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The following pages were recovered from the home of Cyrus of Clan Baleno and Ytra of Clan Veos on Tay: It's been a long time since I've been able to write. In truth, paper is a luxury it's been difficult to come across. Tay was, as we were warned, a tenuous shelter for our people. I was able to reunite with Ytra--if there are gods, they surely favor her--and many of our friends from Rivenin. It was days before I had the nerve to tell her what had happened to Shade and Nurtis. She surmised much of it already, I'm sure, as soon as I showed up without them. What she heard through the rumor mill--which she partly controls, being now a central figure in this small community--I don't want to know. ----- People have been moving back to Riven lately, and none too soon, because things have been beyond tense here. Many of the Rivenese who came with us were under the impression--and I'd kind of hoped, too--that the loyalist Riven'ni would not be welcome. So when the neighbors they thought they had left behind for good started showing up the next day, fights started breaking out. At a meeting of the new Resettlement Coalition, Muir suggested insipidly that Ytra might be responsible, having become "accustomed to loyalist praise." It almost came to blows. I'm glad Corvo and Remi were there to keep order. They were perfectly diplomatic at the time, though later they commended her; they agreed that Muir's face could not have been worsened by rearrangement. Even with some people leaving, Rhenn is allowing the coalition to move forward with the plan to excavate new tunnels. With more space, more materials, and less free time, our band of refugees should be a lot less irritable. [ ] Follow up w Corvo re: demolition, treasury [ ] Ask abt trade value of Tay Iron (Carter?) ask if there's another name for it, too [X] Parting gift for clan Idro, returning to Riven in ten days [X] Laundry ---- An interesting thing that happened in the days following our exodus is the formation of new clans. Small cliques of Rivenese settlers, separated from family by circumstance, have shed their clan names and created new ones. These new clans are overwhelmingly of mixed traditions and many are unconventional in structure. I have heard of one new clan whose members are exclusively women. Another is made up of remnants of the guild of maintainers. Some of the new names I've seen paraded out so far: Tayland Rivenno Katro Vol And the ever dramatic: Clan Phoenix The rations today were fresh fish from Riven. Thank god. Tay fish make me sick every time. Most of the time we trade it to Remi or Marcia for bread, since Ytra doesn't eat fish anyway. ----- The community is buzzing today about the party of explorers and hopefuls linking to the new world of Sa in three days. Marcia, who runs the kitchen, is helping Ytra to coordinate festivities. She showed me how a class of children had made each of the pilgrims a tiny satchel with mementos of Riven--seashells, arrowheads, seeds, etc. Ytra pointed out that one of the satchels would be Conway's. The thing I've dreaded is true; my last living clan brother is going to Sa. I guess I can't blame him. Riven has a lot of painful memories attached to it now. Those damned orbs are everywhere. But it's also painful to know I won't see him again; I had fantasies that I was going to find him once things had cooled down, that we'd rebuild our clan. Now that's not going to happen, and when I do go back home, it will be that much more dangerous. It's insane to me, to go to the Strangers' alien homeworld, without backup or a means of escape, on the tail of a murderous cult, and with only one arm. I'm sorely tempted. I owe it to my clan to follow him and watch his back. But from what I've heard of the other departures, my company might bring more harm on him than good. Still. I can't stop thinking about this. ----- The tunnels are empty today as people gather to watch another cadre of heroes of Riven go on to 234, and then to Sa. ----- I stood there, at the edge of the small crowd, for an hour, a packed bag over my shoulder, a knife under my coat. I thought about sneaking into the party, but it was only a few people, and all were well known faces. I thought of simply joining him; it would be a spectacle, but he'd insist that I be allowed to come. Or maybe he'd change his mind and stay. I thought about rushing the podium and linking whether anyone liked it or not. But I didn't. I don't know what I had been so afraid of. I watched him exchanging remarks with onlookers and travelers. A girl helped him tie a loose lace on his pack. He was not surrounded by murderers or traitors; he was among compatriots. And beyond that, he was changed. It's true that he'd lost an arm, but somehow the Apex of Clan Gavo seemed stronger than before. And as always, he'd be fine on his own. I did take up Ytra on her offer to slip something into Conway's memento pouch. I carved a fish from an arrowhead, the way we learned growing up. I inscribed Clan Gavo's insignia on the back. He was always a critic of my handiwork, so maybe he'll recognize it. ----- A surprising discovery in the old tunnels near the excavation site. Squeezing through a partially collapsed passage, surveyors came upon a small dark antechamber. The soot blackened walls and ceiling were stippled all around with a luminescent blue pigment. The effect on the small room is disorienting, like being surrounded by stars. The foreman blamed teenagers, and I guess it is vandalism--there was a bowl of the mashed up pigment on the floor, and the smell of pipe smoke still clung to the air--but being in there, I felt strangely at home. I hadn't realized how much I missed stars. ----- The tunnel project is delayed, again. Corvo moved the explosives cache to a safe place during evacuation and I guess there hasn't been a good time to retrieve it. He won't entrust the task to anyone else. I don't know if he's just making us wait out of spite. He always gets lovely when he doesn't feel appreciated. OK, yes, I do the same thing, but that'd be a new level of spite for him. ----- My god. I have finally visited Riven. It's true. Varban is simply gone. Any day on Riven is brighter than the brightest day on Tay, but without the shadow of the Great Tree the sun seems abnormally harsh, the sky impossibly vast. Moments ago, our small resettlement party chattered and joked excitedly; now every one of us is silent. ----- Zale is getting married this weekend. Ytra wants to come back to check out the party; I want to see if he reads his vows in code. I was joking, but she seems really excited. ----- While Ytra and Remi escorted half a dozen settlers to the Rivenese village, I met with Rabo of Clan Nenio. I heard word that he had been looking for me as the world was ending and was interested in collaboration. It's the first time I've broken my cover but I believe I can trust him. There is a new stronghold in the jungle. I spent as little time there as possible. It looks like it was built in a huge hurry. By people who don't normally build things. ----- I'm going to rip out Corvo's lying crow tongue! The munitions cache was secreted away long ago. I don't know who has it now, and the thought fills me with dread. Rhenn has to be warned about this. Remi has gone ahead of us to deliver the message. ----- Corvo's crew does indeed have the moiety explosives. He says he will sell them to Rhenn in exchange for the migration council being placed in charge of inter-age travel and commerce. I told him he's an idiot. The moiety are not going to let a scheming fur trader from Rivenin tell them how to manage their link to civilization. I'm certain that if I checked I would find he has secreted away the coalition treasury as well. It looks like Muir's security goons went with him. We've been hearing communicator chatter that someone's been shaking Riven'ni settlers down for rations. ----- People have been giving us nothing but filthy looks since we got back. Corvo shows no interest in quitting his political maneuvering; if he isn't successful in legitimate negotiation I'm sure he aims to position himself as some kind of crime lord. I know it's going to get a lot of our people hurt. All of our projects are at a standstill; I don't think anyone has the heart to continue them. ----- A note from Remi under our door just says "marked - get out." We're going. I guess we'll check out that wedding after all; it couldn't ((The bottom half of this page was haphazardly torn off; no more is written.))
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Jan 23, 2019 07:50
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 19:55 |
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If you are interested in my new game Skull Skull Skull please PM me
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Feb 5, 2019 20:25
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 My personal journey across major undertakings in this community. That's replies on the left and views on the right. Of course...  The true goal... still waits... on a related note this was not his avatar at the time but LOL that wiz's current avatar is basically atrus 
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Mar 8, 2019 09:18
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