Eight Last Embers (Inspired by Rain World and Caves of Qud)

-[X] [Market] Water Flask (5 available)
--[X] 1

Despite the whole trade caravan from Thunder-Bell situation, your exploration of the markets ended up being rather uneventful. Everything was either too expensive or not really useful in your current situation. You were almost about to leave empty-handed before you decided to purchase an extra water flask at the last minute. After all, they're pretty cheap, and even if you don't need it right now, it will definitely come in handy eventually, right? Right?

(Spent one aum. Gained one empty water flask.)

---

-[x] [Azentu] "Share your thoughts with me, water-friend."
--[x] What are your opinions on fungi?
-[x] [Azentu] "Let us drink together, water-friend."


Overall, you think your first real water-ritual went quite well. You kept it small and simple, just asking for the Azentu's official position on fungi rather than any sort of big favor. It wasn't anything special, just some diplomatic fluff about valuing their contributions to the agricultural industry, but you could definitely notice Elder Vision's personal distaste for them; an unfortunately common belief in the Zigent. Something about mind control, maybe? You're not exactly well-versed in racism.

You also tried your hand at what some might think of as bribery, so long as some don't actually know anything about how water-rituals work. It's a universal diplomatic custom where the two parties symbolically drink together in order to represent the shared truth that binds all living beings together, something that anyone who actually ever researched history would know.

Elder Vision seemed very receptive, but how much of it was genuine approval of your interpersonal skills and how much was just her humoring you is something that you're still unsure of. Still, a success is a success.

(Spent one aum, gained 9 Relationship with the Azentu.)

---

-[x] [Librarians] "Share your thoughts with me, water-friend."
--[x] How do libraries feel about being given books?
--[x] Are there any books that librarians particularly desire that I should keep an eye out for?
-[x] [Librarians] "Let us drink together, water-friend."


As is fitting for a house of knowledge, you had a lot of questions for the Librarian's Union, which Nothr did xyr best to answer impartially, although you could feel a bit of pride leaking past the mask when you angled towards the topic of working with the library. As you suspected, the answer was that the Monument Valley library, the same as any library in the Zigent, would be more than happy to purchase any artifact or secret of the Tenju at a reasonable price.

Unfortunately, you also learned that more mundane historical discoveries should be at least a hundred cycles old and have several strong primary sources to be considered worthy of addition to the sum of all knowledge, as general recordkeeping was an internal matter that the Librarians already had under control with their teams of archivists. On the plus side, Nothr offered you an apprentice position as one of those archivists, but that's something to consider after you finish your pilgrimage.

Afterwards, your definitely-not-bribery went even better than it had with Elder Vision, unfortunately adding another data point to the theory of xem going easy on you because they've known you for pretty much your entire life. You can understand why xe would do it; you're practically still a child even now, but it doesn't make it sting any less.
(Spent one aum. Gained 10 relationship with the Librarian's Union.)

---

The meteorologists predict that the next rain cycle will come in 20 days and that it will last for 10 days before stopping. You are currently in region 8: Monument Valley.

-[ ] Explore the settlement
You've already spent some time looking around, but there's always the chance that you missed something. You'll double check to make sure that you've found everything of interest.
Encounter something useful. (3 days, DC 9)

-[ ] Search for an expedition site
Passed around in bars, tucked inside ancient tomes, there are a lot of places where secrets might be hiding.
Find an expedition site in a current or adjacent region. Can be performed once per rain cycle. (3 days, DC 5)

-[ ] Look through the markets
While theoretically not that difficult, the markets are a tangled maze of merchants and deal-seekers on the best of days.
See what's for sale this cycle. (1 day, DC 1)

-[ ] Sell some of your possessions
Good haggling takes time. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar or a fool.
--[ ] Water flask with two aums Cannot sell non-empty water flasks
--[ ] Empty water flask
(1 day per item sold, DC 0)

