Event A Foreign Invasion

[Gossamer]

Spring 1, 518 A.V.

The Founders had gone all out. The celebration of the survival of the Valterrian was in full swing. It was a party like Syka hadn't seen in a while, namely because its population had grown significantly and things must go on. There was an air of anticipation about it as people brought dishes and laid out food and drink in The Syka Commons. Juli was there, her eyes sad and haunted. If one looked closely, one could see her glancing out to sea periodically, watching for The Veronica's return.

So far, James hadn't sailed back in. No one knew why and none of the Svefra that routinely stopped had clues either.

The Commons had been brilliantly decorated. There were tiki torches everywhere, colorful flower leis strewn along railings and wrapped around pillars. The leis were made of plumerias, tuberose, carnations, orchids, and pikake, though maile leaves, ferns, and tī leaves were threaded throughout them as well. The colors were vibrant and the fragrance scented the commons with incredible smells that seemed to heighten the food rather than clashed with it.

People brought their own dishes as well, and everyone looked in good spirits.


Wood for a bonfire had been stacked at the forefront of swing beach, ready to take the celebration on into the night even though it was only late afternoon - just after the main heat and heading well into the cooling winds of the evening. But that was for later. For now it was still sunshine and still not cool enough to need the bonfire.

Back on the raised platform that was The Commons, Mathias and Randal gathered with ten strangers that stood out by the way the sun and torchlight reflected off their metallic skin.

When the crowd had significantly swelled, Mathias clapped his hands together to call attention to himself and carefully introduced the group that was with them. "Greetings Settlers. I'd like you all to meet some of the Verusk our party encountered last season. As you may know, their kind originated in Mizahar and have been trapped beyond the World Gate for hundreds of years. This group has offered to come forward and meet our settlement and get to know Mizahar as it is, post Valterrian. I'd like you to talk to them, get to know them, and then I'm hopeful that ten of you will decide to foster these folks for a season.... hang around with them, learn from them, take them into your confidence. This is a foreign exchange program. There are not many of the Verusk left on the other side, since the land is so hostile. But it is our hope that they will come to join us here and add their valuable knowledge to our knowledge. As you might already know or not, these people are the children of Velispar and Humans. They are long lived and thus know a great deal about the world, especially pre-Valterrian and about Pavena. If you don't already know what Pavena is... well you are in for a treat. Come introduce yourselves, enjoy the food and drink, and if you have a musical skill, we'll be having music later and dancing." He gestured, then turned to the group.

One by one, Mathias introduced each and every Verusk. He only gave their names, letting everyone else mingle and get to know them to find out any more information about them. And when he was done he simply added...

"If you find yourselves interested, open your homes to one of these visitors. I'd like to see them stay for the season and give Randal here a chance to add some more housing in for the newcomers. There are only about half a dozen more left on the other side. These folks are rare and have had a hard time of it. So be kind." He added, gesturing to the group and inviting everyone to get started on the feast.

Juli, who had eaten beforehand in anticipation of being part of the entertainment, picked up a wooden flute and began to play. It was a nice happy background music to the rest of the scene.

[Nayato]

1st day of Spring, 518 A.V.
Late Afternoon

Nayato had almost forgotten that it was the first day of Spring, he'd just arrived to the city only a few bells ago, and was already among people partying. He just so happened to be one of the first people standing there at on The Commons when the ten metallic skinned people were getting introduced. The Chaktawe was standing there wearing a pair of deer skin pants and a beige linen long sleeved shirt, both of which were sunbleached to high hai; that of which was a factual statement, having once made the trip to hai with his tribe under Syna's watch while wearing them.

The Chaktawe stood there with two overstuffed bags of supplies by his feet. And laying between those bags was a brown Akinva Deerstalker. "Stay, Osa." He whispered to the well trained dog which stood as if on guard duty of the supplies. His face was painted in the black battle make up of his people with a line running down his face. It was nothing too out of the ordinary, but he found himself being stared at oddly by one of the female Verusk with a red sheen gracing her features.

Nayato had no clue what a World Gate was or what Pavena even was. Those things paled in comparison to the fact that there were people from before the Valterrian who were still alive. He came to learn the name of the Verusk that was staring at him when she was introduced to the group. "Talivindra" He mused to himself before taking a seat at one of the empty chairs on the Commons near the railing.

Nayato was not used to being social, so enjoyed sitting while watching people. It came to his surprise when the Verusk woman planted herself down into the seat opposite of him at the table. She appeared to be holding a bag of her own filled with things. She removed a hammer, a paint brush, and finaly an elegantly crafted small wooden box. She slid it along the tabletop over to Nayato then made a finger motion for him to open it up.

He reached out to open its flip top to find some type of black looking paste. It smelled like a mixture of berries and flowers. "What is this?" He asked while sniffing it. Talivindra pointed at her own face with a smile."A mixture of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries all mixed wuth ground Quassia to both leave the skin flawless and repel bugs... and you will now paint my face like you did your own. I like the look."

