Episode 10 | Stone Serpent

Windshell activates.

EXT. VILLAGE – DAY

The Trio enters a small nearby village. Kids are playing in the background, there is busy chatter and the noise of farm animals.

Lyn:Is it alright that we just march in here like this?

Malaki:They didn’t stop us.

Raka:An open gate is usually an invitation to come in.

Lyn:Are you sure? These guys don’t look so happy to see us.

Raka:Ignore them. We’re just looking for-

Tyne and Vora, previously engaged in conversation with other people on the street, step up to Raka and block her way.

Tyne:(conversational) And the watermill needs some repairs before the end of Bäkkos (bek-kos)– Hold on.
(calling out) Hey! Hey! Halt, Greyfur!(to the other peasants) Excuse me. (calling out to Raka) What do you want here?

There is chatter among the people Tyne previously spoke to.

Vora:(eyerolling) Oh for Skadi’s sake, how did one like that get in here? (ready to attack) Hey! Hey you filthy greyfur, what do you want in our village?!
P1:A greyfur? Is she a Skur?

P2:I don’t think so, she has no horns…

P3:The brown one behind her does.

P4:And that other one doesn’t seem to have any fur at all…

Raka:Fiyar’ta- I’m- We’re not looking for a fight, your gate was unguarded and open!

Tyne:(surprised) Was it?

Lyn:It totally was.

Vora:(muttering to self) Damnit, Sarek is slacking again…

Tyne:(sighs) Vora, tell him-

Vora:I know. He deserves a good spanking later, that slacker.

Tyne:Well, not necessarily that, but…

Raka:We just came here to speak to your headmistress.

Tyne:(skeptical) Our headmistress? You have grey fur, black hair but no horns. You do realize that doesn’t exactly make you utterly trustworthy, does it?

Raka:I do. But we’ve not attacked you yet, have we?

Tyne:What exactly are you?

Vora:A filthy mongrel is what she is! Same as with that brown one behind her.
P5:That brown one is definitely a Skur! I’ve seen one before!

P6:(gasp) What? A Skur?

P7:What’s a Skur doing this far down the mountain?!

P8:It’s a raid! The Skur are raiding us!

P9:Get the headmistress!

In a distance a bell is rung in alarm.

Raka:(frustrated) No, no, No!

Malaki:I told you I should’ve stayed outside.

Lyn:Shit.

Tyne:Calm down, everyone, if she says she doesn’t want conflict, lets hear her out before we call Kilentäa (kil-UHN-te-ya).

Vora:You let me handle this, Tyne. Your mother wouldn’t be happy if I let anything happen to you.

Tyne:Ts, don’t patronize me, Vora. I’m perfectly fine of taking care of my-

Vora:Shut it, Tyne. You there! Tyne asked you what your Rontar is!

Raka:(sour) My Rontar are the Miru.

Tyne:Aaah, a Miru! (scoffs) So that rumor about them having a gem on their foreheads are true. How curious.

Vora:I’ve never heard of Miru with grey fur.

Raka:(biting her teeth) I kindly request to speak to your headmistress.

Vora:(scoffs) You bring hostile company to see our headmistress?

Lyn:What hostile company? Mal is pretty tame.

Malaki:(muttering) Don’t shorten my-

Lyn:Oops, sorry.

Vora:A tame Skur? (scoffing laugh) Ridiculous! That’s like calling a blizzard a gentle breeze!

Tyne:If you have anything to say to Kilentäa, you can say it to me. I will pass it on to her.

Raka:No. I’ll tell your headmistress myself.

Tyne:I’m sorry, but if you haven’t noticed, we don’t particularly trust Grey furs.

Raka:(through gritted teeth) So I have noticed.

Vora:Yea! If you have grey fur, you’re either a Skur, or related to one. And not only did you bring a disheveled Skur mongrel along, you also brought a disgusting human.

Malaki:(growls)

Lyn:Oh come on, disheveled? I just brushed him this morning!

Tyne:Your choice of company doesn’t make you particularly trustworthy. So if you would be so kind as to tell us what the issue is so we can decide whether or not to involve our headmistress, we-

Raka:(impatient) Listen I don’t have time to explain it to you. I just want to speak to the headmistress, I’m not asking for your hospitality.

