Embassies

[The following paper is plastered to the walls of Fairhaven and Crystabell. Copies are posted on the walls in Pyr, Yrkanss, and Zora as well.]

Mac'Od Bittty to all who read these words. I here report on the meeting of Ranger aspirants with Wilk Potskin in Almati Wood on (IRL 26 August, 2013)

Before I report on the meeting, I must emphasize this:

All of the New Lands are in imminent danger of attacks by Kitins. I will give more information below, but all homins should prepare. The defensive towers of Fairhaven must be raised, the arms crafted in Pyr must reach Zora, and Pyr and Yrkanis must look each to their defenses. Wilk Potskin brings this news from his travels in the Old Lands over distances that we simple homins of the New Lands can barely comprehend.

 The meeting began, as they often do, with the slow gathering of homins from all parts of the New Lands. I engaged in a conversation with one young Fyros who knew little of the Rangers and what they do. He had questions and I answered them as best I could while we waited for the arrival of Wilk Potskin. He seemed to welcome the idea that he might seek to lead a balanced life in service to Atys and hominkind rather than just one nation or one religion.

Wilk arrived and we waited for a few more people to show up, then he began to tell us where he had been and why it had been so long since our last meeting.

He had been investigating the recent behaviors of the Kitins, their nervousness and aggressiveness. He traveled far, back into the Old Lands he said, and noticed several things. First, that the Kitin attacks seemed to be traveling outwards from the Old Lands; the further he traveled into them, the older the attacks were. The attacks seemed to emanate from a source deep in the Old Lands. Second, that attacks even separated by distances of 100 km (the Old Lands are immense!) were coordinated to happen at the same time. And finally, that in the places where the original attacks were furthest in the past, there had also been recent attacks, a new wave of Kitin activity. Having determined this, he had returned to warn us that another wave of Kitin attacks is on the way. He urged us to warn all the populace.

 This news led the meeting to discussion of the experiments with the termites with which the Rangers hope to close the Kitin tunnels near the capitals. Daomei, Kiwalie and Geyos reported their progress. They are able to bring the population of each mound up near 200 termites, but then hungry Goaris show up and eat the termites. There was some discussion around the known fact that Kiwalie has discovered many ways to make termites tasty, including pan-fried, toasted and ground up to add to cookies. However, close observation has shown that she is not at fault, but that the Goaris are eating the termites.

 Wilk emphasized that what is needed is a stable population of termites in the mounds that can be rapidly replenished when termites are removed to chew on Kitins tunnels. He feels that we will have to do this more than once if we are to collapse the tunnels sufficiently to keep the Kitins from the surface. In the end, those who were experimenting with the termites were given instructions to find the pattern of potions that would produce the results.

 Before that closing statement there was a deal of fervent discussion and questions about what the purpose of the Rangers was. Virg thought that we should not be discussing defensive means, but should take the battle to the Kitins and exterminate them. He was answered by Wilk, myself and Daomei who pointed out that the Ranger way is both to fight and to study, that every organized attempt to eliminate the Kitins has led to massive reaction from the Queens and Princesses, and that we have no idea how widespread Kitins are beyond the fact that they are clearly more widespread than the extent of the New Lands.

 This led to a call from some who were present that they be designated as Rangers so that they might show the homins of the New Lands what they stand for. While almost all present felt the call to be a Ranger, Wilk pointed out that we were not ready. He did say that some were almost ready, but did not specify any individuals. (In my opinion, “almost ready” is the same as “not ready”.) There will be tests to be passed, and they are being prepared even now, he said, but until they are ready homins from the New Lands will not be able to take the title of Ranger.

 Finally there was a brief report on the matter of the Corrupted Rangers in the Old Mines in Kitin Lair. They continue stable, but not improving. Tao Sian is ill from too many transportations, so the Rangers come to her in Zora to seek possible treatments for those poor souls.

 Finally, someone asked about Tepsen and his yubos and the investigations about possible plans from the Old Lands for boats in Aeden Aqueous. Wilk was clear that Tepsen has gone into hiding for the moment and that Trykers should look to their defenses, not for Tepsen. The meeting was adjourned with a call for another meeting in about a cycle. (9 September, 2013).

 I hope to publish a transcription of the meeting at a later date, but as you can see, there was much discussed. I hope that my words have met with your approval.

 Mac'Od Bittty

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Copies by Mac'Keffan Jidgen, scribe. All your posting needs handled for a reasonable price. (This one was expensive.) No job too large (well, almost no job – this one got close), no job too small. Contact me at my office at Hartley Point.
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