Nayato glanced back up to her after closing the lid to the box. "The look? Of a finger just being dragged down my face? I do it because it signifies me as a member of the Kalanue Tribe. If you wish to do it for the look, pick a color that is neither red, black, or white. I will not mark you a Suli or Tatsuwaat either." He said with a slight smirk on his lips, expecting her to not have another color. But she did. She slid one filled with a purple looking mixture. ""Purple flowers. This color gives me a certain... mystique. Don't you think? And If I'm not mistaken, the Chaktawe were people of the river in the desert?"

Nayato dabbed a finger into the purple mixture as the woman leaned in. He then started to apply it from her forehead down between her eyes, along her nose, and the edges of her lips to her chin. "You as a people all have a mystique. You've not been seen in years from what the founder had said. And at one point we were, but we've not been people of the rivers for a long time. Most would now call us people of the sand who seek the river."

Nayato and Talivindra started to talk for a while before she just imposed herself onto him. "You don't seem like an idiot and I like how you dress. The black feathers in your hair are lovely. I shall live with you for a bit." Nayato shrugged as he pointed over to his stuff beside his dog. "Everything I own is there. You'll have to settle with sleeping in a tent until I build myself a home. That reminds me, I need to speak with the ones named Mathias or Randal about a plot of land."

[Ashka]

Ashka tucked little feathery bits of brown seaweed into the large fish she'd caught for the feast. This kind of seaweed was called pepper dulse, and gave food a sharp peppery tang that she thought would go well with the fish. The seaweed wasn't as evenly spread through the fish as she would have liked, but she wrapped it in leaves anyway and set it to bake in the hot embers of her fire while she got ready for the party.

She cleaned off the fishscales and the dirt, wrapped her hair in a bright blue scarf, and slipped on a light shirt and skirt. Chaya was already dressed and bouncing impatiently as she waited for Ashka to be ready.

***
When they finally arrived and added the fish to the dishes available, they heard Mathias introduce the scaled strangers. Chaya danced in and out of the crowd, examining everything, while Ashka found a stool tucked in between two of the leis, and watched her.

One of the scaled strangers also kept to the edges, she noticed, the one Mathias had called Kiveth. He was the colour of wrought iron, but his intense focus seemed to be on all the flowers decorating the Commons. As his circuit of the leis brought him closer, she saw that he was also carrying a plate of food. When he reached the one on her left, he leaned past her as if she was an inanimate obstacle. Ashka's mouth tightened, and her gaze flickered from his silver eyes - not Svefra-like at least - to the plate in his hand. Among the other foods was a slice of her fish.

"Guests," she told herself, "they are supposed to be guests." Out loud she added, "I hope you like the fish."

He turned very quickly and his silver gaze focused in on her like a drill made of moonlight. "You made it?"

"Yes."

He looked round for another stool, found one and pulled it up close. "What's the seasoning? Can you tell me? What tree does it come from? It's like pepper but it isn't pepper..." He looked suddenly less aloof and more intensely curious, even eager, the way she felt when presented with a new weaving pattern or type of thread.

"It isn't a tree at all," she explained, watching him drink it in and feeling that perhaps she'd found something of a kindred spirit for the first time in forever. "It's a seaweed called pepper dulse, it grows on some of the rocks along the shore..."

"I must have been looking in the wrong place then!" He laughed at himself, not taking his rightness for granted. "It's the first new spice I've come across in a good three centuries or so. I hope the next one isn't as long coming. What else do you use?"

Ashka answered him briefly, then turned the interrogation tables back on him by asking about the cloth of his clothes. He blinked, stared, and then his attitude shifted into something a shade more respectful. Which was just as well, because if he was going to stay with her and Chaya - and oh! the discussions they could have if he did! - he could petching well respect them as people.

Common, Pavi, Fratava

[Kelani]

The sun was steadily making its way to the west, unbothered by fat clouds that slowly drifted in and out of its rays. They offered Kelani only a few moments of respite from the heat while she sailed along Syka's coast in her small casinor. She raised the back of her hand to her forehead, wiping away a thick bead of sweat that was making its way down her face. A nice breeze from the speeding boat helped to cool the Svefra down while she navigated the Suvan, but it was still hotter than Hai. She was used to it and pushed through the uncomfortable warmth, although she hoped to reach the settlement sooner than later to rest her fatigued body. She had been traveling the shoreline for many days now but was unyielding in her search to find it.

The water was rather calm, but she knew better and gauged it could change at a moments notice. She reefed her sails to gradually slow the pace of her casinor and leaned over the side of the boat. She quenched her thirst by dipping her cupped hand in the ocean to take a handful of the sea water up to her lips and it instantly turned into fresh, drinkable water. Her hand reached down once more, but lingered there as she closed her eyes, concentrating on the sense of the ocean's currents. She could feel nothing too threatening other than a hungry shark just a short distance from her location so she went back to work on her sail, gaining momentum as she came around a bend and was finally able to make out the settlement. She couldn't help but crack a smile and sigh in relief.

