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Sworn to the Scythe: A Peasant Quest

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[X] Vashti, after the ancient queen of Babarak, who was said to have been born on this plateau, far away from the center of the Malekate. Known for her knowledge, she was the last of the good of Babarak before the deluge.
 
[X] Vashti, after the ancient queen of Babarak, who was said to have been born on this plateau, far away from the center of the Malekate. Known for her knowledge, she was the last of the good of Babarak before the deluge.
 
[X] Mala, after your great-grandmother, who was stolen by Cheshvan riders when she was a little girl, but returned a triumphant hussar.
 
[X] Mala, after your great-grandmother, who was stolen by Cheshvan riders when she was a little girl, but returned a triumphant hussar.
 
Fun fact: There are three things in the update that hint to both the possibility of dead siblings and the amount of them.

Try to find them.
 
[X] Vashti, after the ancient queen of Babarak, who was said to have been born on this plateau, far away from the center of the Malekate. Known for her knowledge, she was the last of the good of Babarak before the deluge.
 
[x] Vashti, after the ancient queen of Babarak, who was said to have been born on this plateau, far away from the center of the Malekate. Known for her knowledge, she was the last of the good of Babarak before the deluge.
 
[X] Mala, after your great-grandmother, who was stolen by Cheshvan riders when she was a little girl, but returned a triumphant hussar.
 
[x] Vashti, after the ancient queen of Babarak, who was said to have been born on this plateau, far away from the center of the Malekate. Known for her knowledge, she was the last of the good of Babarak before the deluge.

I wish I knew more about Zoroastrianism.
 
[X] Kalaba

Ancient queens can't give you money when they're flattered.

EDIT: I read being known far and wide for their fortunes as "being very rich" (ie, possessing a fortune) rather than as "telling people what the future is" (being someone who tells fortunes). Still sticking with the vote, but wishing we had someone rich related to us.
 
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[X] Kalaba, after your paternal grandmother, who does not live in this village but is known far and wide for her fortunes.

Prophecy! Fortune! Good luck, hopefully!
 
Cetashwayo said:
PROLOGUE: TOTEM​

The figure supporting her, a straight-nosed matron with piercing eyes and streaks of greying hair interrupting a neat brown bun, rubs her back. "It is alright, Marya. This child is well. The child is well." Her own clothes, similar to the rest of the women but with a differentiating black sash over her chest, are drenched in blood.
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"That is more blood than last time, Nasa." He points out.

The Baba idly rolls her jaw in its socket. "I would not worry, Shulgi. My Marya is a strong woman. She would not be defeated by one or two failures. It is natural for later births to be harder. And besides," the Baba reveals a small girl with wide almond eyes and black hair hiding behind her skirts, "she had good help. Go to your tata, Aisha."
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The pox-scarred man speaks up. "Do not waste our time, Nasa. Proceed with the totem already and let us get this over with. What is a fifth child?" The woman next to him, her eyes dull and staring at her feet, seems to shrink at his voice. Nasa gives little reaction besides a click.

He does not let her finish. "For your own grandchildren. But what about those for whom totems do not work? Is this how you seek to get into Chuvam? By embarrassing the infertile?" Murmurs erupt through the crowd. Shulgi's eyes narrow but he keeps to whispering reassurances to his eldest daughter. Yokan's eyes stay perpetually wide.
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Finally, Marayam weakly finishes the chant. "The Totem…of D-death.The totem of good burial, the totem of redemption, the totem of Chuvam and salvation. The Totem first carved by the prophet Amalgast and then passed down to us in tradition."
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Baba Nasa claps and puts the totem carefully on a shaded niche in the wall, where almost sixty other totems sit, arranged neatly in rows of five or four, occasionally three or six. She places the totem beside six others; only four are still lit.
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Cetashwayo said:
Fun fact: There are three things in the update that hint to both the possibility of dead siblings and the amount of them.

Try to find them.
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Click to shrink...

Only three things?

Two of these don't belong, then. I'm going with the hypothesis that Marayam (mother dearest) has been pregnant 5 times total.

1. Our Elder Brother
2. Our Elder Sister
3. Honored Sibling
4. Honored Sibling
5. Us, the Great and Terrible

The six totems represent our mother, our father, our two living siblings, and our two deceased siblings. Only four are lit and we joined them.

[X] Vashti, after the ancient queen of Babarak, who was said to have been born on this plateau, far away from the center of the Malekate. Known for her knowledge, she was the last of the good of Babarak before the deluge.
 
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[X] Mala, after your great-grandmother, who was stolen by Cheshvan riders when she was a little girl, but returned a triumphant hussar.
 
Cetashwayo said:
Fun fact: There are three things in the update that hint to both the possibility of dead siblings and the amount of them.

Try to find them.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Let me try.
Cetashwayo said:
"That is more blood than last time, Nasa." He points out.

The Baba idly rolls her jaw in its socket. "I would not worry, Shulgi. My Marya is a strong woman. She would not be defeated by one or two failures. It is natural for later births to be harder. And besides," the Baba reveals a small girl with wide almond eyes and black hair hiding behind her skirts, "she had good help. Go to your tata, Aisha."
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One or two failures at giving birth maybe.
Cetashwayo said:
Aisha runs to Shulgi, who dutifully picks her up and hoists her own his shoulders. She simply whimpers in his arms while Shulgi rubs her back. "I take it the first time helping was difficult for her." The baba spares a small look to Marayam, and then nods.
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Damn, first time she helped, the baby died?
Cetashwayo said:
The pox-scarred man speaks up. "Do not waste our time, Nasa. Proceed with the totem already and let us get this over with. What is a fifth child?" The woman next to him, her eyes dull and staring at her feet, seems to shrink at his voice. Nasa gives little reaction besides a click.
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Apparently it's off for it to be a fifth child. Maybe counting dead siblings or worse, not counting them. This may be a false positive, but it ties into a later theory of mine
Cetashwayo said:
Baba Nasa claps and puts the totem carefully on a shaded niche in the wall, where almost sixty other totems sit, arranged neatly in rows of five or four, occasionally three or six. She places the totem beside six others; only four are still lit.
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Sixty totems: People in the village? Of this generation?
Rows: Groups of siblings?
Six others, only four lit: Two dead siblings, four living ones makes us the fifth child tying into the above quote.

Did I get them all?

So Seven pregnancies, five currently living children
 
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Zooboss said:
Damn, first time she helped, the baby died?
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No, in this case it's referring to Aisha's first time being now.

Zooboss said:
One or two failures at giving birth maybe.
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On point. One or two is up in the air.

Zooboss said:
Apparently it's off for it to be a fifth child. Maybe counting dead siblings or worse, not counting them
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;p

Zooboss said:
Sixty totems: People in the village? Of this generation?
Rows: Groups of siblings?
Six others, only four lit: Two dead siblings, four living ones makes us the fifth child tying into the above quote.

Did I get them all?
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Last one is correct. Each row is a family.
 
Also, roll a 2d6. First roll will be taken, and please use the dice feature built-into SV; non SV rolls will not be taken.

Yonatan's roll is a 1-1=2.

Rolling for character target.
Cetashwayo threw 1 6-faced dice. Reason: 1 Total: 6
6 6
 
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