Tyne:Leave it to me to discern whether or not it’s urgent enough to-

Raka:(sighs) Frankly, I don’t think this matter concerns a simple peasant. Just tell me where to find her, I’ll-

Tyne:(outraged) Peasants?! I’m her son!

Vora:(scoffs) And YOU’RE a filthy grey fur with bad manners. Our headmistress has more important things to do than speak someone like you.

Lyn:Oh come on, just tell them, Raka!

Raka:(growls) Your village might be in danger, if you don’t-

Tyne:Are you threatening us?!

Lyn:Woa, no, stop! Raka, just tell them about the-

Vora:Hey Tyne, know what I think?

Tyne:Hm?

Vora:A brown Skur and a grey Miru seem like the perfect couple to produce offsprings that correct the failures of their parents, don’t you think?

Tyne:(laughs) Indeed. Perhaps they have already spawned a litter of little grey mongrels, and they want to warn us of their brood coming to take our food from us.

Raka and Malaki growl at this.

Lyn:Wow. First you guys were just offensive, but that’s plain rude.

Malaki:We shouldn’t be here…

Raka:If you’re the headmistress’ son, maybe I should remind you that you’re expendable! Son’s are worthless, so don’t think I wouldn’t hesitate to-

Vora:(growls) Bite your fangs, your grey bitch!

Tyne:Oh, so now you ARE threatening me?

Lyn:Okay, calm down guys-

Windshell deactivates.

Windshell activates.

EXT. FOREST – DAY

The trio is in the forest again. Raka stomps on ahead, her footfalls with more force than is necessary.

Lyn:Hold up, guys! Where are we going?!

Raka:(infuriated) Back to the stone serpent! I’m going to unleash that thing and it can plow right through that village for all I care!

Lyn:Woa- hold on, no, no, no, we’re NOT doing that Raka!

Raka:Don’t try to stop me!

Malaki:(groping for words) Were let you- Are you… Want you to-

Lyn:What are you trying to say?

Malaki halts.

Malaki:(exasperated) Gah, You want to let a whole village get destroyed for things two people said! And then you call ME impulsive!

The other two stop and turn to him.

Raka:(infuriated) I don’t CARE if it was one person, or the entire village! If that one was the headmistress son, who do you think he got his opinions from? That’s right, from his mother! The headmistress reflects the opinion of the whole village! We tried to WARN them, yet they insulted me instead!

Lyn:They insulted all of us!

Raka:(dismissive) That last one didn’t involve you, you wouldn’t understand.

Malaki:They insulted me as much as they insulted you!

Lyn:See, and Malaki could’ve made the earth turn into quicksand and swallow the entire village right there, but he didn’t.

Malaki:No, I couldn’t…

Raka:(infuriated) I’ve had to deal such insults my whole life, I’m not letting this one pass!

Malaki:My Rontar had to deal with this! For generations!

Lyn:Yea, and do you see other Skur running off to free a giant stone-beast to crash through villages? Hell no!

Raka starts walking again and the others follow shortly after her.

Lyn:Why did we even stop by that village in the first place?

Raka:(exasperated) I thought they at least deserved a warning about the serpent, in case we don’t manage to get back to it before it frees itself. And… (groans) I wanted to ask them if they knew of any suitable places nearby to commute with spirits.

Lyn:To summon a Væron?

Raka:(sighs) Yes-

Malaki:(growls, accusingly) We agreed not to do that!

Raka:We didn’t agree on anything, we were focused on keeping the serpent in check.

Malaki:You want to summon Væron over such unimportant reason! We can figure this out without one!

Raka:There are spirit’s that just took a bunch of stones, pretended to be a living being and destroyed a good portion of the surrounding cliffs, something like this is of interest to a Væron!

Malaki:Any Væron you’ll summon over THAT will rip your soul right out of this world and tear it into tiny shreds!

Lyn:Do Væron really do that?

Raka:Of course not! Sure, Væron can be intimidating, but they aren’t as needlessly brutal and easily offended as he keeps claiming them to be!

Malaki:If you believe that, you know nothing about them!

Lyn:I still don’t know whether to be chill about them, or very, very afraid.

Raka:(snorts) Of course YOU would have other experiences, Mongrel. Insensible Skur.

