Khan of the Steppes

The Khan's tent is just as large on the inside as it looks from out. The cloth displayed during his speech is spread out on the floor, apparently a rug. Many in the crowd seem afraid to actually set hoof on it, as it appears to be too fine a material to be trampled on, but Udus stands in the middle of it, surrounded by a number of others from his clan, who appear to be assisting him in responding to the large number of curious steppefolk. A slightly thinner material towards the top of the tent along with a number of openings in the side is letting the remaining sunlight in, although a number of shamans are setting up spirit-lights in preparation for the coming sunset.

The Khan looks at Cau'rah as the goat enters the tent, and it soon becomes apparent how the Khan is handling conversations with so many, even with the help of his tribesponies and tribesbuffalo.

"Greetings, renowned goat shaman of the La Mancha." says the Khan's voice in Cau'rah's mind. He nods at Zane also. "Zebra of the Mist Tails." To both he says "Have no fear, you can communicate with me this way if you require some privacy in our conversation. If your business concerns all you can speak aloud, and I or my generals will answer."

Explanation:

As he approached the entrance to the tent, Cau'rha motioned for Anemone to follow him in; he wanted to keep track of this Gazelle, and nobody in their right mind would deny a shaman something as simple as that.

Entering the tent, the goat immediately smelled a spirit that he had previously encountered only once or twice; a Mind Speaker. Before he could deduce who was using it, he heard the Khan's thoughts calling to him.

Though Cau'rha had never truly mastered Mind Speakers, he was still able to make use of the pre-existing connection to send his own thoughts back.

Tava, Udus Khan, he replied, giving the traditional caprine greeting. My main concern is for all, I believe, but I do have a small favor to ask; Crimson Hoof and I just traded some... shall we say harsh words just now. I may need a mediator in the morning to prevent a regrettable accident.

With that, he walked into a small, cleared out area in the center and began his proposition.

"My name is Cau'rha, and I am the sole and head shaman of the LaMancha tribe," he introduced himself to those who may not know. "Through the will of the Greater Spirits, we have found ourselves in a state of over-population. Our crops are insufficient, our homes too small, our belongings spread too thin. Udus Khan," and here he bowed his head slightly, "Has made a proposition to explore new and distant realms. My task is none other than to go a step further; I propose that we inhabit some of those lands."

"Consider this. If these lands are so distant, what is in between there and here? What is beyond them? Why stop at exploring all of it? I intend to join those who go to explore, and will hopefully buy seeding. On the return trip, I and whoever else should find themselves willing to help me will plant those seeds, and they will grow into pastures, waiting to be inhabited."

"But I can not do this alone. I can not possibly hope to grow enough pasture to satisfy all who would seek to take advantage of such a thing; I need someone to help me plant the pastures, of course; but," he paused to take a breath in. Here was the critical moment. "I also need the assurance that the new pasture lands grown in this fashion were divided fairly to those who need it most. For if I fail in this task, my livelihood of my tribe is forfeit." And with that, he took a step back, indicated that he was done speaking.

Anemone looked around nervously, not sure if she really aught to be speaking or not but, there was a gap in conversation after Cau'rha words so, she figured she might as well fill it before she lost her nerve entirely, "Greetings, I am Anemone Gracehoof, one of the last surviving members of the Soaring Arrow tribe. I am trained as an archer and scout and have received a bit of training in spiritual matters. If you would have use of me, I wish to join the Udus tribe."

((I need to stop writing these after 1.))
Zane nods understandingly, and remarks to the changeling.
"It might be uncouth, but I'd suggest asking each to a different source.
It is near-truth; Redhooves have a tendency toward force."

Zane then steps into the tent. Not one to mince words, he takes a moment to gather himself before sending his thoughts back.
"It is good to finally meet you; I am merely Zane.
To converse with this many creatures and not be subdued; it must take much skill to maintain.

I shall try to not be tentative; forgive me if I hesitate,
I am our lone representative, and I shall try to explicate.

We have a majority that wishes to rejoin the plains, but we are not unafraid.
Fear has a tight hold on our reins; far too often we have been betrayed.

