What Lies Beyond

JP with Omni and Winteroak

Zargani scooped some more stew into his mouth, wiping his large moustache with the back of his hand.

"Desmen is a small village on the southern edge of the Great Desert of Skulls. It's like a crossroads for trade that feeds into the Holy City..." He explained.

"Gra'akast is the heart of the Ozainae culture. A kind of religious capital, although the Septs wandered the desert mainly. The city is nestled on the shores of the Great Oasis and parts of it are now abandoned. But it's still home to the Temple of the Wandering and their immortal Prophetess." He concluded.

Desmen sounded like a decent place to find employment and a home, but once word got out of Voah's betrayal and the Helians pushed further into Arcadia, that would likely not be the best place to hide. If these people could live whilst wandering a desert, there must be a well of resources and water to survive there. Zargani’s answer only brought Voah more questions. Ozainae? Septs? Immortal prophetess? That last part sounded like magik to her. The V'roni clan, the Heralds of the Dark, the ones who had tried to take her youth and HAD taken her mother... they had been exploring dark magik to gain a form of immortality of their own, but she had put an end to them.

"Can you tell us more about these Ozainae? Would it be wise to continue through? Past the Holy City? And what lies beyond?" she hit him with a barrage.

He considered the question. "Well past the Desert you can travel northeast which will take you to the Odsier Summer pastures. There are some tribes towards northwest of the desert but they are not too friendly to stranger. Fishers and raiders for the most part. They live along the coastal areas for the most parts. We don't travel there." He said and some of the man around the fire nodded. "Travelling East will take you back to Fang. And West will take you to the lands of of Still Valley." He said trying to draw a mental picture of what he knew of the land. He paused finishing his food. "The Ozainae are simply the Septs of the desert. Followers of the Twin Gods, Viher and Yther. Its priest-sorcerers are gifted powers over air and water. Good people except when at war and the Sand Horde is raised." He said and dark looks spread across some faces.

At the mention of sorcerers and worship of other deities, Voah felt that surge of hate forming into a roiling bead in her mind and she had to consciously adjust her outward expression. Taking bites helped to suppress the internal storm that was brewing, but it wouldn't be enough. She squeezed Gonyaul's hand and set her gaze upon his eyes for a moment. It helped calm her. There was a lot to take in here and still more to ask.

"What of this immortal prophetess?"