After finding a sturdy sea rock to tie down her boat, she made her way to the beautiful festivities to join the rest of Syka's residents. She had no inking of what was going on, but she tried to blend in as best as she could as she didn't want to delay the party with any of her questions. Her strategy did not fare well with the others as they cast confused looks at Kelani, unsure of who she was. Her stomach grumbled when she caught a sight and smell of the delicious food spread, but she didn't dare to take a bite as she had nothing to offer in return. Uncertain on what to do or who to speak with, she found a spot shaded by a low-hanging tree and sat, watching the people mingle about.

Her attention was caught by Mathias as he made his announcement. Pavena? She'd never heard to word before and quietly said it out loud to herself. She was intrigued to say the least. When he named the Verusk known as T'aidell, she bowed to the crowd and stepped forward, interrupting the flow of introductions. The rest of the Verusk exchanged looks and eyerolls as if they knew what was coming. T'aidell cleared her throat before starting off on an unusual speech."Change... is a part of life. Life... is a part of change. We have come here today to honor our ancestors and the great sacrifices they made for us to be here in this very moment. We would not exist if it was not for them. There is no such thing as fate. We are all here in this beautiful jungle for a reason, whether that be big or small. The Verusk were once trapped in an unforgiving land, taken away from our original home on Mizahar. But by grace, the gods! The gods have granted us a second chance!"she said, raising her voice in triumph. It looked like the other beings had heard this spiel one too many times before. Most of the people had no idea what she was talking about as the context was not entirely there. T'aidell kept going on, and on, until Mathias gave her a light touch signaling to finish up. Once she was satisfied with her rherotic, she bowed once more and found her place back in line.

A strange one she was, the Svefra thought, but interesting. When they broke off, Kelani couldn't resist the urge to approach the woman. Weaving her way through the crowd, she almost backed out half way there but trudged on despite her reservation. T'aidell had her back turned and Kelani gently tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me? It's true, what you said about change. It's a part of life." she spoke to T'aidell.

"Well of course it is true! Would I have said it if it were false? Do you take me as a liar? I say what I mean and I mean what I say." she voiced in return. Kelani was taken aback by her words, hesitant on what to say next as she didn't want to upset the woman any further but was entertained with her quick wit. "I do not think of you as a liar - quite the opposite. I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed your... commentary. I have endless questions for you, but do not know where to begin."

"Well you are to be my host, then? I do not intend to grant my wisdom without an offering in return."

Before she could respond back, T'aidell was distracted by an encounter with another Verusk and a man with very dark features and eyes black as night. She swiftly turned away from Kelani and ambled to the couple. The svefra awkwardly fell in step behind the woman, following her. "Torturing our entertainers already, Talivindra? I thought you might give it a bit more time, but, alas. Is she bothering you, dear?" she asked, turning on the man. She waited for a reply with her eyebrows quirked. Best not keep the woman waiting.

[/color]

[Nieve Glass]

The noise and smells of the party being set up had attracted Nieve early on. She had heard whispers of strangers being introduced, not human in the slightest, so for once she had thought ahead to preserve her modesty. She flapped lazily as she flew the short distance to the Commons from her tent, her scarf dangling from her mouth.

The cool breeze was delightful as it whisked through her fur, and the flight was all too short in her opinion. Evie tucked her wings in, allowing herself to drop, then flared them out again to slow her descent just before her paws hit the sand. In a swirling of light, she stood naked on two legs.

Picking up the scarf where she'd dropped it, she shook the sand out of it and wrapped it around her waist, securing it with a knot. She had no qualms about being shirtless, especially with the heat of the late afternoon still lingering.

Evie milled around, popping the occasional berry in her mouth as she watched the strange metallic strangers with bright eyes. It wasn't long before Mathias gave a short speech and introduced them; most of it confused Nieve. She didn't know what the World Gate or Pavena was, and to the short-lived Kelvic, the notion that the creatures had existed even before the Valterrian was baffling.

Soon after the introduction, the scaled strangers began to mingle with the crowd. Nieve stood back some, watching; she was bursting with curiosity, but also a sort of caution. Suddenly, two things happened at once. Nieve heard footsteps behind her that she hadn't been aware of before, and a claw-tipped finger lightly touched between her shoulder-blades; right at the center of the triangle that marked her back.

Evie let out an indignant sound as she leaped forward, whirling around to face whoever had just touched her. One of the strangers stood there, face impassive as she watched the Kelvic. Her skin was a lovely shade of yellow-gold, graced with shimmering green highlights; but her eyes were a cool, piercing silver.

"You are marked by Akajia." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Nieve found any fire that had flared up within her wither underneath the gaze of the taller, scaled woman. She was ancient in comparison to the young yowlwing, and Evie could feel it. But the way the Verusk looked at her wasn't quite disdainful, but rather something else that she couldn't place.

"I am," Evie folded her arms defensively over her chest, and the two simply gazed at each other for a long moment, Nieve's pupils expanding until her irises were barely visible discs of green.

"Fascinating," the woman finally hummed. "I am Sinaetri. And you?"

Her demeanour had shifted abruptly; she still seemed slightly aloof, but Sinaetri seemed to have decided something about Nieve, and her posture had loosened ever so slightly. It threw Nieve. "Uhm, Nieve," she introduced herself, haltingly.

