[Previous session]

23 Heatblight: When the shelter was ready, Vodo introduced the party to the seeker, Ildiko, who built it. (Ildiko's headdress had 13 feathers, 3 of them blue.) They were very impressed: the vines holding the boughs were obviously just now grown here. The travelers would meet the rest of Vodo's family at dinner at dusk. Word had been sent to the chief, Gazdaru, who might decide to summon them the next morning. (The chief's wife, Ragomi, was the clan lorekeeper, and might wish to question them about their origins and travels.)

Until dinner, their time was their own, so they asked Glaxis about a place to bathe. He took them to a bend in the river past the far side of the village. The walk there gave them a better look at the clan's people and the chief's lodge. No people came to the bathing spot while they were there, but a raven landed nearby and watched them carefully.

At dinner, Vodo introduced them to his wife Eskildes (8 matched green feathers), a seeker of Tolus, and several other members of their family. The family talked among themselves, but spoke little to their guests except to offer food. (Laylah's empathy told her that this was a tight-knit group, who were curious about the strangers but too polite to pry.) This meal consisted mostly of vegetables (to Darra's relief), but the party was told that the forest provided a diverse variety of plants and animals for food, which is why the tribes still remained in this region. After dinner, the group broke up into smaller units. Naima helped clean up, learning a few more Ranae words for her efforts. Laylah listened to a Ranae couple singing together, and once she showed her own talents, they taught her one of their simpler songs. Ruqayyah and Darra found quiet places to meditate. [Darra tried to ask her god what the horned creatures were. When she asked if they belonged to him, the arrow she used to track Taroq pointed at her.]

24 Heatblight: At breakfast, the party was told that the chief wished to see them. Tomorr escorted and introduced them, then was dismissed. Gazdaru and Ragomi offered them seats in a clear space in front of the lodge's entrance. They asked what manner of people traveled with the "wild-man seeker." (Darra laughed out loud at Glaxis's explanation that he knew little of humans when he first came here, thus the strange label.) When the others hesitated to speak about their business in Rana, Naima explained that she was hunting a necromancer who had killed a friend of hers, and that Glaxis had volunteered to help. Darra added that their quarry was headed into the badlands, perhaps to the community of his kind that they had heard lived on the far side. Ragomi named this place "Perbor," and said their intended path was dangerous one indeed. No Ranae would go there, but they might be able to offer other help. She was able to confirm Yantos's information about the badlands, and to give some more information about that region and the Mynars:

• The Mynar religion included three cults--a death god, a war god, and "Klur" (a revered ancestor?)--which warred with each other as well as with outsiders.
• To reach Perbor, one must find the "Mouth of Klur," a site sacred to the Mynars but rarely visited due to the proximity of the necromancers. To get there, follow the river to where it joins with a larger river; the badlands start there. Follow the rising sun to the mountains, then follow the mountains east to the Mouth of Klur. (They may need to parley with the Mynars for more precise directions along the way.)
• Ragomi was unsure how long it would take to cross the badlands--at least a week.
• The Ranae knew nothing of volcanoes, but after an explanation, Ragomi said one Mynar story told about two "smoking mountains" known as the "Horns of Klur."
• The Mynars eat nearly any kind of meat they can find, but prefer humans. They will eat their own kind, especially after conquering a rival clan.

The party was uncertain how long they would stay in Rana, but were welcome for as long as they wished. Ruqayyah reminded Glaxis of her approaching lethargic phase--she did not want to be in the badlands for that! He suggested that they might spend the next few days learning more of the Ranae language, see some of their rituals, etc.

The party took their leave of the chief and his wife. Glaxis stayed behind to report his own travels since his last visit. He promised his companions to give a secular sketch of his adventures with them.

[When they could talk privately, Laylah asked Darra why she had paled when looking at the stones. Darra explained that the Mynars resemble Kuldor's image. She has not seen that form anywhere except for the god's manifestation when she first called upon Him. She guessed that the death cult worshiped Shulkor, but was uncertain what to make of this talk of "Klur" (Kuldor?!) being the Mynars' god and maybe ancestor. Laylah suggested that the ones worshiping Klur might be able to help them, as they seemed to have a common enemy in the necromancers. Darra dreaded seeing the "Mouth of Klur" and the canyon from her dream.]

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