Malaki:(growls)

Lyn:Hey, no need to be insulting!

Raka:A Skur wouldn’t know how to formulate a suitable pledge to summon Væron without causing offense right away.

Malaki:(talking over her) You prejudiced Kyrjir!

Raka:Skur don’t know how to ask for a Værons aid, don’t know how to demean themselves before them and are too proud to sacrifice a part of themselves to seal agreements with them!

Malaki:(growls)

Lyn:Woa, calm down, Raka! We’re all edgy here, but no reason to take it out on-

Malaki:(angry) You Kyrjir confined us to Skaudr’s Horn! You Kyrjir forced us to adapt to the harsh climate of the Skundr! Skurka were forced to focus on survival so much, there was no space to build social structure! All while you Kyrjir live IGNORANT on Skaudr’s rotting head, eating the plentiful fruit of his decaying flesh, while we starve! You don’t care what becomes of us, except when stray Skurki step over the borders to seek food – then you call us the spawn of evil! Yet you don’t know what Skurka are really like. You CAN’T know. Because you are prejudiced and don’t allow us in the Kyrja. We’re just trying to SURVIVE, so if we lack the subtleties of YOUR complex society, DON’T hold that against us!

Raka:Oh don’t play innocent with me, runt! You Skur have earned your inglorious reputation as “grey demons” long before you were confined to the Skundr! Pillaging, murdering, raping! You Skur plunged the whole of Zäa into turmoil in the Kosvaïr war, we didn’t just repress you to the Skundr on a whim or because we thought you looked funny!

Malaki growls and Raka growls back.

Lyn:Guys, enough of that already! You hate each other’s guts, I get it! But playing the blame game won’t help us here!

Raka:Stay out of this, what do you know?!

Lyn:What do- What do I know?! Well for one, I know that you’re pretty much restricting yourselves from getting to know each other as PEOPLE, because you can’t get over your friggin prejudices! You’re just throwing insults at each other for something your ancestors did! But was it Malaki who killed people and raided places in that war?

Raka:(growls) Of course not, but his roots are there-

Lyn:Yea, didn’t think so. Malaki, was it Raka who restricted the Skur…ka to the Skundr?!

Malaki:She restricts my äthwar now. She repeats the actions of her ancestors.

Raka:(growls) Because you’ve PROVEN to be at least in part responsible for-

Malaki:(growls) That proves nothing!

Lyn:Okay, okay, STAHP! (exasperated sigh) Damn you, as soon as one of you starts with the GRRRR the other’s also like GRRR and you stop thinking straight at that point – it’s so damn annoying! I’m glad you both moved on from insulting each other’s race to insulting each other personally now. But for gods sake, can this growling just stop?! I’m getting hoarse just listening to you! Malaki has a point, Raka. You’re restricting him because you SUSPECT he was involved in that tumbleweed thing, but he’s been pretty forthcoming and helpful for our group thus far!

Raka:Helpful?! Like that time when he brought us a Golem to deceive us? Or when he summoned a stone storm around you? Or earlier, when he almost made a cliff collapse on top of us?! He is unpredictable, that is why I keep him on a leash! He needs to know his place!

Malaki:I know my place, it’s not at the end of your leash, bitch mistress!

Raka:(growls) I’m NOT a mistress-

Lyn:Honestly, just stop!

Raka:(still growling)

Lyn:Raka! You better stop that right now or you’re not getting any treats!

Raka stops growling.

Lyn:Great! Thanks! Look, we’re not here to fight each other, we’re trying to figure out how to get the spirits out of the stone serpent, remember?

Raka:Right…

Lyn:See? So let’s get back to doing that.

Raka spouts a considerate guttural growl but then subdues.

Raka:(still slightly angered) You’re right.

Lyn:By the way, did you notice that the Windshell is-

Windshell deactivates.

Windshell activates.

EXT. FOREST – DAY

Lyn:I don’t get it, I’m sure it was-

Raka:Well it was off when I checked-

Lyn:It JUST turned back on! Maybe it’s the proximity to the stone serpent?

Raka:Shouldn’t be… We’re not that close to it. Sure you don’t see any major spirits around?

Lyn:Nope, nothing.

Raka:Malaki, you?

Malaki:(still slightly sulking) No.

