Whilst wandering around this month in my favorite Air Lord fashion, I was approached by a humble human named Shokufeh who imparted to me much interesting information about a prominent threat to Achaea. I have no idea why I was selected for this message, but upon hearing it I dare to repeat it to all of you.

Knowing full well that not all of us in our world would agree to trust Shokufeh, I have chosen to pass on this conversation to you, because I do trust her. There was something about her calm demeanor and openness that brought me to trust her. And so I share this with you all, in the hopes that you would be informed and able to make your own decision should the time ever arise that we must act.

Shokufeh arrives from the southwest.
Shokufeh says, "Moonrise, adom. Peace."

Shokufeh (female Human).
She is 403 years old, having been born on the 5th of Glacian, 364 years after the fall of the
Seleucarian Empire.
She is unranked in Achaea.
She is an extremely credible character.
She is not known for acts of infamy.
She is considered to be approximately 0% of your might.
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She is a human. Long, kinked black hair, slightly unbrushed, and large, brown eyes darker than her
complexion. She smiles frequently for no apparent reason, and has a passive, unhurried demeanour.
She displays curiosity and reflects silently, sometimes for moments, on nearly everything her gaze
finds. Her skin contains no tattoos, and the single piece of jewelry she wears is a golden wrist
bangle which reads "Taarek-e Daanya" in calligraphy. About 160 cm in height, stick-thin but lithe,
she dances or floats on her feet as she travels. Her feet are rough and calloused.

She is wearing:
shimmering white robes.
Containers:
a canvas backpack.
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You say in a calm and quiet voice, "I do not undersand."

Shokufeh says, "It is good to see the lord in this area."

Shokufeh smiles gently.

Deepest Stygian night steals over the land as the symbolic hourglass empties and turns, ready to
begin a new day.
It is now the 25th of Phaestian, 768 years after the fall of the Seleucarian Empire.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Why is that?"

Shokufeh says, "I am named Shokufeh. My people revere all life, and revel in its many diverse forms.
The adom I have not seen here before."

Shokufeh lifts her hands, palms skyward, and she smiles gently.

You smile and say in a calm and quiet voice, "Your people as in humans? I sense no city affiliation
on you. Do you mean your people, the rogues?"

The ferry shoves off as Gareth, the ferryman begins rowing out to sea with powerful strokes.


Shokufeh says, "I was returning from my vigil out on the beach regarding the stars. The Peaceful
haven, once a temple of Oneiros Oda of old, is the place where I reside."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Very interesting, did you learn much? I have always been
fascinated with the stars."

Shokufeh says, "I am of the Many Colours. In brief, I have been appointed as an overwatch against
the chaotic entity which legend says raped Maya oda."

You tilt your head and listen intently to Shokufeh.

Shokufeh says, "Not all keys are of metal and bone, lord elemental."

You nod your head emphatically.

Shokufeh makes a sincere smile, but one also filled with undisclosed information.

Shokufeh says, "Moonrise, adom. Peace."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Peace to you as well. thank you."

Shokufeh says, "And so I say to you, lord each, as long as the stars shine at night, Achaea is
relatively safe and unobserved."

Shokufeh glances upward into the heavens, satisfied.

Gazing up to the darkened firmament, you scan the sky and see a prominent constellation:

. .
* *
. . ..
. . . * .
.. . . * *.
. . . .
: .. * . .*
* . *.
.. ..


You say in a calm and quiet voice, "May I ask, is being observed a bad thing? Who would do the
observing?"

Shokufeh says, "Should the stars wink out, it signals the encroachment of the forsaken Realm upon
the Divine Lands. Best find me at that time, please."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "If they should wink out, I would try to absorb my panic and
remember you."

Shokufeh says, "I hope that my words will not detain the lords in their industry, but there is a
great, long weave to be told, one that has lasted centuries, and one impactful upon Achaea. It has
to do with something my people term "Power signatures.""

You nod your head emphatically.

You tilt your head and listen intently.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "This great long weave to be told regarding 'power signatures'.
Is there an appointed time for it to be told? Should I herald that time to the other lords?"

Shokufeh says, "Power Signatures. Please, come to the beach, both of the adomha, if they would. it
might all begin best there."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Now?"

Shokufeh says, "Adom is sir. Adomha, sirs."

Shokufeh says, "Just a few steps down to the shore. if this is not convenient, we could speak later,
or here."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Now is convenient for me."

