An Initial Task (Scene 0)

Introduction:
No one in at least a generation has seen The Oracle from a nearness that would allow his identification, only his voice is truly known. He must be old, very old. The elders remember that voice from when even they were younger. From the high desert on the top of a ravine, the Oracle always appears at the same perch, overlooking several established clans. He always begins by holding his staff above his head and gripping its headstone in his left hand. He then inverts the staff and slams the stone onto the ground three times. Each strikes sounds like the peal of a giant gong. He then says, in a voice that carries far greater than one would imagine, "Let all who have ears hear the words of the Gods!"

Generally, everyone does listen. The words of the Oracle hold great portent, but most have learned that there is a pattern. No one really knows why the gods deliver messages in the way that they do. Everything is cryptic and sounds like riddles. The same message is usually delivered more than once but not necessarily sequentially. Some sound like rants, most like warnings. Once a message has been repeated, village elders seek advice from the Seer. The Seer has the favor to ask questions of the gods. The Oracle speaks only what he is told.

Technical Information:
All characters have the talent to Manipulate Waylines (use magic), but none will want this talent to be common knowledge. It is believed to be a gift from the gods and is greatly feared by those who do not have it. There are respected offices for those known to wield such talent, like Oracle, Seer, Healer, and Atoner, having understudies or acolytes beneath them.

At a young age, those seen to demonstrate the gift are most often given up by their parents and relegated to the care and instruction of one of the offices of Healer or Atoner, as an Oracle or Seer tends to live alone and away from the common people. For characters, to be relegated to such, despite the respect, would be a life of sheer boredom; instead, it is a life of adventure and exploration that offers appeal.

An Odd Issue:
There is a vertical crevice between two neighboring villages used to store supplies of grain and root vegetables, because the temperature within the shallow depth is more stable and can protect the food from the burning highs of the open air. This small cave has been used for an entire generation without incident, but recently some creature or creatures have found the store and begun raiding the food. The elders say that this has happened before when they were young, and a few budding youths were sent to locate and eliminate the culprits. The elders are certain that the thieves are animals, probably rodents, and not other people, so youths are sought to investigate the problem.

Loncoyrun, leader of the Hunters from the clan of Orngaddrins, is rather young for his station, but his skill at returning with meat is unmatched. He is aware of his own talent and lacking in social grace because of it. He can be rather petty and egomaniacal. His attempts to joke are often more insult than funny. He points his javelin at Triasen and wobbles it as he speaks. "Triasen will volunteer. The youngest hunter should be enough for a few rats."

Natspru, leader of the Prospectors from the clan of Hebrians, is much older and no longer does much for prospecting, himself. He is always calm and meticulous, lacking much for emotion on his face and in his speech. "The prospectors should aid in this venture, as the loss of food is an important matter. I will offer Aguila to help with this investigation."

The central region is moderate in topography and holds good access to the life-giving river. Farther upstream the land becomes more rocky to eventually host a towering ravine. Monsters are reputed to live there. Farther downstream the desert becomes nothing but sand, waves of inhospitable dunes that can rapidly suck the life from a lost and thirsty traveler. The mountains on the far eastern horizon are capped in snow, though there is no word for or understanding of snow, but it is known that as the white on the mountains fluctuates, so does the flow of the river, giving the idea that it is water in some form.

The members of the party as well as others of various local clans, who will not be directly involved in the mission at hand, are gathered in the Hebrian Settlement, as is a common occurrence. The Oracle, when he appears and speaks, does so from the peak of a small cliff on the other side of the river. As a convenience, the Hebrians are also centrally located to the known settlements.

Eagle will collect as many good (normal) stones as he can, while keeping an eye out for special stones, which radiate invisible energies that he can sense.

Leaving the Hebrian settlement, it is about an hour walk along a well-trod path, toward the Orngaddrin settlement, to the solitary butte, whose facing crevice is large enough to be used for storage. While this may seem to be an excessive distance and not in the least convenient for the retrieval of food, it is the structure of the semi-cave and proximity to two clans that makes its use so desirable. Also the daily fluctuation in temperature is lessened within the cave.

The sandy bottom of the crevice is a relatively flat surface, and the entrance is wide enough to allow three people to walk side by side. It is deep enough to be dark on the inside but not so deep that a person’s eyes cannot adjust, somewhat. Usually the same people take and retrieve items, because they know their exact placement. When greater inspection is needed, there are some branches from a creosote bush at the entrance that can be ignited with a piece of flint. As a bit of a surprise to the investigators, as they stand just outside the opening, thinking on how to proceed, there are faint scraping and clacking sounds coming from within the storage cave.

OOC: Eagle pauses, and signals (silently) to Shaethon that he should throw a lit stone in ahead of him. When the stone lands, it is Eagle's intent to hurl a slingstone at the nearest intruder.

Whatever is making or causing the noise cannot be very large. The sounds are too faint and do not create an echo. To everyone’s assessment, based on attention and past memory, it seems a bit like beetles clambering over stone. "Some beetles do eat plants," comes to mind for everyone.

After signalling to Shaethon, Eagle presses himself onto the rock wall and eases into the mouth of the entrance, momentarily holding his breath and hoping to obscure his presence from whatever is inside. He instinctively feels that there is more he can mystically do, but he can currently find no inner talent to cause it.Likely due to the proximity of the river and the shade that revolves around the butte during the course of the day, some hardy vegetation other than cacti grows around the base. What might grow to obscure the entrace is always cleared by those who use it; but since Shaethon is going to toss an illuminated stone, he switches locations with Triasen so she can take partial cover by the scrubby bush to the right of the entrance. Eagle is just inside on the left.Like the others, Elzian immediately recognizes that it is not other people inside the storage cave. He stands to the left of Shaethon, prepared for whatever reaction is to come from the release of the lighted stone.