first thought was decaying roots from the roof, but it kept growing and it appears to be coming from beneath. This is near the very end of what is called the Prime Egg Room in the Kitin Lair. In addition there is a new group of kipees that huddle nearby unless a homin comes within view, in which case they attack. He said that he is now afraid to go get the materials for his parchments.
At this point the assembly erupted to pledges of assistance and defense -- also with a desire to go see this thing. Zakkk also felt that the mound should be investigated. Daomei said that she and Diwu had verified this behavior just before the meeting and suggested a plan to lure the aggressive kipees out of the Egg Room so as not to excite the defense instinct of the normal kipees in the room.

Wuoai said that the task of the Aspirants for the next little while was to assist the Matis in their investigations, starting immediately. However, he also said that all Aspirants should continue to work on their fame and do the various missions.

After much discussion the next meeting was set either for February 8 or 22.

Wuoai left and I continued sitting for some time. When I awoke, there were only a few people dozing by the fire and I left on my journies. If someone would write a report of the exploration into the Kitin Lair, I would appreciate it.

Submitted with respect,

Mac'Od Bittty

(( * OOC: I was afk most of the time - this report is scraped from my ChatLog. The 20h UTC meeting time does not work well with my day, and I couldn't stay close.))

P.S. -- As the meeting was closing Djiper asked if there had been any news from Wilk Potskin. Wuoai said that the only thing they have received recently was a tattered note borne by a wounded Izam.