-[ ] Stash something in the wilderness
You honestly just don't feel like carrying it around anymore.
--[ ] Mysterious black ring
--[ ] Water flask with two aums
--[ ] Empty water flask
(Items stored in the wilderness have a chance to be lost each rain cycle. 2 days per item stored, DC 0)

-[ ] Engage in diplomacy
Dialogue is the foundation of society, and you're proud to take part in it.
--[ ] Elder Vision, on behalf of the Azentu (1 day, DC 0)
--[ ] Nothr, on behalf of the Librarians' Union (1 day, DC 0)
--[ ] Brasa, child of Olea, on behalf of the Monument Farmer's Consortium (1 day, DC 0)
--[ ] Ambassador Sweet-Fur, on behalf of Sky-Deed (1 day, DC 0)

-[ ] Establish diplomatic relations
It's never a bad day to make new friends, or at least new acquaintances.
--[ ] Fungal Enclave
You've managed to find a rare fungal enclave hidden underneath Monument Valley, but they don't seem particularly interested in further contact, based on the way you got kicked out. (2 days, DC 12)

-[ ] Ask Nothr about the ring
It's been a little while since Nothr secretly gave you a strange ring, and you're getting quite curious about what it is and why it needs to be a secret in the first place. Talk to xem about it.
Learn a secret. (1 day, DC 6)

-[ ] Consolidate water
Something about the weight distribution is a bit off. (Write in the new organization of your water between your flasks. You currently have 2 aums of water and 2 flasks.)
--[ ] Write in
(Free action)

-[ ] Survey the region (Write in number of days to devote to this expedition)
The rains always change the landscape, and people will always need updated maps. It's a very reliable source of funds.
--[ ] Write in
Length 10, difficulty 2. Reward: 2 aums of water. Can be performed once per rain cycle, but progress does not carry over between cycles.

-[ ] Explore the Forgotten Tower (Write in number of days to devote to this expedition)
--[ ] Write in
This section of uninhabited ruins was marked as a very promising site several years ago, but the notice never arrived to whoever it was supposed to get to, and it has languished unexplored since then.
Length 25, difficulty 4. Reward: unknown.

-[ ] Travel somewhere else (Write which route to travel and the route taken.)
--[ ] Write in
It's time to move on. (Ends the current turn, but not the current cycle.)

---

First of all, sorry for the long chapter delay, I spent all of my scheduled writing time distracted with theming and the overarching narrative instead of working on what really matters; numbers. Also, speaking of numbers, you folks are getting some insane rolls. Whoever you have messing with the air currents when I roll the dice to make them always land well, they're doing a great job . As usual, point out any typos, and I hope you're all doing well.

-[X]Explore the Forgotten Tower
While the low centralization of the Azentu is much less prone to bureaucratic hang-ups than other nations, they do still sometimes occur. This section of uninhabited ruins was marked as a very promising site several years ago, but the notice never arrived to whoever it was supposed to get to, and it has languished unexplored since then.
(Length 25, difficulty 4)


Empathy With Stone's Official Pilgrimage Travelogue
(Do not read without permission)

This was it, the beginning of my true journey of discovery, of myself, of the world, and of why it is that such a promising Tenju ruin site was completely forgotten about. The conditions were perfect: the cycle was an especially long one, with a whole twenty days of clear weather ahead; the site was described in the report as only moderate difficulty with no notable dangers; and nobody would show up to be condescending towards my ability. An ideal scenario.

The first day was primarily travel, and passed largely without note. The roads only lasted partway to the site, and as I drew closer, the terrain became more and more hostile. I found myself agreeing with the writer of the report; sending in a large team would face a significant challenge merely in arriving. However, as a sole, daring explorer, I could traverse the ruins without significant difficulties.