"I must admit, Nieve, I do have a fondness for cats." Sinaetri's brow quirked ever so slightly. So Sinaetri had seen her arrive. Nieve wasn't sure if she was being mocked or not, so she simply inclined her head cautiously. She'd never dealt with anyone quite like the woman in front of her before.

"Then you have no qualms with hosting me." Another statement, and this time Nieve stared at the woman, baffled. She hadn't been planning on hosting any of the Verusk, and she was stunned that the woman had asked - or rather, demanded.

"Well...no. If you want to stay with me, I don't have any issues with it." Evie finally spoke.

"Wonderful. If you'll excuse me, I do wish to mingle with some other of your people. Fascinating lot." The last part was a murmur that seemed mostly directed at herself, and with that Sinaetri breezed by with near silent steps, leaving Nieve dazed.

Shaking her head, she slunk back over to the food table, popping a few more berries in her mouth, gaze sweeping around for someone she could talk to. Every so often, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and without fail she would find Sinaetri's pale gaze on her. The evening was already turning out to be very strange.

[Satevis]

Satevis would not have missed the celebration of the survival of the Valterrian, not even had the Founders not been introducing the Verusk to the settlement, but he doubted he would have arrived so early without the promise of that introduction. He had been following the proceedings as closely as he was able, after returning from the jungle with Aladon, Anibesa, Ialari and the others. The Ethaefal, currently in his Benshira mortal seeming, stood apart from the rest of the group, however, standing at the edge of the gathering as he watched the strangers gathered with Mathias on the stage.

The plan was interesting - to have the Verusk be housed be residents of Syka for a season. Satevis could see the reasoning behind it, and he found himself toying with the idea of hosting a Verusk himself. It would make for an interesting season, and it would allow him to learn about their culture more closely. It would also not be the first time that Satevis had found himself with a roommate, out of necessity. But this wouldn't be the same as offering a teenage, shipwrecked Vantha a place to sleep for a few nights. A season was a long time to consider living with a stranger. And Satevis was painfully aware that his worldly possessions amounted to a large amount of unused land and a four person tent.

Still, it was a unique experience, and one that he would be remiss to not at least consider.

He listened to the Verusk step forward and introduce themselves, a drink in his hand. The strangers immediately dispersed into the crowd, some of them latching on to other residents almost immediately. Satevis sipped at his drink, watching as a red-scaled Verusk made conversation with a copper-skinned, black-eyed resident that he had never met before. He watched their encounter with interest, the memory of his mortal form tugging at him as he studied the markings on the Chaktawe's face.

Kalanue... The word, surfacing suddenly in his mind was strong - it must have been attached to a significant memory. The raven tribe...

"Are you looking at Talivindra?" a woman's voice asked, drawing him out of his thoughts. "Don't bother. She has her head in the clouds."

Satevis turned his attention away from the Chaktawe and his companion, glancing at the woman next to him. One of the Verusk. Silvery scales, marked with green, and messy black hair. She had her arms folded, and looked as though she'd rather be anywhere else but here at this moment.

"The two of you don't get along?" Satevis asked.

The woman shrugged. "Let's just say we have two different ways of looking at the world. She thinks that everything should be artistic and beautiful."

"And you?" Satevis asked.

"I'll settle for things that aren't trying to kill me," she said. "Or boring as petch."

Satevis smiled slightly, in spite of himself. Her language was rough, but he had to admit, in some ways, she reminded him of someone he knew. The moon bead was warm against his skin as he nodded at her. He inclined his head towards the people in front of them. "Shouldn't you be out there, though? Trying to find a host?"

The woman cocked her head to the side, giving her a look as if he had gone insane. "I told you, didn't I? Boring. Besides, I'm talking to you."

"You are," Satevis said. A thought struck him, and he extended his hand towards her. "My name is Satevis. I'm an apprentice at the Panacea."

The woman frowned at his hand suspiciously before taking it. "Seraya." She frowned at him. "You were one of the ones on the expedition?"

"I was," Satevis said, releasing her hand. "No hard feelings, I hope?"

Seraya shrugged. "Hey, it had nothing to do with me." She looked around at the gathered crowd, considering something, then nodded as if to herself and looked back at Satevis. "They say you get land for settling here. Five acres. Is that true?"

"It is," Satevis said, "At least for now, while there's land to be claimed."

"You have one of those?"

"I do."

"Right." Seraya nodded, unfolding her arms and resting her hands on her hips. "I'll room with you, then."

[Tailyn]

Tai was in the mood for a festival. She had had a lousy morning. Lucky had bitten her hand hard enough for it to bleed during his first feeding of the morning, and Sisi and Nobody had both collectively decided to be completely and utterly stubborn today and had refused to do any training at all. And Blue had somehow managed to get into Tai’s backup supply of treats and scattered it all around the campsite. Frankly, Tai needed a chance to relax, and the Spring First celebration was the perfect time to do it.

Blue had come along of course, as was her standard. She was highly curious on the coming and goings of the people of Syka, and she chattered excitedly at a near constant pace, head turning here and there to watch as people moved from place to place.

