Part 389: 1360: Minara the Shirker
A sizable sacrifice helps the weak Arnoring perform a great miracle, and bring the rains back to their sun-scorched lands. Good for them! We got three magic as part of the heroquest.
For the Earth season, I sent Korstardos out in search of powerful new treasures to help the clan.
Then (because I haven't been doing it much lately) I sacrificed to the gods for knowledge. I learned the Spare Grain ritual, which turns a small amount of the goods we get every year from trading into food. It's not all that useful.
That... that is one of the strongest treasures in Dragon Pass. It shortens the useless period of an Orlanthi's life, promotes clan strength and health, and means new nobles are more skilled. Suddenly spending magic on getting more children is an appealing option, because you won't simply drown the clan in an endless stream of useless mouths. I must have it.
Due to computer shenanigans, the following never occurred.REDACTED posted:
Easy... easy... don't let them know how much we desire it...
Drat! They saw through me. Well, I'll send Korstardos down with another offer another time. At least we know where the rattle is, now.
Minara, one of the most promising young god-talkers of Ernalda in your clan, has been neglecting her duties of late. She often disappears for hours at a time. Her uncle follows her one day, and discovers that she's been going into the forest to talk and laugh with a spirit. When word of her activities spreads, some of the people are concerned.
Convince the people that there is no harm in it.
Forbid her to visit the spirit.
Sacrifice to the spirit.
Send for shamans to capture the spirit.
Send for shamans to drive off the spirit.
The world is full of spirits. Some are good; others are bad. Most of them have their own selfish goals, just like people.
You can't trust spirits; they are outside Heort's laws.
Sacrifice to the spirit, and it will give us a gift!
It will cost more to capture the spirit, but a captured spirit is a kind of treasure.
A forest creature? Capture it.
The spirit will do us no harm.
The spirit is harmful, but I can convince the people otherwise, if you want.
