M'thack'thatch (D11 LA)

[Ch’chit T’kkiri]

Black Moonset had departed the meeting... and kept going further and further out from the camp in a haze until he came to the site of the old ruins. He had walked through here many times... but this time they gave him pause. He sat down on his haunches and began stabbing at the dirt with a broken stick he pulled from his back.

After jabbing the ground for a couple of minutes grumbling angrily he finally stopped moving. He paused for a moment before replacing the broken stick and pulling out a rather nondescript stick... and began gently rubbing his fingers over its surface.

[Jin]

When the meeting was done Jin had set out to find Ch’chit T’kkiri. Thankfully it was not hard to get directions as to where people had last seen 'the large, very angry nezumi' and which way he was traveling.

Stopping a fair distance away the sorcerer raises his voice, "Hail... I was going to say friend Nezumi but I suspect those sentiments may not be shared in this moment. It was Ch’chit T’kkiri, right?" Jin's pronunciation of the name lacks fluency but, thanks to his precise memory, is fairly accurate even including the clicks.

"I had hoped to speak with you, if you are willing."

[Ch’chit T’kkiri]

"You may speak." He replied as he continued to look at his stick... it seemed to soothe him just a bit.

[Jin]

"I was hoping to learn more of what you spoke of. You are correct about what needs to be done and I wish to better understand the 'how' of it. Maybe it will help us convince the hesitant and unbelievers."

[Ch’chit T’kkiri]

He paused. His initial reaction was to lash out in anger; insult the hairless-one and his feeble attempt to make up for the stupidity of his fellow hoomans...

But as he rubbed the stick he felt a feeling of calm and purpose rush over him. Maybe there was a chance at least some of them would listen... And if there was any chance... it might just save them all.

“What you want to know?”

[Jin]

"I was hoping to better understand how the magic of your people interacts with Names." He tries to enunciate the last word to express the difference, "If I understand right Names are not just the title someone is called but their true self... their essence, the grand total of what they are. Is that correct?"

[Ch’chit T’kkiri]

"Hard to explain... Like explain to fish what air like..." He said as he flipped over the stick in his hand.

"Name is thich. Thich is you. Hairless-ones say spirit... but spirit not body. Thich both spirit and body. Name change... body change. Name how you remembered. When die Name go on to pups and pups of pups. Name what you do... Name what you think. Name protect you. Name is everything. That rock, have name." He pointed at a rock.

"That camp have Name. Those stupid hairless-ones have stupid Name. But no be stupid... Name get better. Get old. Name change with old. Get new Niche... Name change. Part of Name change... part of Name stay same. Thich always you now Name." He replied.

"Shaman have strong Name. Use Name to change other Names. Name change... body change. Twist Name hard enough... lose arm. Lose eye. Or gain eye... gain arm." He said looking at the handicapped man.

"But no twist Fallen-Rock-Man Name too hard. Change. No more Sky-Kingdom life. This world life. Trade Sky-Kingdom life for all lives of people in this world... Seem good trade."

[Jin]

Jin rubs his chin as he listens, focusing to follow along, "I think our closest concept is somewhere between the soul and the Void. But it's not quite a direct correlation to either. Fascinating." At the mention of the hand and the eye he nods a little but doesn't seem over eager, "If the Name changes does it change the story the Name was part of?" He holds up what remains of his right arm, "This hand was lost to save a village. Would changing the Name so the hand was not lost mean the village might still have been?"

[Ch’chit T’kkiri]

"Name very... sensitive. Only powerful Shaman can do great things. Removing Name terrible curse... change Memory. But not change yesterday things. Not change save village. Hand not save village. Purple-man save village. Hand only small part of Name. Remove Name... people no Remember Purple-man... but still save village. No memory."

He poked at the dirt. "But Fallen-Rock-Man not have name remove. Name bent. No one forget Fallen-Rock-Man. Be remembered as hero. Name continue forever. No one forget."

[Jin]

Jin nods, "That is reassuring then. I hope I can help them see that. Could you give me an example, perhaps from the stories of your people, what changing Name like that looks like?"

[Ch’chit T’kkiri]

“Hard to give story about bending Sky-kingdom Name. Not happen often. Name change can do many things. Make animal understand you. Make crazy go away. Make curse come. Make curse go. Make sickness go. Make wounds go. Twist Name, all thing can happen. No promise not change. Probably change. Be like hairless one maybe.”

[Jin]

"During the meeting you mentioned another group helping. Not shaman nor chieftains..." He pauses trying to recall it properly, "Wikki'itch... no... Wikki'thich'... not quite it wasn't a click.... Wikki'thich-hie? Who are they?"

[Ch’chit T’kkiri]

“Wikki'thich-hie are great Shamans of yesterday. Become so powerful with Name they leave world and go live in Dream World. They see all Dream. All Yesterdays and All Tomorrows. Watch over Brave-Warriors-Who-Remember. Give order. Follow order or much pain. They help all Brave-Warriors-Who-Remember by teaching through followers succeed times and fail times.”

[Ongaku no Ryoko]

Ryoko wandered into the ruins, fingers tracing the ancient stone, casting about for any information... any clues. Floating about her, illuminating the darker corners of the ruins for her, was a small free-floating ball of flame, her left horn lit with a matching ghostly flame. Could this have been a construction of her people before they fell?

Or did it predate them as well?

Curiously, she wandered among the ruins, slowly drifting toward the other two, remaining a little... hesitant about the nezumi still.

---

Carrying flame: https://orokos.com/roll/812492

[Jin]

“Wikki'thich-hie are great Shamans of yesterday. Become so powerful with Name they leave world and go live in Dream World. They see all Dream. All Yesterdays and All Tomorrows. Watch over Brave-Warriors-Who-Remember. Give order. Follow order or much pain. They help all Brave-Warriors-Who-Remember by teaching through followers succeed times and fail times.”

Jin nods along though seeks clarification, "Much pain? Is it that there is suffering if one fails to heed their wisdom or do they actively punish those who go against them?"

[Ch’chit T’kkiri]

“Both. They are powerful. Best not anger them. Their thoughts not our thoughts. See all time. We see now only. Sometimes following them lead to pain. But all learn.. learn from other pain good lesson.” He replied.

“But... me hope not pain lesson. Close crater must be best thing for our people. Will die to save others. Name live forever.”

[Jin]

"I hope it does not come to that but I share your determination. If that is the cost I shall pay it - this needs to be stopped and stopped soon."

The one-eyed man finally noticed the strange ogress, his good hand reflexively going towards his knife and the stump pressing against his jade, before he recognizes her as one of their fellow travelers. Though he relaxes only slightly given the strange display.

[Ch’chit T’kkiri]

The Brave-Warrior-of-Black-Moonset also turned to face the creature that approached.

[Ongaku no Ryoko]

Ryoko paused, spotting the others looking at her.

After a moment, she waved cheerfully. "Hello! Konnichiwa!"

Her voice was cheerful enough, despite her introspective mood. She always tried to give a nice first impression, to smooth things over.

"I hope you're doing ok!"

[Ch’chit T’kkiri]

The Nezumi looked the girl up and down once but made no reply. He'd smelled her unusual stench around but never taken the time to talk to her. He didn't feel too compelled to talk now... so he waited for the hairless-one to speak.