Tai snatched a few pieces of fruit to keep Blue busy and keep her from getting up to trouble and fed them to the bird slowly as the crowd of people swelled around them. It seemed as though everyone in Syka had arrived for this event. As they should have; the celebration of the survival of the valterian didn’t come around every day!

The ambiance of the festival eased Tai towards a state of both relaxation and eager anticipation. As Matthias spoke to the crowd, Tai looked at the group of newcomers with a bird-like curiosity. Verusk, eh? In her younger days, the woman might have been a bit xenophobic as much of the Inarta were.

Her time in Riverfall had smashed many of her preconceived notions about other races. You could only spend so much time around dual personalitied blue skinned men before you learned to adapt. Besides, the bright colors of the Verusk were very pleasing to look at, even if the shapes of their bodies were a little bit odd.

After the introductions were complete, the party started to get into full swing. Tai mingled a little, but found herself feeling uncharacteristically out of depth. Maybe it had been the rough morning. Conversations spluttered out without much effort. As Tai walked towards the beach, she edged her way away from the crowds, but hesitated as she spotted a solitary figure sitting on the beach.

It was one of the Verusk. He had one of the most striking colors of those that had been introduced, and his bright red and gold coloration stood out like a beacon in the dim light. It was easy to remember his name. Abanath, hadn’t it been? He appeared to be concentrating intently on something in his hands that Tai couldn’t quite make out.

Not wanting to break his concentration, Tai turned away, but didn’t notice Blue’s intent concentration on the verusk. Before Tai could react, the bird had launched herself from Tai’s shoulder and landed beside the verusk. A moment later she had snatched something out of his hands then alighted back onto her master’s shoulder.

“Blue!” Tai said, agast. She held out her hand to the bird. “Give it here.” Whatever the bird had taken from the verusk was not as interesting as Blue had originally thought and the bird spat the object into Tai’s hand without complaint. Puzzled, Tai held the object up to the light. It was a small, metal object with small protrusions extending from it. A gear?

Tai looked up from the object to see the verusk making his way towards her. Tai would have expected anger, or at least irritation, but Abanath was all smiles.

“Does your bird have an interest in gadgetry?” The verusk chuckled. “I could teach it a few thing if it’s really interested.”

“Um, sorry,” Tai said, handing the object back to the verusk. “She’s a bit of a brat. I don't know what to do with her sometimes.”

The verusk accepted the gear back from Tai with his right hand. On his arm Tai could see an intricate pattern of gears marking the majority of his arm. It struck Tai that the verusk seemed much more youthful than the rest of the verusk.

“Abanath, wasn’t it?” Tai offered. “I’m Tailyn. Call me Tai. The brat is Blue.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Abanath said, stashing the gear in a pouch at his waist. “You can make the theft up to me by hosting me.”

Tai blanched, which prompted a laugh from the verusk. “I promise not to be too much work,” he told her.

Tai considered for a moment. “Yeah sure. Why not? The tent is big enough for two. So long as you don’t mind birds. I keep parrots.”

“I don’t mind,” Abanath replied.

Tai smiled at the verusk, then turned back towards the crowd. “Maybe the pair of us should mingle a little. Don’t want to be the only antisocial pair out here.”

“Good point,” Abanath agreed, and together the two turned back to the crowd. Tai’s eyes roamed across a chaktawe, sverfra, and two verusk engaged in discussion and her eyes eventually fell on a half-naked kelvic girl lingering near the food table. The girl’s appearance tickled a memory of something Randal had told her, and Tai greeted her.

“You’re Nieve, right? Randal mentioned you to me. My name’s Tailyn.”

“I’m Abanath,” Tai’s verusk shadow added.

[Nayato]

OOCMainly used this post as a means of claiming Nay's plot of land/making that location write up. Hope I played the founders right. So, forgive the lack of interaction with with actual PCs.

Nayato didn’t want Talivindra to be wearing the exact same face markings as himself, so dipped his finger back into the herbal paste again to draw a horizontal line running along her eyes. “The main reason behind this is to keep the sun from our eyes, so in truth should be placed this way when not just ‘for show'.” Nayato said as he then slid the boxes of her make shift make-up back towards Talivindra.

The back of Nayato's hands were loosely laid on the top of the table. He did so when he sat alone to keep from muffling them against a hardened surface. The black freckles on his fingertips were pulsing with a deluge of movement as the crowd on the Commons were shifting the air, causing him to grow irritated from the constant sense of shifting motion. To someone who was not a Chaktawe, it was like constantly trying to listen to a whisper on a windy day; doable, but unclear.

His eyes moved towards T'aidell when she got close to the table, the newest disruption in the air close to him, watching the the Verusk female approach. Talivindra then scoffed at T'aidell's comment. The woman then responded for Nayato as he was about to speak up. "He loves my company, he even decided to grace me with the symbols of his people. And we make the marking look good." Talivindra spoke with a playful hint of vanity as she waited for Nayato to back her up.

