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rredmond wrote:Will give Artie a nod, and says "it is wonderfully cryptic as all prayer, instructional or devotional," Will smirks a bit, "but son struck me too, especially with the clarification true son. I wish I knew more about this culture and what the heck was going on down here, especially since the totem, all of a sudden, changed, now - though," Will looks a little uncomfortable again, "Dr. Burton and Mr. Lloyd think that the changes in the totem might be some sort of a hoax, but with everything that's going on, and," Will pauses for just a second, "I've got some experience with hoaxes, it just doesn't strike me as one. That's why I wondered if Catherine could tie it all together." Will then looks apologetically over to Artie, "the totem changed its carvings. You know how it was a lion and a bull? Well now it's a hawk and a dove. And they think they've figured out the translation," Will points to the piece of paper he just gave Monday, and scratches his head, "this wonderfully incomprehensible, and bloody, prayer."

Artie's silent expression moves from surprise to incredulity to curiosity to annoyance, as Will gracefully explains. He then looks over the note. He remembers his dream. "... Lost son," he mutters to himself, remembering the dream.

"Whomever he is, looks like he has to heed the fourteen spirits' words. The hawk and the dove are symbols of war and peace, aren't they? We have two tribes here, one that is allegedly bellicose, and one that looks pacific. Maybe we should inquire about the local religion."

The sun sank low in the sky, and the bellies of the excursion party, fed only on fruits and nuts, growled at the smell of roasting meat. Catherine rejoined the party, clustered around the enthroned Reginald Monday.

"You were right, Simon," she said. "I've learned quite a bit, and I think I understand them pretty well now, so I should be able to translate. They're definitely expecting something, but it's almost like it's not us they are expecting it from."

"What do you mean?" asked Steve.

"It seems that we're harbingers of something. Something tragic, I'm afraid... a war perhaps."

Just then, a group of men wearing elaborate headdress entered the circle around the fire, dancing a sort of merry dance. The others assembled backed away, giving them room. Monday said, "Native dances, they have some meaning, don't they?"

"Generally," replied Catherine. "I wish we could just ask."

"Wouldn't be prudent," said Monday. "We don't want them to realize we have no idea what's going on. Being gods, I suspect we're supposed to know already."

Will's mind racing and obsessing on the 'prayer'. "I wonder if this 'opening of the gate' has anything to do with the tragic events that they feel are to happen?" He thinks aloud. "Or maybe the gate doesn't mean gate, maybe it means 'war' or something? Ah," he tries to keep his voice down, but is obviously frustrated and rubs his forehead, "hell, what if we just ask them to 'take us to the gate'? If they don't know what we're talking about we can pass it off as godlike obtuse requests..."

OOC: Is there seven of us on the surface at this point? the four PCs, Monday, Catherine, and ??? trying to figure out what's up with this darn prayer... also now we're opening it up to get Catherine in on the prayer/totem things going on.

rredmond wrote:"hell, what if we just ask them to 'take us to the gate'? If they don't know what we're talking about we can pass it off as godlike obtuse requests..."

"That's not a bad idea, at least if we're at a loss otherwise..." Artie adds, but his words trailing off as he watches the dance and begins to tap his feet at the rhythm.

Tommy is standing around trying to take in everything that is happening, while keeping an eye on Monday to make sure nothing happens. He is trying to stay as alert as possible considering how long he has been awake, however, he has done it many times before during his time served.

As native drummers picked up the beat, a new group appeared, dancing slowly and in a menacing fashion at the edges of the firelight. As the original group danced in a counterclockwise direction, the new group moved clockwise. The new dancers wore some sort of white makeup over most of their bodies, with large black circles ringing the eyes, and they looked quite grotesque. They were clad only in loincloths, and carried spears.

Seated on the ground in front of Monday and Kordal were a group of the chief's family members. Artie noticed that Kamaria, the chief's mother, was seated before her son, and the young girl who was her guide seemed to be speaking to her. He listened carefully, and heard:

"Now, Mother, the sea devils are circling the Mumba dancers." The old woman nodded.