The second day was only slightly more eventful. After establishing a camp within the tower, I surveyed the site for myself, finding that the original report writer had overlooked an easy entrance to the tunnels beneath the surface; although this was perhaps simply not their job. Although the urge to explore called to me, I resisted, as I knew that I would need to be exceedingly careful, lacking the safety net of a large group supporting me. The remainder of the day consisted of double and triple checking the equipment, familiarizing myself with my knowledge of first aid, and ensuring that I would not get lost within the depths.

The next two days went smoothly, if not ideally. Paths were charted, hazards were marked, and overall the expedition proceeded apace, although I often found myself lost, if not locationally, then emotionally, amazed by the wonders of Tenju construction. Even in this out-of-the-way tower, most likely unimportant in all regards back when it was still inhabited, the walls were adorned with precise geometric figures and stellar imagery, more precise than the finest of tapestries. If not for the knowledge of the upcoming rains, I felt as though I could have wandered those halls for days.

However, not all of the tunnels beneath the tower were pristine works of art; many had been badly damaged, with the walls alternatingly defaced by scorch marks and incomprehensible scrawling in the language of the Tenju. However, one section of engraving was repeated many times throughout, a copy of which I have recorded in this log.

But I was not here just to explore, I was here to find ancient relics of the Tenju and make a name for myself. It was on the fifth day that I almost achieved a breakthrough. Progress was swift and I could feel myself approaching my goal. As the end of the day drew near, I knew that I was close enough to almost touch it, but my treacherous body, submitting to such base desires as not dying of sleep deprivation, refused to take another step forward. It was with a heavy heart and heavier eyelids that I returned to my camp, vowing to return the next day. And return I did; triumphant in my discovery. An untouched cache of Tenju artifacts, having been safely stored here for untold cycles, until I came to recover them.

To my great sorrow, many of the relics were rendered inaccessible by a barriers of glass-like substance which I could but hardly scratch with my tools, but there were some few left out in the open: a strange assemblage of gears and tubes, with no recognizable purpose; what I assume was an art piece consisting of a series of perpetually spinning rings; and strangest of all, a small slip of metal that always felt pleasantly warm to the touch, no matter how long it was held nor the environment it was placed into. I brought them with me of course, why just leave them here to slowly decay when they could instead be safely housed inside a library vault – completely by coincidence, also enriching me?

This, however, is where I fell prey to the insidious grasp of overconfidence. I believed that, having already so quickly made such a find, that it must have been merely the most accessible tip of what was surely a greater trove hidden further beneath the surface. After all, if less than a third of my time had already yielded such results, what else could I accomplish with the remainder?

It was thus that I spent the remaining fourteen days fruitlessly searching behind every flake of rust for even a hint of further treasures. But alas, there was nothing but a lesson to be learned; sometimes, what something appears to be is exactly what it is. At the very least, it shall serve as a fine anecdote about how it's better to be over-prepared than under, should I ever find myself needing one.

---

Yes, you have a journal. It's a perfectly normal hobby, and you're tired of hearing about it. Writing about your experiences is fun and also good record-keeping for when you probably become a famous explorer. Which you definitely will.

---

You have obtained the following items:
Tenju Contraption
You've got no idea what it does, but it certainly looks very impressive mechanically.

Tenju Sculpture
A set of nested rings that spin at different rates, creating a mesmerizing visual pattern.

Tenju Card
A palm-sized rectangle of metal that always feels warm to the touch.

You have learned the following secrets:
Monument Valley Tenju Inscription
An untranslated inscription in the Tenju language.

---

Once again, my apologies for the delay. The two main suspects are, as usual, wrestling with mechanics and a lack of time to write. I think I've learned why you don't start a new project right before finals season .

Updates will be much more sporadic for two or three weeks, but I will still keep working on the quest whenever I can, and after my finals end we can get back into our regular pacing as I will have a lot more time to write. Voting for the next turn and updates to the information sheets should be up tonight or tomorrow if everything goes according to plan.

(Also, those rolls. What are you folks doing to the dice and how can I replicate it elsewhere?)

As always, please point out any typos, and I hope you are all doing well.