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 Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:00 am
 
Those who can post here:
- The new group of Hongshan
- Nawvlee / Roho
- Elcca
(may add more if I forgot anyone)
Knowledge of the Nergui
exclaim Note that this information is just a guideline! Do not feel afraid of elaborating, or adding your character's interpretation of events. Play off each other!
- The slaves were given strange tasks to do during their time in captivity (examples: long treks, which sometimes lasted for hours, that ended up taking them in circles, ending back where they started / digging up stones which are then left behind without any use ) you may feel free to come up with some ideas of your own, also.
- Lions with unusual markings/physical traits seemed to grab Nergui interest (examples: wing markings / bone markings / pale eyes)
- Unusually marked lions were often treated better than those who were not.
- All of the Nergui speak in a garbled, mixed-dialect language that makes communication extremely difficult/impossible.
More to follow…
Quote: Roho was troubled to say the least, though she kept her thoughts carefully concealed as she followed Nawvlee and Elcca down to where the new arrivals were being kept. Perhaps even the same place they had been confined to until they were allowed to earn their place amongst the Firekin. This time, the new group had arrived under slightly different circumstances. For whilst Nawvlee and his troop had only brought warning, Thabiti and the others had brought monsters. It seemed to Roho – at that moment - that the Hongshan were doomed and that perhaps they were not so fortunate as they might have once believed. They had simply prolonged their lives; delayed their suffering. And now their only allies - their only hope - was turning to them with a suspicious eye just when they had truly started to settle. No’s threat had not gone unmissed by the warrior and it repeated over and over in her mind. If the alliance ceased, what would happen to them? Would they be executed? Exiled? And what of her children – they being full blood Hongshan. Perhaps if the worst came to pass, she could plead for them to remain. They would grant her that one kindness, wouldn’t they? But, as always, Roho kept these thoughts in check; determined not to let her emotions get the better of her. She did not want a repeat of the outburst at the border; an event that was beginning to haunt her now, despite Nawvlee’s assurance that she had acted accordingly. Instead, she lifted her head and hastened her pace to close the gap between herself and the others travelling back. She’d just have to put her faith in Nawvlee now. He had not failed her in the past and there was no reason to think he would fail her now.
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:16 am
Nawvlee was filled with mixed emotions as he approached the area the newly arrived Hongshan were being kept. He was glad for their safety but he was worried by the circumstances of their arrival- and the company they arrived in. The lioness he walked with, Elcca, was suspicious at best on her own- he had yet to decide what he thought of her but he still refused to speak. He had yet to vocalize any opinion on the situation outside of agreeing with Roho that they ought to be concerned.
Finally, when faced with the familiar forms of Hongshan he had never dared to hope to see again, his stubbornly neutral expression broke and he smiled. He knew it seemed inappropriate considering the tension of the situation but if there was anything to be truly happy about, it was that they were alive and free. He had to trust that they were safe within the Firekin, even now. His mistrust would only make things worse.
Shaking his head, his smile faded but his gladness was still in his eyes.
"I am happy to see that you are all alive," he said, addressing the entire group of Hongshan, "Your arrival coincided with an attack on the Firekin, they are already aware of the Nergui and so are rightfully suspicious. I need you to tell me all that you can about your escape."
It was an unfortunately formal welcome for a group so familiar to him but it was necessary. He looked over the group once more and though the demand was left open to any, his eyes lingered longest on Thabiti'lengo, who had been left behind in the first Hongshan escape.
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:27 pm
Elcca was more than pleased with the situation.
Not that she took joy in unrest... publicly. Elcca was a lioness whose mind rarely stopped buzzing, and this spark of drama had brought a little life back into her. A somewhat self-centered assessment of the situation, but baby steps! There was compassion somewhere in that wild heart, under layers of burning curiosity.
She didn't seem to notice the mistrust, or perhaps she simply did not care. She followed beside Nawvlee with a bounce in her step. Once they had arrived in the small quarter, she quickly ascended up a rock pile to recline and monitor the situation.