Shokufeh says, "Come then."

Shokufeh beckons.

You begin to follow Shokufeh.

You follow Shokufeh south to Alongside fishing boats.

Shokufeh climbs atop the old boat in the morning sun. She smiles softly.

Shokufeh says, "Soon we will have a visitor."

You nod your head emphatically.

A white-winged sandpiper hops in from the north.

Shokufeh says, "When he appears, tell to me everything you note about him. it is not a test."

Shokufeh says, "There!"

Shokufeh points at the sandpiper.

Brindolyn arrives from the north.

Shokufeh says, "Moonrise, nu-me. Peace."

Brindolyn says with a thick, Dwarvish accent, "Hello."

Shokufeh bends her knees and lowers her gaze in greeting.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Shokufeh this is Brindolyn, my love. Love this is Shokufeh."

Brindolyn says with a thick, Dwarvish accent, "Very nice to meet you!"

Brindolyn smiles brightly.

Shokufeh says, "I am named Shokufeh. All are welcome, and I own no property."

Shokufeh says, "Lord elemental? Tell to me please what you saw regarding the visitor?"

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "I so no visitor yet."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Other than a white-winged sandpiper."

Alongside fishing boats.
Dawn rises upon a cloudless sky, the dim, reddish rays of the sun shining down upon the land. A few
fishing boats have been pulled ashore here, one with an anchor visible off to the side and its sail
still raised. Timeworn and seasoned, marks smudge the boats from which the old paint has peeled,
leaving them patchy in colour. Deep ruts in the sand beneath the boats lead to the sea, marring the
pristinely smooth sand all around. The contours of a town are visible a short distance to the west,
with a few murmurs of human voice and the tantalising smells of cooking fires drifting upon the wind.
A weathered fishing boat is grounded upon the sand. A piece of bleached driftwood has washed ashore
here. Shokufeh is here. Brindolyn Xanatov, Merchant Librarian is here. She wields an efflorescent
deep sea fishing pole in both hands.
You see exits leading north and southwest.

Shokufeh smiles softly, asking, and also smiles at Brindolyn.

Shokufeh says, "Just so! And look, his footprints in the sand got washed away, no sign that he had
ever been!"

A white-winged sandpiper hops in from the north.

His small, rounded body covered with tawny feathers, this little bird blends in well with the sand
at a distance. His wingfeathers are snowy-white, with long, spindly legs for wading at the ocean's
edge, and extended bill designed to probe for food beneath the sand. He moves with a slight hopping
motion, leaving a trail of shallow, forked tracks behind him.
A white-winged sandpiper does not look particularly dangerous.
He has 100% health remaining.
He weighs about 2 pounds and 8 ounce(s).
You see nothing in it.

Shokufeh smiles again, then becomes more solemn. She sees the sandpiper and points to it.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "I see him, he is small, round, covered in feathers, he blends
well."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "He hops about, leaving a trail."

Shokufeh says, "I like this description, adom. Thank you. You are a wonderful observer. May I ask---.
"

Shokufeh says, "Who would travle the wide Divine Lands to come here to find this bird?"

Shokufeh looks at Brindolyn as well, attempting to engage her.

A white-winged sandpiper hops away to the southwest, leaving a trail of prints behind him.

Brindolyn says with a thick, Dwarvish accent, "His mate."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Precious few I would think, only the most adamant of bird lovers.
"
You have emoted: Alessandro smiles wisely at Brindolyn.

You say to Brindolyn in a calm and quiet voice, "Their mate might qualify as an adamant bird lover!
hehe."

Shokufeh says, "Fair enough, I like both answers. Would it be reasonable to say that the bird is
almost beneath notice, of no consequence to us? Not good food, no impact on our adventures, and such
like?"

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "It is a part of Nature and has its purpose as do all things in
Nature."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "But yes, it would be reasonable to say that."

Brindolyn blurts out "oh, but he is company. a fellow wanderer!"

Shokufeh places her hand on the mast, and then jumps down into the sand, still smiling critically.

Brindolyn says with a thick, Dwarvish accent, "Ah, but I....notice a lot of things others tend to
overlook."

A white-winged sandpiper hops in from the southwest.

Shokufeh pinches thumb and forefinger together. "just so," she admits.

A white-winged sandpiper hops away to the southwest, leaving a trail of prints behind him.