Lyn:Could it be a Malfunction?

Malaki:Malfunction.

Raka:I don’t think it is. It’s far more likely that someone that knows or understands the enchantments is playing around with it.

Lyn:Maybe your friend in university is trying to call you?

Raka:Or he could be testing new enchantments… Whatever it is, I don’t think it is a spirit’s doing.

Lyn:Could it be a Væron?

Raka:(dismissive and distracted) Don’t be silly, Væron wouldn’t interfere with our affairs.

Lyn:Malaki, you’re knowledgeable with magics right? What do you think this is?

Malaki:I don’t know and I don’t care.

Raka:At any rate, it might be someone trying to contact us.

Lyn:What if it’s a genuine spirit activity and Auril only just updated the windshell to turn off when they go out of range?

Raka:If it had been, you and I would hear sounds nearby.

Malaki:Try speaking with tongues of flame. If Vær listen, they might respond. Your augmentation would finally prove worth butchering your face.

Raka:Bite your fangs.

Lyn:Are you still angry at her about earlier? Or are you hangry?

Malaki:Neither of her rune carvings are useful. She just relies on you or me to be her eyes.

Raka:(strangling noises) Just because it hasn’t been useful yet doesn’t mean-

Malaki:You haven’t heard any flow of knowledge nor spoken with tongue of flame ONCE.

Lyn:I know, right? You had one job, Raka, one!

Raka:(low growl) Don’t make me unleash the stone serpent on the two of you.

Malaki:You’d have to go through my vines first-

Raka:Don’t underestimate me, runt. My fire runes will make short work of those-

Lyn:Have you tried turning it off and on again?

(pause)

Raka:What?

Lyn:The windshell. Maybe it DOES have a malfunction?

Raka:I already told you that’s unlikely-

Windshell deactivates.

Windshell activates.

EXT. FOREST – DAY

Raka:Well this is getting annoying. Auril, I don’t know if you’re currently working on the enchantments and causing it to turn on and off. If that’s the case, I want you to give me a signal. I’ll turn it off. Then I want you to turn it on and right back off again. Then I’ll turn it back on manually to let you know we got that. Just so we know if we should be looking for spirits or if you’re just fooling around!

Lyn:And what if it’s not Auril?

Raka:Who else would- (annoyed groan) Okay, if you’re not Auril, I want you to repeat turn the windshell on and off twice. I’ll wait a few heartbeats in between.

Lyn:And if you’re a malfunction, just don’t take any action at all!

Malaki:Human logic…

Raka:(annoyed) Lyn…

Lyn:Not? Okay fine, I’ll stop.

Raka:Okay, remember, once if you’re Auril, twice if you’re someone else. I’ll turn this off.

Windshell deactivates.

Windshell activates.

EXT. FOREST – DAY

Raka:Okay, once. Now turn it off.

Windshell deactivates.

Windshell activates.

EXT. FOREST – DAY

(pause)

Lyn:… Oookay? Raka, was that you?

Raka:No.

Lyn:Creepy…

Raka:Alright, this counts for twice.

Lyn:What do we do now?

Raka:Either of you see anything unusual?

Malaki:No.

Lyn:I… kinda see a blue and green thread connecting to the windshell now. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t there before…

Raka:A thread?

Lyn:Yea, I don’t know how to explain it…

Raka:No, that’s fine. Do you see it too, Malaki?

Malaki:I- (sighs) I only see runes and spirits, not the weave.

Raka:Ah, right. Lyn, do you think you can follow it?

Lyn:I think so.

Raka:It’s the only lead we have, we might as well see where it goes.

Lyn:Okay, let’s-

Windshell deactivates.

Credits

INT. – AURILS STUDY – DAY

Creek, as Auril leans back in his chair.

Yosha:I think that’s the last one.

Auril: Well this is getting annoying… What on Aisanmei’s Dune is causing this?!

Yosha:Was this supposed to happen?

Auril:Of course not. I only recently added the enchantment that would string shorter recordings together, but that shouldn’t… rebound like this… that aside, the last two sounded deliberate and in response to Raka’s instruction.

Yosha:Like someone was interfering with it.

Auril:Yes, exactly. Ah, that makes for a good new entry for my to-do list. Write that in this book, please.

