The Oracle
Second Passage of the Rain Moon
Licking Trees
The children of Aranor have come upon a new pastime – licking trees.
“Young, smooth-skinned maples often do this,” said Kima, a specialist in Old World flora. “The sap bleeds out on warm days, and when it cools, it forms a sheen on the bark. A warm tongue is just enough to dissolve the sugars.”
She went on to explain that this phenomenon has been known to peasant children for as long as can be remembered – but it just now is becoming common knowledge to city children.
“What they haven’t discovered yet are maple icicles,” she said. “When conditions are just right, some will leak enough sap to form icicles on the branches. These can be plucked from the branches by anyone daring enough to climb the trees, and make for a delicious snack.”
Tania
Jeddan Pirate Causes Furor
Jedda, over the last moon, has been troubled by pirates. Now they have one of their own.
Late last moon, the town of Nanaila was struck in a night raid. The attackers were a mix of rogue Shai-kan, Yoru-Ken, and Shotai warriors – possibly the first time all three warrior classes have worked in unison. They made off with much in the way of goods and captives.
The stand-in Emperor, who has been gaining a reputation as a level-headed man, has apparently broken, ordering ships to scour the seas surrounding Jedda in an effort to find the pirates. The search is being concentrated to the north, where a mass of islands affords secure hiding places.
Though the pirate captain's name is not yet known, the Emperor of Irutoka has promised to have him caught and executed before the space of a moon has passed.
Lord Kieran
Fae Language ‘School’ To Open
With fae encounters increasing in frequency, people are beginning to look for solutions to the problem. You can purchase ‘Fae Charms’ at various curiosity shoppes throughout Aranor, said to ward away faeries of all kinds. And numerous self-proclaimed ‘faerie experts’ espouse various methods for dealing with fae. Most experts agree that such tactics are useless – nothing but a way for charlatans to make gold.
Now, however, a more realistic approach is being offered.
“Old Tongue is one of the most difficult languages to learn,” said Sarandel, the seventy-year old sage who heads up the school. He has chosen eight teachers, all former adventurers, and is offering classes in Old Tongue at the Temple of Ita. The teachers are young, and are trying to give the classes an exciting, youthful appeal. Old Tongue has long been stuck with the reputation of a stuffy, incomprehensible subject.
“The language doesn’t have many words,” said Anna, one of the teachers. “But it requires a new mind-set. It’s a language of emotion and immediate feelings, rather than concepts and temporal projections.”
Sarandel and the other teachers hope that the language could be used to avoid potential disasters. They even envision a market for ‘translators’ to accompany caravans and hunters.
“This is all fine and well,” said Brant, a huntsman who has encountered fae numerous times. “But try speaking Old Tongue to Sarandel. He’s obviously never actually met or spoken with fae. It’s all book learning, and that won’t do any good when someone actually meets a troll. This is nothing but a charismatic teacher gathering a group of followers – and misleading the public in the process.”
“Sarandel is a mysterious man,” Anna countered. “I’m sure he has spoken to fae, but that’s beside the point. The point is that some of us have spoken with fae, and as former adventurers, all of us have at least seen a faerie before-- that’s more than most people can say.”
The classes will be offered all summer long at the Temple.
Tirian
To the Oracle Collection-- Year Five