You have emoted: Alessandro observes and listens to Shokufeh.

You have emoted: Alessandro watches the prints tail off.

A white-winged sandpiper hops in from the southwest.

Brindolyn smiles after the little creature and then returns her attention to Shokufeh.

Shokufeh says, "Let me not do more games, however. My point is that almost none come here on purpose
to look for the sandpiper. it goes almost beneath notice. In the grand terms of this Land, its power
signature, according to our people, is near zero."

A white-winged sandpiper hops away to the north, leaving a trail of prints behind him.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "I would agree, yes, even I overlooked it the first time through
and I was asked to look."

Shokufeh says, "Achaea is a place of wonder and diversity, with each soul pursuing a course of her
or his choosing--or so it seems to me. The denizens are generous, and many of these pursuits lead to
power, reward, achievements, aspirations and ambitions come to fulfillment."

You nod your head emphatically.

Brindolyn nods.

Shokufeh nods gently, still smiling.

A white-winged sandpiper hops in from the north.

Shokufeh says, "It is as it should be--a trial for a life we could not otherwise have, no?"

A white-winged sandpiper hops in from the north.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "I could see how it would be understood as such, I agree."

Brindolyn touches the butterflies tattooed on her neck and nods.

Shokufeh says, "My people have known, and watched, for centuries now, a thing that we suppose was
the entity that raped maya Oda of old."

Shokufeh says, "It does not see as we do. It does not see shapes and colours. As a dog or mouse
might hear sounds which I cannot, so this thing senses in ways which are difficult to comprehend."

Brindolyn opens her mouth but then closes it, and continues to listen.

Shokufeh says, "It senses power. it is drawn to power. it feeds on power. it binds living beings and
draws their power. It does not kill; it needs them for sustenance, for a long, long time. it is not
vampyric."

Brindolyn says with a thick, Dwarvish accent, "What does it offer in return for being fed?"

You have emoted: Alessandro studies Shokufeh's words intently.

Shokufeh says, "Right now, Achaea is as a beacon in the planar heavens, radiating immense power,
calling out, "look at us!" The advent of the elemental lords, the dragons, the power leaders..the
deities....all of it, calling out...."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Yet you said we were, as of yet unobserved."

Shokufeh says, "Signaling that here is a great source of power, untapped."

You nod your head emphatically.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "This force, that raped Maya, you believe it will be attracted to
Achaea soon?"

Silver sparks dance across the heavens as the dazzling orb of the sun rushes past Achaea's three
rings, the second brilliantly coruscating at its passing.

Shokufeh says, "That is why I am here. An overwatch, should the entity known as the Lost name come
this way, and attache its Forsaken realm to ours."

Brindolyn shivers slightly at Shokufeh's words.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "That is your purpose, but I must inquire why you tell me these
things. Why are we here talking now?"

Shokufeh says, "We are talking, because it is the desire of our people to protect all life. We are
pacifists, yet we have a solution to an unconventional form of attack upon life here in the Divine
lands."

Shokufeh says, "At that time, it is likely that the proximity of the Forsaken Realm would blot out
the stars, as it tends to replicate lands, and could be difficult to detect."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "If the stars are blotted out, it is a sign that the Lost has
replicated our land and attached its Forsaken realm to ours? Do I understand you correctly?"

Shokufeh says, "The answer I give is to say that the roving plane of the Forsaken realm, out in the
ether of the planar heavens, is not small. Its closeness would probably block out starlight. A guess,
in any case."

You nod your head emphatically.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "What solution do you offer?"

Brindolyn leans forward, intent on the answer.

Shokufeh says, "Achaea will fight. Dunn, Klendathu, Sobriquet...even the deities will fight. They
will try to use their power--against something that absorbs or ingest power."

A white-winged sandpiper hops in from the southwest.

A white-winged sandpiper hops away to the north, leaving a trail of prints behind him.

You nod your head at Shokufeh.

You tilt your head and listen intently to Shokufeh.

Shokufeh says, "Look at me. I am as the sandpiper, and I have been on watch for four hundred years.
I go beneath notice, on purpose. My power signature is as close to zero as I can keep it, and that
is intentional: I am invisible to the Lost Name. My people know this, we all of us use this."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "I noticed that correlation immediately."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "For you are 0% of my power."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Like the sandpiper."

A white-winged sandpiper hops in from the north.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Yet far aged beyond me."