But for at least the moment, she was silent. She had nothing to work with, and there was no sense stepping on Nawvlee's toes. She might have been eager, but she was no fool. When push came to shove, after the reagents calmed down this fellow was leagues ahead of her in terms of power. She wasn't about to become a bully unless she had something worth poking into.
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:38 pm
(( Just assume Thabiti will always be talking in the Northern language when in the company of other Hongshan )) Thabiti smiled as he saw his friend come into view with two others beside him. Roho was one, the other he did not care for nor did he recognize her. The problems that arose that day were distant in his mind as his heart fell into familiar comforts knowing that his brethren are together again. Not even that monstrous visage of Miah would deter this moment. The dark lion rested on his side, holding himself up like the Sphinx. His blood-caked paws turned toward him, still moist from another cleaning of them. He was with his family, there wasn't a necessary need to be up at arms just yet. "Did you expect us to just fall over and die?" he chuckled before clearing his throat. Perhaps it was not appropriate. He was one of the few who were recaptured after Nawvlee's escaped with the other Hongshan from the Nergui's pridal slave camp. It was when one of the members was also to be caught, a smaller one. It was his fault he got caught, really, no fault on any other. It was he who threw himself at the beast to allow the escape of another. Frankly, he would gladly do it again. He wanted to know about the escape...? Thabiti's gaze diverted before glancing out of the corner of his eyes to Ukuba and the others. "The escape." He reaffirmed
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 1:32 pm
(( o3o Just wanted to ask before I post. Do we actually know how they escaped? I know that Miah helped them, but that's about it. Is there a set way that they escaped or are we just making it up between us? XD; Just don't wanna God-mod or anything. ))
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:34 pm
~Masamune~ (( o3o Just wanted to ask before I post. Do we actually know how they escaped? I know that Miah helped them, but that's about it. Is there a set way that they escaped or are we just making it up between us? XD; Just don't wanna God-mod or anything. ))
[[ That's about all that's needed. It was probably difficult and at night, and they lost several of their group in the process. And two just from the lengthy trip across the desert. Specifics relating to your characters though are totally up to you guys to decide. If someone wants to make up a story, we can go off of that too. <3
Don't worry too much about godmoding! I can incorporate just about anything. ]]
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:37 pm
Nawvlee tensed ever so slightly when Thabiti spoke, glancing up to where Elcca had perched herself to keep an eye on things and around at the company they shared whether they wanted it or not. He couldn't see the guards but he knew they would be there, keeping an eye on things.
Thabiti's pause gave him an opening to interrupt, this time his voice was more serious and ever so slightly louder- this was an important point.
"Failure to communicate is part of why we ended up in the situation we were in," he said, referring to how the strange Nergui speak had been a big part of their inability to judge their true intentions early enough before the battle, "We will not put up any unnecessary barriers between us and the Firekin, if you wish to remain here you will speak their language."
He sighed, knowing it was a large request for a pride who had already lost so much of their culture and identity- but now was not the time for explaining how generous the Firekin had been in allowing them to carry on in some of their traditions.
"There will be no secrets between any of us, real or imagined," he continued, referring both to them and himself and the Hongshan as a group and the Firekin. He looked to Isifo, recognizing him as one of the few who did not speak well in common tongue. There was no good way to address that now.
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 5:29 pm
Even though things still felt tense, Tswana forced herself to settle down in a more comfortable position, glad that they were being questioned, at least, by someone they knew. Even though she still didn't feel particularly pleased by the presence of Elcca, a stranger. Also because she had seen Elcca talking to Miah earlier, though hadn't been able to hear what they spoke of. It was weird.
Thabiti spoke first, and she may have spoken herself sooner, but then Nawvlee was talking again. She frowned slightly at his language of choice, because she had expected they'd speak in their own tongue. Oh well, it couldn't be helped. Tswana could handle this new language, having had contact with it from a grandparent since early on, but she didn't speak as well as some of the others.
"Miah came. He organized it." Or that was the impression she had gotten. "Not Hongshan, but no choice." Had they not escaped, Tswana would probably be dead by now, starving herself.