He looked towards everyone, but paused on Kelani who seemed to be just there. Then shifted his obsidian eyes back to T'aidell. "I'd say she's been an unexpected surprise. But, not a bother."

“Why don’t you make yourself available?” Talivindra suddenly started to sing in harmony with the music being played by Juli. Her voice flowing with a grace that proved why she’d been marked by Rhaus. “After aaalllll, we’re all in this together… Isn’t that right, Mathias and Randal?”

The woman called out towards the founders Nayato had mentioned. The Chaktawe looked confused at the sudden musical outburst, but was also quite impressed by just how outstanding the Verusk’s vocal capabilities were. His eyes glancing towards Kelani as if to ask 'what the petch is going on?' with the expression on his face.

Talivindra stood up to then gesture at the Chaktawe to either sing or go talk to the two men. And given the situation, It was as good a time as any to introduce himself. He gave both Randal and Mathias nod in greeting as Talivindra still continued to sing right behind him. "Introduce yourself, feel the love from the crowd." Nayato turned to look at her over his shoulder, then turned back to find Randal holding out a hand to shake.

"You? I saw you on the beach earlier. The one who arrived on the back of a Wind Eagle? You know how to make quite an entrance." Nayato reached out the palm of his free hand to shake Randal's hand out of respect. "I'm finding that all of my entrances have been involuntary grand as of late." He said while gesturing a head towards the singing woman behind him. "Anyway... My name is Nayato. I've come here to try to make a home for myself here in the jungle and help the city grow. As is Sylir's goal for the world. And while I am just a squire, I wish to uphold the growth of civilization here."

Nayato then offered the same gesture to Mathias to shake his hand. Mathias was careful in shaking Nayato's hand as if he knew that the freckles covering a Chaktawe fingertips were sensitive to being covered, and that his people were typically Guarded. The older of the two Founders than spoke up with a smile. "Wonderful. It looks like you have the tools to build over by your dog and we will offer land for you to build so long as you can contribute to the settlement."

Nayato then noticed that Talivindra had stopped singing to listen to what exactly her new friend could do. "I have worked as a Wilderness guide for most of my life in the desert. I can offer to explore or make traveling from place to place more safe, hunting; I'm great with a bow, and will also work on my ability to craft remedies with plants to aid the settlements health."

Talivindra then chimmed in as she appeared to hug Nayato around his neck from behind to lean her chin on his shoulder that wasn't blocked by his arrow quiver. "Don't worry darlings, I am an excellent artisan. Ask anyone... ask Seraya. She loves everything I make. Or Kiveth. I can help Nayato get a home up and going... And it will be magnificent! Maybe a garden on the roof. or a tree carved with flowers. Did I mention I'm good at making remedies out of plants? How do you think I hardly look a day over three hundred?" The woman said as she started to sing while contemplating the craft of a home with far too many palatial details.

Randal then seemed to quirk a brow at this as he just found his newest best friend in the construction business. Mathias then chuckled to himself as he liked what he heard. "We can get you all set up with a plot of land later, but for now enjoy the party. I await great things from you. Can't wait to see them."

Nayato then left the Founders to their own devices as he and Talivindra moved to stand by Kelani and T'aidell to continue their the conversation.

[Ialari Pythone]

Late in the morning of what would be a unique celebration, Ialari awoke in her bed in a rather odd position. She was sitting up, her metallic arm held out in front of her and her hand clenched as if she were choking someone. She was drenched in sweat, her hair soaked with it. As her senses began acknowledging that she was awake, in her room and that whatever she'd just experienced had been a dream, she lowered her arm and took a deep breath. "A nightmare...just a nightmare..." She softly repeated as if trying to convince herself.

Slowly and with a bit of soreness filling her body, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, ran her hands through her wet hair and carefully moved to stand. The nightmares, a regular occurrence for a few years now, were never easy to adapt to nor could they be planned for. Sometimes she had them, other times she slept comfortably. Walking around the ranchero a bit, she stretched her legs and shook away the effects of a restless sleep. She walked over to her worktable where sat a small bowl of fruit, jerky and a pitcher of water. After drinking deeply from the pitcher and nibbling on the jerky, she devoured an orange before walking outside onto the wrap around deck. Sliding into the water below, she washed away the sweat from her body and enjoyed the feeling of the warm, refreshing water.

When she was finished, she went back inside and prepared to spend the rest of the day socializing; not something she did all that often. Ialari dressed herself lightly in her black silk loincloth and a collection of seashell necklaces that hung just right as to barely obscure her breasts. She secured her loincloth with her belt and checked to make sure she had a couple specific things in her pouch. In it she put a handful of mizas and her pair of bone dice. Before heading off, she pulled a small vial from its holder on her worktable. Removing the stopper, she brought it to her nose and smelled the contents; mango oil. Dabbing a tiny bit of the oil on her neck, she put the stopper back on the vial and returned it to the stand. For some reason she had the rare desire to have a little different scent. It dawned on her that she should probably mix up some actual perfume some time.

