Shadows of the Past

Idly you chew on some dried papaya as you mull over how to answer him. There is no real reason to make a big secret around who you are or why you are here. "I was trained as a shaman in my tribe, learned about the spirits, healing and some other things, though I left when my apprenticeship ended since I wanted to see the world. There is so much around us that we have forgotten and I always wanted to learn more about old Cualli for myself."

"Ah, a kindred soul it seems. I know the lure of secrets and new vistas all too well. To be frank, though, Xoxo is hardly an endearing place." As he speaks, he idly sips from a cup of water he brought over to you, never taking his eyes from you.

"Not really, but I must admit that I'm impressed by its size. That human hands could dig so deep..."

"Not quite as human work as you might think. This mine is old and the Wise Men just had it opened again when they found it long ago. Most of the pit is from before Fall and small the additions carved by hand alone. Though I take it that you didn't come solely to see a hole?"

"No. You see, I want to join the Wise Men, and a friend of mine told me that I would have better chances to be accepted if I prove myself to them. Do a few things that benefit Tlamaca to build myself a reputation to precede me. So I came here on the rumors of spirits troubling the mine and hoped to find something. My master taught me how to commune with some of them and I have hopes that if there is something out there, that it is benign enough to be appeased by an offering."

He wears a thoughtful look as he idly swings the cup in his hand as if debating with himself about something. When he speaks again, he is a lot quieter then before. "You should be careful about announcing such skills to strangers. Not all tribes call upon the spirits for pure intentions. The same offering you wish to give to have them no longer trouble Xoxo might be used to draw them here. Stories speak of tribes who brought the wrath of the spirits on their enemies in such a fashion. Of darker deeds they whisper in hushed tones, and I have seen too much to discount them as scary tales to tell to children. To approach the spirits is a fine line to walk."

Unbidden comes the memories of your tribes coldness towards you group as the tale of the Flesh Moth host was spreading. Grudgingly you had to give that point to Tezcatl. To know what would get a spirit riled up had more use then just avoiding its wrath. So you nod in response, acknowledging good advice for what it is. "I will be more careful about it. However, we talked about my story, but what is yours Tezcatl?"

The small tension flows away again as he leans back and grins broadly. "Ah, I am more a listener than one to speak of his own glories, but if you insist..." You scoff at the thick irony dripping from his words and join his grin. "As I've said, I'm a wanderer. Too many people sit in the tribe or city they were born to for all their life and such a existence would bore me into an early grave. I walked the world for many years now and always loved to chase the tall tales of others to seek the grains of truth in between them. Not out of scholarly interest like you, but more simple curiosity."

"And so you came to see the spirits of Xoxo or their absence?"

"Indeed. The Wise Men say that there is nothing around these parts, but it can't hurt to check. Sadly, a fighter I am not, so watching the jungle from behind the backs of guards is quite enough for me. Talking with the people here proved already quite enlightening and yet I fear I will have to move on soon without the full story known to me. The guards are guards, not scouts and they are quite content with the reassurances coming from Tlamaca instead of poking things they would prefer to rest."

You wonder if you would say the same, had you not trained as a huntress on the side. The teachings of a shaman were what saved Ixtli's life, but getting to him was quite a different matter. His experience with hired help soured you on the idea of having to rely on others in the wilderness. "And what have you heard so far?"

"Mostly garbled little bits and pieces." He shrugs as if in apology. "The workers claim that the jungle watches them whenever they come to the rim to dump the refuse from the shafts, and yet the guards say no such things. Might just be that they are under order not to spread this any further though. Some say that the spirits are offended at the work being done here, where others think that it's just a coincidence that they are here. Even claims that the spirits have come to punish Tlamaca and free the workers are circulating in the pit, but I wouldn't think a spirit to have such goals. What is true at least is that workers disappear. Nothing new, since there are always a few who take their chances and run into the jungle on their own, yet the number has risen lately."

A while you think about the bit that the jungle itself watches them. The little monkeys who were the first spirits you ever saw come to mind, and yet no man that doesn't look for them would ever see them. Shy they are on top of it, and thus unlikely to be for long near the busy mine. "So do you think there is something in between the brush?"

"Definitely. I have no clue about what it is, but these rumors are too similar to not have some kernel of truth in them. The tale should have been embellished by now and yet it is still the same things they say after more than a month, so people must actually see something instead of just adding their own twists to something they just heard. Some claim that the spirits come closer to the rim at night near the piles of dirt, but the guards there retreat further into the mine at sundown, since the workers are not permitted there in the dark. Hiding there and keeping guard might let you see something, and likewise it would be worth an attempt to search the jungle for tracks. That people notice it at all makes me think that the spirits should leave some."

Then he rests his hands back on the table and looks expectantly at you, while you take a swig from your flask. The invitation is pretty obvious and it becomes clear why he approached you out of the blue. The guards didn't do a thing and the other travelers here were traders. Not the kind of people that could help him with this.


Will you work together with him?
[] [Tezcatl] Take him up on his offer and investigate together.
[] [Tezcatl] Do this alone.

What do you want to do to find the spirits?
[] [Action] Mingle with the guards and watch the jungle from their posts.
[] [Action] Hide among the excavated dirt and see if the spirits come.
[] [Action] Try to find tracks in the jungle.
[] [Action] Something Different: Write-In

When do you want to set out?
[] [When] During the day.
[] [When] At night.

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AN: Talking with others is not really an option anymore. Tezcatl already exhausted that avenue.