Sjari watched the others with interest, though that didn't really show by his expression. He seemed somewhat haunted and bothered, perhaps like a lion who had not slept in months. The black lions ears lowered, vanishing into his mane as they begun to speak about escape, as if it were a bad memory to him.
He breathed out a bit loudly, and settled down on his stomach, resting his head on his paws and looking at the sand as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. He had no intention to speak, at least not yet, but an ear stayed turned back to listen in on the conversation. He hoped no one would find his attitude too strange, considering he had been this quiet since the Nergui had first attacked and his twin... Sjari had been quiet for a long time. They should expect this of him.
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:08 am
Zheva laid herself out in the sands as the arrivals, along with herself, came to rest. The escape trek had left her paws throbbing and her head spinning. In the last few months she had found herself in the center of a whirlwind of emotions and events. Confusion, outrage, suspicions, and worry had pounded at her emotional core for weeks. Making sense of it now would only lead to mental disastor. The escape had been made in haste, the pace had been a desperate one, and while it had been a decent trek, she hadn't the clarity of mind to pour over the events that had transpired enough to formulate a decent explanation of it all.
As Nawvlee spoke up the lioness brought a paw to the side of her head and squeezed her eyes shut. Of course they couldn't return to peace and quiet, there was always something. Thankfully, Tswana spoke up and gave a brief introduction of their escape.Miah had come, he had assisted...but to what end? Suspicion creased her muzzle as she lowered her paw once more and nodded her agreement to the simple statement. He had helped them escape, perhaps out of compassion or perhaps to meet his own ends...but what? She was having difficulty making a solid opinion regarding the male.
In fact, there were several individuals she couldn't quite place in her mind, and she couldn't speak certainly about why or why not so, for the moment, she remained silent.
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:49 am
Ukuba had already intended to speak in the same language as the Firekin during the questioning, as he agreed with Nawvlee that it would be best to do so in order to avoid any potential paranoia. As soon as Nawvlee looked in Isifo's direction however, the red and black male frowned deeply. Ever defensive of his brother, he would not allow for him to be made a fool of, by Nawvlee or anyone else for that matter.
"For some of us, the time spent under the Nergui is still too difficult to discuss. I hope that you will understand, Nawvlee, that not all of this group is able to talk to you about the escape." His brother had been very quiet recently, as had Sjari and Zheva. Hopefully, Nawvlee would get all the information that he needed from himself, Thabiti and Tswana.
Tswana's answer in regards to the escape was basic, but accurate. There was very little more that Ukuba could add, but he thought it would be best to flesh the answer out a little bit. "It is exactly as Tswana has said. Miah came to us in the night and provided a distraction." As he said this, his gaze lowered slightly. "The Nergui were well organised, despite the shock of what was taking place. As we ran into the night, many of us got separated from others."
Before his gaze returned to Nawvlee, he glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the group. "Of the many that took part in Miah's plan, only ourselves, Miah and two others were able to escape." When his gaze finally turned to Nawvlee once more, a wave of sadness washed over him, although he did very well to hide it. "We do not know what happened to those that failed to join us in the morning, and as we travelled across the desert, the two others that were with us sadly passed away, unable to cope with the non-stop travelling under the intense desert sun."
With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, he then pondered how best to go on. "That is it. I...have failed to come up with a reason or a motive behind Miah's decision to help us. All I know is that we owe him our lives." Ukuba largely ignored Elcca, focusing solely on Nawvlee. When Roho had gone to attack Miah, Ukuba had defended him. If put on the spot in regards to how he truely felt about Miah, he wasn't sure he would answer.
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:09 am
Roho had remained quiet at Nawvlee's side, her pale blue eyes flicking between the familiar faces. She felt somewhat subdued at that moment. Or tired, perhaps. It had been a long day filled with an assortment of powerful emotions from fear, to joy and then anger and despair. There was a hollow ache in her chest, too, born from the sadness of how this reunion had been ruined.
It should have been a happy, joyful moment. It should not have been like this.
And the Hongshan themselves looked tired, too, their limited speak and prolonged silence telling more than what words could. Perhaps this was the wrong time for questioning but it had to be done. The regents would want answers and Roho feared what would happen if they didn't get them.
