A Change of Scenery
W02: The Light Woods
It's Variday, Callem 27 19:15:54 1020. The full moon is up. The tide is high and ebbing. The night is warm and sultry, and dark clouds hide the stars in patches. Elsewhere they shine brightly. Dew forms on the ground.
The woods between the mists barricading Mictlan and the outlying village of Wilderness Pointe aren't as thick as those firther to the east, but the corruption of the land seems more noticeable the closer one tries to get to Mictlan.
Ga'Elian is in these woods with his griffon, but there are about a half dozen other wild elves visible nearby as well, mostly looking like they're trying to investigate the earth. Ga'Elian mostly stands guard, watching to see that nothing unexpected can threaten his fellows.
Perhaps someone knew that Ga'Elian is standing guard? Or perhaps she merely noted him in the darkness, and inferred his current duties? In any case, a voice behind him suddenly, if softly, inquires, "Have you seen anything interesting tonight?"
Unexpected? Likely. Threatening? Not likely.
Ga'Elian turns to regard the voice. After a momentary pause, he says, smirking, "Not until you came along." He dismounts and says, "Are you quite alright? I mean, is there anything I could provide to make you more at comfort?"
Aya's mouth is lifted at one corner as her head shakes. "I'm well, and comfortable enough at the moment. Perhaps more so than you?" Her eyes pan past him to the others examining, studying, or ... doing whatever it is that they're doing. "I presume they're working to correct ...this?" She gestures a hand vaguely at the deepening mists in the distance.
Ga'Elian nods. "They are. In fact, these are members of my tribe. They are here in advance of the arrival of all those who had not the need to remain behind. Two nights hence, we will undertake a ritual of our people for the purpose of healing the land of this corruption. But what has my curiosity piqued right now is, what is it that brings you away from the City?"
"Interesting," Aya notes of the explanation. "Is it so easily undone? Rumors implied that it could take months or years, perhaps decades for the land to recover..." As for his question, she rolls a shoulder. "After all the unpleasantness in the city recently, I could use a change of scenery. As well, as you implied, I'm not known to be found here."
Ga'Elian smiles, "Well, that's a fair point. I really don't know what effect our ritual might end up having, whether it will suffice to overcome the growing taint entirely, or to merely give the land a chance to catch its breath before renewing the struggle, but although some of this has been coming on for years, a goodly measure of it also seems to be due to two very recent events of tremendous energy that happened in Mictlan. And the healing power of this ritual taps into the ancient fae roots of the Sylvanori. I've seen much smaller-scale versions of it performed back home in my youth, but this is expected to be done on a grand scale such as I have yet to witness. In fact, the Faravanilas isn't the only tribe coming to participate. I just learned that a delegation of Sylvanori elders from a tribe as remote as the jungles near the human city of Sijaan are coming as well."
That makes brows lift. "So many, from so far? The rumors must hold some truth on the severity of the corruption." She glances again at those working in the near-distance and inquires of him, "Should I be concerned that they might assume me to be corruptive somehow?"
Ga'Elian chuckles. "Well, if they knew you were here, I daresay you'd get the old familiar reaction of most Sildanyar toward Mul'niessa. Right now, they're focused on their own investigations and not much on what I might be doing. Anyway, I did warn them that the population around Alexandria is sufficiently diverse to welcome such mul'niessa as accept the rules of local society, by which I mean, those that eschew the ways of Charn, for example. That probably won't make a direct encounter very comfortable, but they are at least nominally informed. Anyway, a change of scenery is often nice. Especially when the usual scenery persists in affronting one." *smirk*
"Ah, good. Prejudice and presumption I'm accustomed to," Aya dips her chin in a nod. "I'd prefer to avoid any directed bodily threats. I can deal with them, as well, but such concerns are a large part of change in scenery."