Shokufeh says, "Should the Lost Name come, I am to open the door to the temporary safe place, and
take us all through it. The complete, if temporary absence of power within the Divine lands will
cause the Lost name to move somewhere else. We do not beleive it can be defeated, at least not by
application of power upon it."

Shokufeh nods softly.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "I would not be able to convince the powerful to reduce their
power, so I have to assume you are telling me to use the less powerful among us, as they will be
invisible."

Brindolyn says with a thick, Dwarvish accent, "All? what of those would not follow?"

Shokufeh says, "No no. I am here to help you preserve what you earned. No others should be expected
to walk last, or to even diminish. That is not our way. We wish all to grow and experience life in
fulness according to their own routes."

Shokufeh says, "It means, that I am able to work undetected under the very eyes of the Lost name,
and I am the key to a temporary safe place until the Lost name moves off. Nothing is required of
anyone else, at least until that day..."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "I hear you Shokufeh and I am thankful for your warning, but in
your observations of our kind, knowing well that many of us would fight as you do, you must also
then be keenly aware that many will not trust the veracity of what you say. Should I herald this
plan, that we all must hide in this safe place, many will debate if it is in fact a lure or a trap.
I do not doubt your veracity or good intent, but I ask you, how would I convince them?"

Shokufeh says, "That is the catch, patient elemental lord and dwarven lady, no?"

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "It truly is, and no one would believe me. It strikes me that we
would have to convince even the Divine as you said."

Shokufeh says, "The convincing, especially from one who wields no power, as I am. Today is not that
day yet, as the stars shine. But I try to reach as many adventurers as I can in the meantime. many
will not hear. Both of you two have, and I am grateful."

Splashed with the reflected radiance of the stars, Achaea's outermost ring glitters ghostly pale
against the night sky.

Shokufeh says, "But in the end, each will have their own decision to make, as should be the case. --
of course, there are those in Mhaldor whom I have reached who do not beleive in choice--but that is
all a different matter--."

Shokufeh lifts her hands, palms skyward, and she smiles gently.

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Every world has 3 types of people. The people who hear, believe
and obey. The people who hear, disbelieve or rebel, the people who never hear. how much power do you
feel we need to reduce by to survive this threat? Will one third suffice?"

A white-winged sandpiper hops away to the southwest, leaving a trail of prints behind him.

Shokufeh says, "Lord elemental, I have no idea. truly. I can only hope that we can safely hide
enough people to significantly reduce the power eminating from the land."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "It strikes me that there is yet a fourth group, those who hear,
will believe, but also will avoid going to the safe place in the hopes that they can plunder what is
left behind in our absence."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "Entire cities, if left dormant would be at their mercy."

Shokufeh says, "The configuration of the oasis, which our people sometimes call Respite, is
something unique. it is ready and waiting, with each of eight adobe huts the size of each of the
major cities, awaiting occupation. it is a temporary place, however. I am the key to the planar
door leading to it."

Shokufeh says, "The incursion upon which we base our plan happened like this:."

Shokufeh says, "The Forsaken Realm, populated by demons and a contingent of people who cast their
fealty to the Lost name for power, attached to a planr realm known as Ethos. Everything there was
replicated, even vacant-eyed vendors and merchants who sold nothing.."

Shokufeh says, "The populace was lured into the replicate realm, and from there, power drawn from
them, and none were the wiser."

Shokufeh says, "All of their achievements, rewards, victories--shams--set up in advance for them, so
that they would grow stronger, and thereby provide the Forsaken realm with its sustenance."

Shokufeh says, "One of the Many Colours was in the realm, and she was of no consequence, and we
discovered that she went undetected because the Lost name though she had no vlaue or use."

Shokufeh says, "I will not keep you, but she led them all to a quiet place and the Lost name took
his fabrication emptied of dreamers and departed."

You say in a calm and quiet voice, "I have questions when you are done."

Shokufeh says, "Please do not linger if you must go. I am grateful and reside in the Peaceful haven."

Shokufeh lifts her hands, palms skyward, and she smiles gently.

Shokufeh says, "Come, then, and I will show to you the place of the door, and try to answer
questions."

You entwine the fingers of one hand with Brindolyn's fingers, lacing them together.

You are already following Shokufeh.


You follow Shokufeh north to Peaceful haven.

Shokufeh lifts

Penned by my hand on the 8th of Chronos, in the year 768 AF.