Just then, the inner ring of dancers suddenly mimed being surprised by the "sea devils," and the latter group fell upon them, stabbing at them with their spears. Steve Vance was on his feet, hand on his gun, before he realized they weren't actually being stabbed. He sat back down, looking sheepish.

The "sea devils" began to dance in circles again, a triumphant dance this time, as the "Mumba" lay in various prone positions within their circle. The drummers assumed a more stately cadence. Every few steps, the "sea devils" would stop and stab at the fallen "Mumba" before continuing on.

Then a new group appeared, wearing multicolored robes and heavy masks. They had a stately bearing to them, and marched in two by two. In their hands they held long rods, and from the end of each hung a long strip of yellow or orange cloth. As they approached the dancing "sea devils," the girl said, "Now the sky gods have arrived, with lightning in their hands." The old woman smiled and nodded again.

The "sky gods" began an intricate dance, splitting apart and dancing around the fire in both directions, weaving around each other while swirling the rods bearing the "lightning." The "sea devils" seemed oblivious to them at first, continuing their torment of the "Mumba," but then they seemed to notice the "sky gods" and raised their spears against them.

The "sky gods" set upon them, striking with their rods so that the cloths seemed almost like lightning bolts falling on the "sea devils." The "sea devils" fought for a while, but shortly were driven away.

Then the "sky gods" marched around the circle to the sound of slow, martial drumbeats. As one, they turned to the fallen "Mumba" and held out their hands to lift them up. The "Mumba" paid homage to the "sky gods," and after an intricate dance together, the "sky gods" danced away, still swirling their rods to keep the cloths in flashing motion.

"Now, Mother, the sea devils are lurking, plotting their return." The excursion party could see the white-painted figures creeping toward the "Mumba," who had returned to their cheerful dance. This time as they danced closer, they were armed not with spears but with the same sort of "lightning" as the "sky gods," that is, the cloths attached to rods. Their cloths were red and green, rather than the yellow and orange of the "sky gods." With their "lightning," they laid the "Mumba" low, then began a swaggering march, twirling the "lightning" in blinding fashion.

Once again, the "sky gods" returned, and did battle with the "sea devils," but this time the odds seemed more even, and the "sky gods" had a much harder time driving them away. When at last it was done, the "sky gods" mimed weariness.

The girl said, "Here comes the sky god Bey bearing the totem." Indeed, a young man, little more than a boy really, in the garb of the "sky gods" was approaching, carrying a wooden totem taller than himself. It was carved with animals, similar to the Mundabe Totem still aboard the ship; they were arranged in bands, two to a level, seven levels tall. It was hard to tell at a distance, but Artie was pretty sure the topmost animal on the side facing him was a lion.

As "Bey" set the totem upright on the side of the fire opposite the lurking "sea devils," the other "sky gods" helped the fallen up again. They began a new dance with a faster beat around the totem, with the "sky gods" dancing in two alternate circles and the "Mumba" deftly dancing between them. Each "Mumba" made a single circle around the totem, then danced out of the circle and completely out of the firelight. At last, the "Mumba" had all gone, and the "sky gods" began a stately march away in a different direction. "Bey" picked up the totem and brought up the rear of the party.

As the "sea devils" returned to the now-empty circle, the girl said, "The sea devils have returned, but they can't find the Mumba." They danced a slow, angry dance, swinging their "lightning" at shadows, before finally dancing away into the dusk, leaving the circle around the fire empty.

For a short while, all was quiet. Then suddenly the assembled natives began to cheer and stomp the ground, and the dancers all returned, first the Mumba, then the sea devils, and last the sky gods, and each one in turn approached Monday and Kordal and gave a salute, right arm across the chest, hand flat to shoulder; Kordal returned the salutes, and after seeing him do it once, Monday began to do so also.

