Game Date: 10-11 Browning, 994 KC; Play Date: 5/19/2001
10 Browning: Star asked if there was a way to use magic to help her learn who she is, as Ruqayyah had hinted. Qutaibah stated that Mistress Theolodia is practiced with divinations, but rather busy now. Perhaps they could find another clerical diviner, or a secular mage. Neither he nor Afla had brought caracals with them out of the desert, so could not use their tribe's galactomancy ritual. Afla had once tried using Ruqayyah (in cat form) for this divination, without success, but Ruqayyah was curious whether it would work. The Duz decided to try it, this time giving Ruqayyah as much time as necessary to clear her mind of all outside influences. After she had meditated and Qutaibah was ready to begin, Afla asked Star to pour the milk for the ritual. Ruqayyah drank the milk as Qutaibah danced. While Ruqayyah washed her face (and Qutaibah continued), she realized that she had lost track of how long she had been in cat form--and felt no worry about it.
When Qutaibah studied the traces of milk, he was surprised to see an answer: A long journey was interrupted. Star was traveling with someone close to her, but was separated. The star-mark on her hand may be connected to this event. This helped Star recall something: She was underwater, with someone who looked very much like her, but with a star-mark on the other palm. They grasped hands, did something else (she couldn't tell what), then the water became very agitated, and they were pulled apart.
Star asked Sarah if she had ever seen anyone with her coloring; she had not, except for some of the very old, and Star looks like an adolescent. Sarah's mother had taught her the merfolk language, and she had learned more from "Old Meg," a priestess of Morovira. Perhaps Meg could help Star? Meg and Sarah worked out of the port of Carnvrin, on an island 2-3 days' sail to the northeast.
They discussed with Qutaibah what other magic Star likely knew, given her Body of Water ability. He knew how to magically seek, purify and create water, and guessed that shaping it would come next. He and Ruqayyah demonstrated their spells, and Star tried to reproduce their results. She managed to create water, then to shape it, first into a simple column, then a crude image of Ruqayyah.
Shortly after Star cast this last spell, the form of a woman made of water rose out of the nearby river. She looked much like Star's water form, but was barely half her height. Star greeted her in her own language, and the woman replied in the same language. They talked, then the water-being smiled prettily, leapt back into the water, and vanished. (Ruqayyah attempted Seek Water on that part of the river, but bungled the spell--shattering her dousing stick!) Star explained that she had inadvertently summoned the creature, an "undine." She had apologized, pleading her lost memory, and granted the undine leave to go.
Star wanted time to think, so Sarah returned to her boat to putter, and Ruqayyah followed for another language lesson. The two Duz returned to the temple, to inquire about diviners.
That evening, Sarah took the boat into town so that Star could get some clothing and shoes. Ruqayyah used the money from her dancing the day before to pay for them. She offered to dance again if they needed more--just not that dance. (She hadn't realized that so much showed in the watery form!) She did so, and earned enough for most of a meal for the three of them. They returned to the vinyard to sleep.
11 Browning: Afla reported that all local clerics with divinatory skill were busy with Theolodia's project, but she had heard of a fortune-teller in the bazaar with a reputation for real magic skill.
She took them to a gaudy desert-style tent, with a sign showing the palm of a hand, and "Fortunes Told" in both Krithian and Malduzi. The fortune-teller, Rehana, was an old crone with an unfamiliar accent that sounded vaguely like the Desert Men. Ruqayyah asked which tribe she belonged to, and was simply told, "Not yours." The old woman quickly established that she had no language in common with Star (though Star thought Northlander sounded familiar). When asked about the price of her services, Rehana stated that the nature of the question would determine the price. Sarah explained (and translated), and Rehana was intrigued. If she could tell Star something useful, then Star should repay her as she saw fit. Then, when she saw Star's palm, her curiosity was piqued even more.
Rehana rummaged through her paraphenalia, lighting incense, placing a stone pendant (which all three young women sensed was magical) on the table, and talking to little wicker boxes. She returned to the table, swung the stone above Star's hand, and returned to peering at the star-mark. Her conclusion was that Star was not from the sea beside which that she was found. She needs to find the other star to regain her full memory. In time, she may recall how to go home, but finding other stars would help.
Star asked about Northlanders. Rehana told her that they were found beyond the Great Sea, but her impression was that Star's home waters could not be reached so easily. When Star asked what she could do for Rehana, she was told, "When you know the rest of your story, come tell it to me." She agreed.
Ruqayyah had heard insect noises coming from one of Rehana's boxes, which led her to suspect that Rehana was a Mantis Duz. Speaking in the Desert Tongue, she asked Rehana about that Tribe. "Those answers will cost more than a story." Ruqayyah then asked how one became a Duz when not of one's tribe. The old woman laughed, and offered to answer that question for free: "Find a mission that serves the tribe, that requires you to leave. Not all Duz serve at home." The younger woman protested that few leave the tribes, to which Rehana answered, few Desert Men understand outsiders, and few outsiders understand them. Ruqayyah removed her veils, to display the additional obstacle she faced: her cat-like face, ears and hands. "I see you are close to Jin-Mubik. And you are not yet a Duz? Perhaps when you are, we will talk more." Ruqayyah expressed her belief that this would take some time, because she was not yet good enough. Rehana replied that life was for bettering one's self, and that, in spite of her age, she would still be here when Ruqayyah was ready to talk more.
The women left Rehana's tent, and decided to consult maps in the Celestian temple's library, which was known to be one of the best in Westmarch. Ruqayyah only read Malduzi, Afla was still learning her letters (with Qutaibah's help), Sarah could not read at all, and Star didn't know if she could, so they enlisted the help of a librarian. They were shown maps of the Great Sea and Dragon Sea. Due to the monsters found in the latter, few travel it except Northlanders and fey. By "fey," the librarian meant the faerie folk, also called "sidhe"; Star recognized that last word. Faeries are most common in Haldinibar; Sarah's green hair and Ruqayyah's cat features would attract less attention there than in other realms.
Ruqayyah asked about books (in her language) on the subjects of bodies of water, religion and/or magic. The library owned a few religious texts in the Desert Tongue, but none of magical lore; these contained some brief passages about water, but little beyond her own experience with oases. She found a few glaring omissions in the collection, and resolved to inform Qutaibah later.
Star and Sarah discussed their future plans. They decided to travel first to see Old Meg, then perhaps continue onwards to the Dragon Sea to find more of Star's people. They could leave very soon, because Sarah's boat was almost fully provisioned already. They informed the two Duz of their plans, and thanked Ruqayyah for her help. Ruqayyah wished to accompany them, but was uneasy about asking herself. Afla asked for her, and they agreed that she could come.
They returned to the boat to rest and prepare. Ruqayyah spent more time practicing the spells she wished to learn.
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This page last revised 10/15/2001. | Copyright 2001 Timothy E. Emrick. | time@sluggy.net