She left home to wander about the settlement before the celebration began. She didn't really do anything of note before it was about time for the festivities. When she arrived at the commons, people were already gathering.
Realizing that she was going to need to loosen up a bit more, she made sure to partake in a drink to get started. As she looked around, she noted the various settlers who were showing up for the party. Some she was familiar with, others not so much. One thing that amazed her were the number of pets that people brought with them. It caused her to miss her own animal companions who were not currently with her in Syka. She knew however that very soon she would be reunited with them.

Ialari saw Satevis, whom she was already familiar with. There were others however that were not known to her. A coppery-skinned man with dark hair and strange eyes, a young woman with a bright blue scarf on her head, a svefra woman, a half-naked, tanned-skin woman with freckles and a girl with fiery-red hair. While there were of course others gathering, these were the ones that initially caught her attention. That of course was in addition to the even stranger group that stood with Randal and Mathias, the Verusk.

Ialari recalled for a moment her initial encounter with their kind. It was a unique meeting that she wouldn't soon forget. As the crowd of settlers grew, and Mathias called for their attention, Ialari stood with a drink in her hand, she felt a tingle of anticipation at what the settlement founder had to say. When he finally shared the purpose of the great gathering and what was to be celebrated, Ialari couldn't help but smile at the thought of what the future held for Syka now that the Verusk were there. Their help with Pavena would be priceless and the things that could be learned from them equally as great.

The concept of living with, teaching and learning from the newcomers was a fascinating one. As Mathias introduced the Verusk, Ialari observed with great interest, the countless variations in their appearances. While they all had the scaled patterning to their skin, the array of colors they supported were quite varied from one to another. Of course she'd met or at least had seen most of them in some capacity when the group she was with discovered the World Gate, however it was under different circumstances and there hadn't been a lot of time to really get to know each others.

She recognized some of their names although one stood out from the others, Kajun'tar. Ialari had already spoken to him before although the situation was much different than the present one; he was roughed up a bit and tied to a tree before being interrogated. Bronze skin, extremely short hair with blue-green coloring around his eyes and down to his cheeks with luminescent green eyes. His pointed ears, with their extra membrane and very fine, almost invisible tufts of hair at the tips completed the exotic features of his face. Dressed now in a simple, light-blue, linen robe, he was slender and tall, Ialari saw him in a much different light than she had on their first meeting.

When the introductions were over and the celebrating began, Ialari allowed herself to open up a bit and be a little less stoic. It helped that she had a couple of drinks in her and the joyous atmosphere created by the music and dancing didn't hurt. With a bit of a dancing sway to her step, Ialari made her way around the Commons. She allowed herself to smile and even laugh a bit although, Ialari being Ialari, there was a slight hollow feeling to it all. It was as if there was something missing; there was always something missing.

As she moved about the room, she engaged in small talk with anyone who wished to talk and danced with anyone looking to dance. She wasn't much of a dancer really but it didn't stop her from trying. As she had in the past when she tried to dance, she envisioned the way some snakes moved when they were mating. Slowly swaying, curling, undulating, she tried to adapt it to her own movements while trying to maintain a pace and rhythm that matched the music. How successful she was didn't really matter though as she was trying to enjoy herself.

Eventually she made her way closer to Kajun'tar whom she spotted standing off to the side. He looked more out of place than Ialari felt when she lived among the undead of Sahova. As she approached him, she tried to be somewhat nonchalant about it; slowly swaying and shimmying as she danced by herself closer and closer. Finally she stood next to him, drink still in hand, watching others dance, laugh and sing.

Still watching the others, she said to Kajun'tar, trying to manage her accent as best as she could, "I take it you don't like gatherings?"

Kajun'tar, watching the others as well, replied in a smooth, deep voice, "I take you don't either?" Ialari's attempts at pretending, while unnoticeable to those who didn't know her very well, were obvious to one who spent their lives observing things.

"Am I that transparent?" Ialari asked while finally glancing up to Kajun'tar. While he wasn't abnormally tall, he was a giant compared to her with his six foot height compared to her five foot.

Kajun'tar looked down and said, "When you smile, it looks like it hurts." He then looked back to the crowd. Kajun'tar shifted a bit in place. Being so close to Ialari was uncomfortable. Already uncertain around females, he felt awkward around the new-to-him women in Syka. They dressed in so little and from what he was observing, many had difficulties with personal space. Ialari was barely wearing any clothing and as an isur, her complexion and physique, while baring a number of scars, was near perfect. Not wanting to embarrass himself in such a setting, Kajun'tar stood as still as he could while trying not to reveal his discomfort.

Ialari took Kajun'tar's comment in stride yet his comment wasn't far from the truth. It was hard for her to genuinely smile, even when she felt like doing so. Suddenly, she began to feel a bit awkward. Ialari wasn't exactly oblivious about other people either. Glancing at Kajun'tar, she noticed how stiffly he stood and how he had trouble looking at her or any one else around for any length of time. When he was looking, it was uncomfortably long followed by a quick looking away.

Ialari blurted out, "You know what? I need another drink. You want one? Yes, you want one." With that she quickly walked to a nearby table where a couple of bottles of some unknown alcoholic substance sat. She grabbed one of the bottles and an extra cup and returned to Kajun'tar.