As Monday and the chiefl go about thanking the dancers, Artie whispers to Will and the others. "We should ask them to recite the story of true son, or at least of the hawk and the dove on the totem pole as we dine. I'm sure they take requests."

OOC: how many sky gods were there? And could the number of animals depicted on the totem be about 14?

Nazim wrote:As Monday and the chiefl go about thanking the dancers, Artie whispers to Will and the others. "We should ask them to recite the story of true son, or at least of the hawk and the dove on the totem pole as we dine. I'm sure they take requests."

"I wonder if Bey is the one true son?" Will answers Artie, "With that and the gate there are a lot of questions. I think we need to start asking them. Especially since now we see that the totem figures into what's going on here." He'll look to Catherine for her take, but will add "during the meal might be a good time to ask them to relate other stories about the 'true son', totem, and any 'gate' stories they may have."

Sorry, posting this for context:

Translation wrote:By Blood the Gate is Opened
Seven are Its Ways
By Blood the Gate is Opened
Seven and Seven are The Spirits
By Blood the Gate is Opened
A True Son Must Heed Their Words

Solomoriah wrote:

rredmond wrote:2. How many sky gods were there?

There were seven dancers representing the sky gods in their first appearance. The young one, called Bey, was an eighth.

rredmond wrote:3. What were the number of animals on the totem?

Seven levels, two per level, is fourteen.

rredmond wrote:"I wonder if Bey is the one true son?" Will answers Artie, "With that and the gate there are a lot of questions. I think we need to start asking them. Especially since now we see that the totem figures into what's going on here." He'll look to Catherine for her take, but will add "during the meal might be a good time to ask them to relate other stories about the 'true son', totem, and any 'gate' stories they may have."

Artie engages Will's speculations. "Maybe the gate, whatever it might be, could lead to the seven sky gods, which Chief suspects us to be. And there appear to be fourteen spirits, which are likely to correspond to the totem animals... We probably should not ask too much about the sky gods, but we might risk asking a bit more about Bey. Make it sound like we like hearing about him. We definitely can ask about the animal spirits. I'd like to know more about them. Whatever the change from bull and lion to hawk and dove may mean, it should be somewhat meaningful, and I doubt that it's merely some sort of calendar."

Even before the last of the dancers had been honored with the salutes of the chief and Monday, several women and a few boys had moved to the fire. The boys used thick sticks of green wood to dig out the buried carcasses, which had been wrapped in leaves; once they had cleared away the embers, the women moved forward and began pulling out pieces of the meat, now tender and evidently juicy, and placing it on large platters.

The first to fill her platter went directly to Kordal and Monday and presented it to them, bowing. Kordal took it, returning her bow, then placed it on the arms of the thrones (which were placed close together) and indicated by gesture that Monday should eat first. The millionaire, for his part, tore off a small piece with his fingers and ate it, smiling.

Soon the women brought platters of meat to the other passengers, tribal leaders, and elders, then began distributing it to the dancers; when they had been served, the women distributed the last of the meat among the other people of the tribe.

As they finished, Kordal wiped his greasy fingers on a rag, which had apparently come from a worn-out robe, and stood up to speak.

"My people," he said, facing toward the fire, "the time of glory has come. The sky gods, to whom we and our uncounted ancestors have owed our lives, have returned to us. Though all who live in this land, even our enemies the Suran, owe their lives to the sky gods, the fact that they have chosen to come to us proves what we have always believed: we are the last true sons of Mumba Dey. Our devotion to them must be absolute."

At this, the assembled people stood up, raising their hands in the air and stamping their feet, evidently in applause or acclamation. Kordal waited until they were done, then continued, "Good. The time of glory will be hard, but we will be strong, and the sky gods will smile upon us!" Again the crowd began cheering in their way.

Then a shot rang out. The crowd fell silent, and as they did, they heard an inarticulate yell from the southeast, toward the place where the river ran into the forest. Another shot rang out, and now the passengers and tribesmen could tell that the shot came from the same direction as the yell.