ElmshadeVillage

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He walked with the same slow deliberate pace that had carried him for over 70 years across many lands and across oceans.

He only stood 5' high and carried nothing but a crooked walking stick but his slanted eyes had seen things a guild full of mages would never have the chance to experience.

He stopped at the large rune that was permanently burned into the skin of the sparring fields and surveyed the area.

His simple cloth pajamas flapped in the warm breeze. He liked this place, it had a history, he could feel it.

Grinning thru his whitning gray beard he reached into his loose sleeve and produced a small carving of a chest. He whispered to it and it sprang to a large chest big enough to lay 2 men into.

He heaved once and pulled the simple key from his mouth. unlocking the chest he swallowed the key again

From inside the normal dark bamboo chest he pulls 20' poles, bundles of cloth, large shield sized brazers and other misc items. Before the sun set he had erected his large tent and the pan set braizers burn warmly on either side of the entrance. Several wooden stumps now set in a semi circle laid in front of the tent.

He had smelled the evil on the wind and seen the dead animals that had fallen.His dreams told him his services as a teacher may be wanted. Something corrupt was near

After cooking his rice he sat stroking his long fine beard. Looking into the night at the huge curious rune, it seemed familiar and it didn't make him feel good at all

He rubbed the tatto rune on the side of his own bald head and conteplated the days events. Soon he might wander into town for some supplies and see what the local populace gossip was. Looking at the roof lines in the distance he sat quietly as he ate the hot rice clumps and fisheads

After finishing the food he dons a heavy robe made of layers of dull reds and creamy white silks. Bowing curtly to each of the four winds he thanked the celestial lords for their honored favor and smiled at the bright moon. "it will grow cold tonight, eh Tsukiyomi? When I can see your face in the moon I know there will be a shimmering chill in the morning dew"

Enjoying the positive chi he felt from the nearby town the small man was happy with his find. He threw some dusty soil to the stumps that sat in a semi circle in front of the tent. Tucking his hands into his large sleeves the slight man murmured soft words into the breeze to be carried to the solid wood pieces

Feeling pleased with himself he retired to the simplistic interior of his ample tent. Once inside he lit the paper lamp so that it cast it's soft radiance across the interior. Toshi, his cyclops-eyed ring-tailed lemur stared at him over a huge piece of ridged nut. It chattered it's pleasure at seeing him again and leapt to his collar where it got back to the busines of devouring the delicious core before tossing the shell to a cloth sack.

Stroking his plannar pet, he removed his sandals and kneeled. "We will go to town tommorrow and see what these people have to trade. Would you like some fresh fruit little Toshi?" The monkey like creature rubs his own head affectionately against his masters cheek and hugs his neck with it's banded tail. The purring cooing sound is loud enough to be heard easily. "I thought you would "

He opened a wood jar full of nuts retrieving one. "Do you smell them Toshi?" He cracked the rock hard shell with a gentle rolling squeeze, this got the full attention of the large eye in the center of the furry creatures forehead "I do to" The lemur lowers itself to his hand where he absent mindedly pinches a fragment of the nuts heart off for it to nibble at. "Whatever they are they stink like Lu-Yueh's offal and they're getting closer" The marsupial chirped it's opinion "well the god of disease may be harsh but whatever it is I detected is an evil more foul and powerful than I have ever found outside of the hell itself"

He paused struggling internally, "We might also find Chy-Tung, he has been through these lands. I have seen his marks. That would please me" Toshi gnawed on the white walnut heart while appearing quite interested. The old man slid a sliver of nut into his own mouth. Chewing it slowly "Something is coming. Something large. Something to do with histories. And we're going to aid anyone with a shred of humanity that will have us. I might be too old to run around saving whole nations anymore but I can still teach a few things"

He read from his massive tome for hours, Toshi periodically turned the pages for him. For every bead in his belt he prayed to the celestial bureaucracy to illuminate the path of enlightenment as was his daily ritual.

Bowing deeply before taking his nightly rest he asks the dreams to guide him "Shang-Ti I again beseech your wisdom to lead me in our times of need. Reeking black chaos is near and I embrace those that wish to learn its weakness. For those warriors that come to test their will and to understand the arts of war I ask for your blessings and favor"

From the shadows of the night crept a small figure. slow, careful, silent. Azreal saw this soft light and crept near. he waited outside until he was nearly sure he was asleep. perhaps there was something of worth in this tent. he slowly crept forth and slightly opened the flap to look inside the tent.

(Crap totally missed this one somehow)

Azreal crept into the interior of the simple tent. It was crude in material but it was also an engineering feat not of these lands. The asian construct had a skeleton of fairly elaborate wooden rods and knots keeping its lofty interior taut.

The interior was also simple. All items were utilitarian and had obvious uses for the most part but were all hand made with the greateest craftsmanship. Some components like the flat top copper pot bellied stove in the corner were unusual. A small cot with heavy dyed fur blankets was off to the side. Food and drink in ornate cannisters and wicker bound glass are neatly arranged near that. To the left are the dozen small clay bottles with ribbon around thier necks bearing a form of calligraphy

A three legged desk sat near that with lye candles burning slowly. There was an ornate wooden wardrobe and an area consisiting of toiletries in thier respective places. Guilded brushes for hair and teeth layed in line next to a bras framed mirror. Such was the look of the insides.

To the far side sat the hand carved desk and inverted backless chair. Rolled up neatly in the letterbox cubes are several scrolls stacked behind a jade inkwell and a grouping of feathered pinoins used for writing.

Oddly enough there are four geometrically placed 2' tree stumps inside. They are exactly the same size as the ones outside surrounding the large tent. They don't seem to have any purpose except maybe to sit on even tho they are a bit sohrt for that.

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