The Elderknoll

Garif Elder (sitting on ground talking to Sugumu and another garif): There is a rich magicite vein near this village, did you know? It is an important and very holy place to us. Yet, in recent years, humes have spoiled the land. They use machines to mine more and more of the Stones. They steal power from the earth at their own peril, for the earth will surely take it back.

Garif Elder/Low-chief Sugumu: Ah… a hume-child. It is unusual for your kind to visit us here on our knoll. Have you come to speak with the Great-chief? He is in the meeting place before the bridge. You will know it by the guards standing at the entrance.

Garif Elder (talking to another garif): Oh? A hume-child? This is most unusual. You seem quite burly for one so young. We are old here, and you may find our village lacks the excitement you crave, but sometimes it is better to move slowly.

Garif Youth: Ah, a hume-child. I am surprised to see you here. This hill is called the elderknoll. Here does the Great-chief hold counsel with the other elders. We garif welcome outsiders to our village, but few are they who are allowed here. You must be on important business indeed.

Garif Warrior: The Great-chief is ahead. Will you meet with him?

>Meet with the Great-chief.

[move on to next scene in green]

>Turn back.

    [end conversation]

(The party, with Ashe and her Dawn Shard at the fore, approach the fire where the garif’s Great-chief sits. Of all his tribesman, his mask and horns are most elaborate, and and his beard long and white. Shortly, we see him turning over the Dawn Shard in his hand.)

Great-chief: This nethicite - you have used it.

Ashe: It was not I who used it. Indeed I had hoped you could show me how. Thus I’ve come.

Great-chief: You do not know the workings of the Stone. Then we are no different.

Ashe: What?

Great-chief: In ages past, the gods made a gift of nethicite to my people. But the manner of its use eluded us. Displeased by our failure, the gods took back their Stones. They chose instead to give them to a hume-king. Called the Dynast-King, he used the nethicite’s power to bring peace to a troubled time. It is a curious thing. Though the blood of King Raithwall flow through your veins, you cannot wield nethicite.

Ashe: Cannot wield it? So then, am I to understand you can’t tell me how to use the Stone?

Great-chief: Though it shame me so to admit. Here before me stands a descendant of the Dynast-King himself… and I can accord her no help at all. Still, even if you knew how to use the nethicite, you would find it of small avail. The Mist collected in the Stone over ages past is lost, and with it the Stone’s power. It will be your posterity who wield the Stone in ages yet to come.

[Ashe sighs frustratedly.]

Great-chief: This Stone is devoid of power. Empty, yet full of thirst. A terrible longing to drink the world dry. (the point of view changes to someone approaching the Great-chief’s fire) The power of men, and of magick. Of good, and of evil. It is often those who desire nethicite whom the nethicite itself desires.

[Just then, a familiar face appears at the meeting place.]

Penelo: Larsa?