0230 to All
Hail, chiefs!
Our tribe’s main interest is exploration, which is why we have accepted the offer. A mysterious shaman came to our village and offered to transport a small group of explorers to an unknown land. Some of our elders were suspicious and said, “What is in it for him?” But there were enough restless younger people in the clan that we accepted.
As to practical skills, we know how to make wagons, saddlebags, backpacks, traps, spears. We understand the secrets of refining ore.
Chief Ada of clan Phoenix
Many moons ago, a slippery Olive Trader wandered into our midsts. When he was not squeezing olives (and squeezing the Silver from our purses) he talked of far off, unknown places. One place he told of had great promise, but also grave danger. It was a place where only the Great Spirit knew what sort of bananas grew in its jungle trees. Our tribal elders contemplated such a place. The Olive Trader agreed to arrange for a small group of us to be taken to such a place, but he demanded a large price for such a venture – a price that our people could barely afford. The Olive Trader’s tongue was as slippery as the oil that he sold! He took most of our clan’s wealth and our best cattle and goats and told us that he would arrange for transportation. He then up and ran off into the hills and has not been seen or heard from since!
Several weeks later a small wagon train came to our fires. They had been sent by the Olive Trader. The wagon men would take 100 or so of our clan to “The the Unknown Jungle”. Our elders deliberated on this for many days. There was much caution and distrust. In the end, it was decided that if it was the will of the Great Spirit to lead us to this far-off jungle, then we shall humbly follow. Our elders selected a small group of people for this adventure, some who were less willing to go than others. I was one of them.
We have traveled for many moons by wagon through strange lands and places we have never heard of. We mostly stayed near our wagons out of fear. Last eve we arrived at a new and even stranger place. It is a place with many people and a great lake whose opposite shore we see not. This place has large tents that are made of the things of trees rather than of animal skins. The people work and craft inside these tree tents and they know many things that we do not. They refer to this place as “Port”, but we know not what this means. They tell us that soon we shall be loaded into large “water wagons” that shall take us across this great lake to the jungles that the Great Spirit wills us toward. We are fearful of such a voyage. Many of us fear that our people and our horses shall all drown. Yet, if the Great Spirit wills such a thing, then we must accept the bananas we have been given. We are told that we shall meet with other peoples and we hope that we find them friendly and respectful of the Great Spirit. We have no answers, but we do have faith that the Great Spirit would not bring us together only to find poisoned bananas. We shall meet you soon and hope that we shall all find peace in the will of the Great Spirit.
0274 to All
I’m glad strange shit has been happening to others. An I’m sorry if I can’t speak good like what you do but I’m just a lowly miner.
Let me tell you my tale. I was down the mine diggin up coal one day. It was dark down there n when we came back up top I had this big red X on my head – now, I didn’t have it on my forehead or nuthin, it was a big red X balanced on the top of me head. Wtf I thought. A few others pointed at it and said wtf as well.
Well, I went to sleep that night and had weird dreams that I could hear voices from afar. They turn out to be you guys. I also got a message sayin I was promoted to leader of a element. Lol, I thought, what the hell do I know about leading an element. Don’t you have to be a scout for that?
I went to my clan leader and told him about it. Wtf he said. I think you’ve been chosen to do somethin diffrent.
What? I said.
Buggered if I know, he said.
I left him and went outside, bangin my X on the door frame, an what do you think I saw? A whole lotta people walkin round with Xs on their heads, but there’s was black.
Each night for the next few nights I had these weird dreams an gradjerly got to understand what was happnin. Seems I’m leadin a element to a new continent. I’ve got no idea what I’m sposed to do there, prolly just ride around and map the place – that seems to be what elements in this clan do best.
Now I’m not the best at this diplomcie, er diplimocy, er whatever its called – I can’t even spel the word – an I’ve got hardly any experience of how to do things in this world. I can mine (and now I have a good posture because I’ve been balncing that big X on me head for a week, but it makes mining impossible) and there are a few guys who can hunt, though they’re ony good for catching only slow moving and injured animals.
I don’t have any plan, so I’m open to suggestions. An I wouldn’t mind somebody showing me how to be a leader. I’m willin to lern. I’ve started to take lessons from the clan leader so with luck my writin might get better and I might pick up a few brainy bits from him.
He told me the first thing I have to do is lay off the prairie weed. That’ll be tuff, but if nothin else I’m gonna give this element leader business a try. Look forward to seein yers there – wherever there is.