Her tail flicked with frustration. "You have been through a lot. We understand that more than most, but Nawvlee has been appointed to ask you questions about the Nergui. If you do not answer him..." She paused before adding. "There is speak of ending the alliance with us." Her eyes danced across their faces. "Time is of the essence. We need the Firekin for protection and - though they do not know it - they will need us, too. The only advantage we have is our knowledge. It must be shared."
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:58 pm
Ukuba raised a brow when Roho spoke up. Had she just completely ignored all that he had said, or had she chosen only to acknowledge the fact that he had stated that not all of the Hongshan were able to speak about what happened? Either way, he wasn't happy.
"Roho. I am more than willing to answer any and all questions that you, Nawvlee and the Firekin may have." He frowned. "Please do not take the silence of some of us as an unwillingness to cooperate, as that is not the case. Some of our group have not spoken since the escape." Ukuba's tone of voice was firm. If the Firekin attempted to force the more quiet members of the Hongshan to talk, then they were no better than the Nergui. "Rest assured that you will get the answers you seek, even without the contribution of the entire group."
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 1:36 pm
"Enough," he said firmly, looking from Ukuba to Roho and back again, "I do not doubt that times became harder following our escape but none of us here are strangers to loss. We all lost our home, our family, our friends, our freedom. The Firekin know our story and have offered their protection but that does not mean we can sit here and sulk when we are threatened, when they are threatened."
Nawvlee knew Ukuba was attempting to support those of the Hongshan who did not yet have the heart to speak but his defensiveness, however well-intentioned, was unnecessary. He also considered what it was that he had said. Overall, his impression of Ukuba was one of suspicion- and he didn't like to think that.
"Did anybody question Miah?" he asked, looking at Ukuba, who seemed most keen to speak and defend the stranger, "After you successfully escaped, did nobody ask him why?"
He too would have taken any help he could get, Tswana was right to suggest the best option was to trust a stranger willing to help.. but once they were free, he wasn't sure he would feel so indebted that he did not question the helpful stranger's origin and motivation. Logically, it didn't make sense but realistically.. he had never been in that situation and these Hongshan were trapped many months longer.
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 1:48 pm
Tswana nodded in agreement with Ukuba's words, also more than willing to answer any questions. It only seemed fair. Nawvlee's next question she felt might be a little shameful to them, because perhaps they had trusted Miah too much. In their own defense, though.
"Questions were asked, yes." Not by Tswana herself, because until their arrival earlier that day, she hadn't been much better off than Sjari or Zheva. Her attitude had visibly changed within hours, perhaps just because of all the excitement, or, despite it all, because she suddenly was a more hopeful lioness, and that gave her strength. "Miah didn't give straight answers." She shrugged, the firekin had seen Miah dance around questions themselves.
"We didn't pressure him much." Escape and survival had been their main priority.
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:36 pm
“Something feels very wrong about all of this.” The older lioness piped in, her eyes still squeezed shut and hear ears drawn back against the top of her head. The bickering was well established in tension but it was misdirected at one another. They were of the same kin, they shouldn’t be growing short with one another, not when every day could be their last. Given their delicate situation, that day could be soon.
“I think there was division within the Nergui…”, And within their own pride. Traitors? Cowards perhaps? It pained her to consider that there could be some within their own number that would see them destroyed but to what end? Had they been promised a position of power or safety? Or was it a farce invented by the Nergui themselves in an attempt to pull the Hongshan apart from the inside out? Thinking ill of her kin left a bitter taste in her mouth. She couldn’t state anything without facts to support it so for the moment her suspicions were staunched.
“The firekin will want answers, yes, but we can only tell them what we know. The lot of us were prisoners, we barely escaped with our lives. If they need proof of that, have them send one of their own to find those that died in the sands behind us. Let them see for themselves the scars in their hides if the vultures were kind enough to leave something behind.” She shuddered slightly. “Right now we need to speak words of healing to each other. It’s been long since some of us have heard any words of kindness.”
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