He pulls out his notebook and flips to the last entry. Yosha gets her pen ready.

Auril:Things to work on: In addition to a direction indicator, work on a protocol that shows what or who caused the windshell to turn on.

Yosha:Do you think that can be done?

Auril:(laughs) I don’t know. But I imagine that the enchantment would be similar to the Sujan Yari coins. Have you heard of them?

Auril opens a drawer and rummages around until he finds a small casket.

Yosha:I… think so. Are those the coins with the small spheres in their center?

Auril puts the casket on the table and opens it. He pulls out a rather large coin.

Auril:Precisely. See, this is a Yari. The enchantment on the sphere records to whom the item was last given. Thus they can only be given, but never taken. Which made them a great currency to ward off theft, but very bad for inheritance. Their introduction on the Sujan market ultimately caused their society to shift from a monarchy to an oligarchy and later to a democracy. Makes you think just the kind of power money can have, doesn’t it?

Yosha:What happens when you tried to take one?

Auril:Try.

Auril puts the Yari on the table. Yosha tries to touch it. It instantly heats up.

Yosha withdraws her hand, hissing in pain.

Yosha:Ow! It burns!

Auril:Exactly. The sphere at it’s center bears a node to the fire layer and will heat up the sphere and metal if touched by someone other than the items last receiver.

Yosha:I’m pretty sure sujan adolescents could do really creative pranks with this kind of money.

Auril:(laughs) I heard some very rich sujan’s used to put these on the ground around their home so unwelcomed nightly visitors would step on them.

Yosha:(laughs)

Auril:At any rate, if these coins could protocol who an item was last given to and activate when someone that is not that person tries to touch them, then maybe I will find the right enchantment if I examine that of these coins in more detail. I’ve been meaning to do that anyway, but never really got around to it…

Yosha:I hope you’re right. Ah, Akasar, I think there was another recording being enchanted earlier.

Auril:Hm? Oh, you’re right.

Yosha:We have a slight delay to Raka, maybe she figured the issue out by now? Can we listen?

Auril takes the Yari and deposits it back in his casket, then stores the casket back in the drawer.

Auril:Don’t you have classes to attend to?

Yosha:It’s Arepanuka (Ah-RE-pa-nook-ah).

Auril:All the more reason you shouldn’t be here anymore, you should be home studying!

Yosha:(sighs) That’s exactly why I came here. I couldn’t focus on my studies and you offered me to listen to these to take my mind off… I don’t think I could focus on my studies with this issue unresolved!

Auril:Ah. Right.

Yosha:And I’m really enjoying these. I want to hear more!

Auril:(sighs) Sure, fine. But first, the references.

Yosha:Gotcha.

Yosha turns her paper over and gets her pen ready.

Auril:Date of recording was the same as the last one. Vocal enchantments were woven by Kessir Riliniki, Carollyn Monterola, Eyþór Viðarsson, Hem Brewster and Travis Vengroff, with special enchantments provided by… (frowning and uncertain) @-Rune Arch_DnD and @-Rune childofginevra?

Yosha:Oh, I know those two!

Auril:You do?

Yosha:Oh yes, we hang out at this tavern every week – “The Lucky Die”, heard of it?

Auril:I haven’t, no.

Yosha:We play this little game together where we take dice and pods and cast them into the web.

Auril:You cast pods? Into Aetherweb?

Yosha:Kind of? It creates a different form of magic. A magic told through stories, and the roll of a dice, and-

Auril:(sighs) I’m starting to understand Ethiovar’s frustration with students doing strange things with the weave. No wonder there’s been a whole lot more Tangleweaves around Kaerun lately…

Yosha:Hey, those weren’t us!… Though it did give me more chances to see Raka work her magic first hand…

Auril:(clears throat) Anyway, Walla was provided by Karim Kronfli, Matthew Boudreau, Tal Minear, Whitney Johnson and Lucille Valentine. Music-Shells provided by Fuimadane.
Audio-Enhancements by Sarah Buchynski.
Written and Produced by Kessir Riliniki.
You can find ways to support us financially or emotionally on trilunis dot com.

Yosha:But no Yari, please!

Auril:(laughs) I wouldn’t be opposed to some Yari, if they are given to me. They’re still worth a lot.