Quickly pouring him a drink and refilling her own, she thrust the cup into his hand. "Here, this will help...both of us."

Ialari gulped hers down almost immediately while Kajun'tar sniffed at his before taking a sip. It had the burn of alcohol with a blend of various flavors of fruit. He sipped some more while Ialari looked at him and shook his her head in disbelief.

"Ok, a couple things. First, I'm not leaving you a choice, you are going to stay with me and learn what it is to live her. I figure I owe you one for earlier near the gate." Three or so drinks into the celebration, Ialari was finally feeling looser. Although most isur could hold their own with alcohol rather well, Ialari's tolerance for it had never been all that great. "Second, I'm going to pretend to be social and try not to hurt myself. I'll give you a few moments to knock of few of those back and loosen up before I come back. Then, ready or not, you are going to dance with me so we both don't look like we're having our fingernails pulled out. Got it?" Ialari didn't give Kajun'tar time to respond as she thrust the bottle in his hand and left to find someone else to talk to.

Kajun'tar had a stunned look on his face as he watched Ialari walk back toward the gathering of people. The isur woman was nothing like what his past studies had taught him. Granted, the information he researched was more than 500 years old but he had trouble thinking that it could have been so wrong. There were so many things that he'd observed about her since their first meeting that only served to create a strange aura of mystery around her. As nervous as he was about the prospect of spending more time with her in this strange new world, he had a feeling that it could be a rather informative venture if nothing else. Plus, he hated to admit it, she was quite attractive even if there was something off about her. He took another sip from his cup before refilling it.

[Nieve Glass]

At some point, someone had taken the liberty of shoving a glass into Nieve's hand, saying something about having fun before whisking off. They were right; she should be enjoying herself, but the interaction with Sinaetri had left her feeling out of balance and off-kilter.

Evie sniffed slightly, the smell of alcohol wafting strongly from the cup she held, layered underneath a sweet and tart mixture of fruits. Since being introduced to alcohol in Syka, she'd found herself fond of it, though it didn't take much to get her drunk. The fruity drinks were her favourite.

Taking a small sip, Nieve relished the fruity taste rolling on her tongue before swallowing, the burn of alcohol merely an afterthought. It only took a few sips for her to begin to relax. She was ready to go and mingle, perhaps dance some, when she was caught off guard by a redheaded woman approaching her, who apparently already knew her name.

Randal had mentioned her? That drew a smile out of Nieve, her cheeks flushing warmly. "Yes, that's me. It's nice to meet you. Both of you," She added, remembering her courtesies as she glanced over to the Verusk who accompanied Tai.

The vibrantly coloured bird perched on the woman's shoulder caught her attention. "What sort of bird is that?" Nieve questioned. "It's a beautiful colour." She was tempted to reach a hand out, but kept her distance. Animals almost always picked up on the fact that she wasn't human, and birds usually weren't fond of her, recognizing her as the potential predator she was.

Tailyn barely had a chance to respond before suddenly Sinaetri appeared behind the red-haired woman and the other Verusk. Evie glanced up to her, questioningly. The music had changed tunes, and the golden and green Verusk seemed determined.

"Come. Even I know when it is time to have fun. Dance with me." It was a command, not a request, and Nieve was beginning to realize that was Sinaetri's way of doing things. Draining the last of her drink, she allowed the dark-haired Verusk woman to take her arm.

At the last second as she was led away, Nieve reached out and snagged one of Tailyn's hands with her own, offering a bright, sharp smile. "Come on, you should join us!" She directed the words both at Tai and Abanath, dragging the fiery-haired woman along behind her provided she didn't put up resistance.

Sinaetri led them to the area where most people had gathered to dance, dropping Nieve's arm and beginning to sway her hips. She seemed to fall into the rhythm of the music right away, her movements restrained yet graceful.

Nieve instantly felt out of place next to the woman. She had no idea how to dance; but then, neither did a lot of the people around her judging by the looks of it. Besides, she was there to have fun. Throwing caution to the wind, Nieve tried her best to imitate Sinaetri, swaying and rolling her shoulders, raising her arms above her head.

She could have sworn she heard a chuckle from the Verusk, but when she glanced at her, her face was as impassive as ever. "Like this," the scaled woman said, reaching out to rest a clawed hand on one of Nieve's hips and directing her slightly.

The music shifted again after a few moments, becoming more lively, and Evie spun around; should Tailyn have followed, she reached out for one of the girl's hands, beginning to bounce on the balls of her feet as she twisted her hips. She tossed her head, her curls flying around her face as she began a more energetic version of the movements she'd just been doing, a laugh escaping her.

As she danced, Nieve allowed her gaze to wander slightly. There were plenty of people she didn't recognize still; a man with strange black eyes talked with a woman and two Verusks, and...oh! A short woman weaved her way through the crowd, half-dancing, with an arm like Aladon's, albeit a different colour.

She was curious, but also having fun at the moment, so she let her gaze drift away. A grin played at her lips as she tried to coax at the shadows cast by the torches to come and dance with her, watching as they seemed to flicker of their own volition, laughing at her.