Even now we number few, and we are not convinced it is worth the risk.
We'd like to survive our debut. Can you assure us this?"

"I believe even Crimson Hoof is prudent enough to hold off any grudge against you for the duration of the meet, however he is cunning enough to wait until you leave the valley to strike. Do not worry, I will help see to your protection, Cau'rah; for Crimson Hoof is no friend of mine either."

The Khan nods in approval. "It is a good plan, one to help ensure that this peace can last if we can find enough lands for all. I was hoping we might find new lands to inhabit, although I had not thought of the possibility of preparing pastureland along the way. I agree with your goal of fair distribution, although it will be up to you and the other shamans or leaders to decide what exactly is "fair", and to my warriors and allies to uphold that decision. At this point I can make no guarantees, other than I will do everything in my power to make it so and implore all who are with me to do the same."

He turns to Anenome. "Brave souls like yourself are always welcome in my clan. Especially if I am correct in assuming you have no preexisting conflicting loyalties."

Udus glances at Zane, responding to his message. "Yes, it is somewhat trying, although I find it helps train the mind to keep track of the many things required of me as khan. I dare not say anything about the future with certainty, although I do offer you my protection. Along those lines..." He catches Zane, Anenome, and Cau'rah all in his sight. "Anenome Gracehoof, as your first act as a warrior of this tribe I would like you to accompany Zane the zebra and Cau'rah the goat. Cau'rah has expressed concern for his personal safety, and Zane for his clan's. There is strength in numbers, you should all accompany Zane to give my reply to the Mist Tails, and perhaps go exploring. Silver!" The Khan's thoughts were directed elsewhere momentarily. "I am also sending Silver Steele, a minotaur of my clan with you. I can spare no one else at the moment, but perhaps you can find other companions among those here interested in my vision."

"As you will Khan." Anemone replies and bows her head to her new Khan. Turning to Cau'rah and Zane she says, "Pardon me Shaman... and Zane. I wish to meet with my new tribesmen before we set out. I will contact you both before the Meet's end." Then she makes to leave.

---

If nobody stops her, she'll vanish off to get to know her new tribesmen and their values, attitudes, specialties, etc. as much as she can as well as getting some more tattoos marking her as part of the Udus tribe in whatever the tribe's color is. (I just hope this isn't something weird for tattoos like yellow. Though she got black and dark blue from the last two so I doubt their flag color and their tattoo color needs to be exactly the same.)
Edit: Actually yellow would be ok since then you get gold tattoos which would look neat.

Silver was considering her options...The oddly-dressed individuals had sense disappeared, and no-one else had noticed...Maybe she should check with those merchants...But Udus's summons caused her to freeze for a moment, and nodding, turning to hurry to his tent, scowling a bit as she was called...It probably wasn't major, but still...

After his new Zebra friend entered the tent, Book Smart looked around at the crowd, trying to figure out who to talk to. His eyes grew glassy as he thought of what this could mean. If Udus Khan is right, this could be the biggest adventure ever! I need to see what the other tribes think and then maybe I can talk it over with my elders. Surely they'll see reason!

Wait, he thought, tapping a hoof to his chin. I need to think about the best way to do this is. Zane suggested that I only ask each pony about one of the two clans. So, I'll alternate. But who do I ask? Maybe if I try for the ones that don't look too busy and don't look like they're allied to either the Redhoof or Udus' tribe. Then, I can break the groups down further into...

Streetwise:

Zane nods to show he understood Anemone before facing the Khan again.
"My thanks for your considerations; they are wise and precautionary.
They do bolster our relations; I only hope they turn to be unnecessary."
Zane then bows gently in gratitude, and leaves the tent in the direction of the pulpit. It will be important to carry back news of all the tribes, though the Khan's grand design does bear a weight.

Notes:

"Shashav, Udus Khan," the goat said gratefully. "You have lightened my burden significantly. We all have our tasks cut out for us; I leave you to yours now. Vata, Udus Khan," he finished in caprine manner, trying to hide his excitement.

Following Zane out of the tent, Cau'rha turned to his new companion. "It would seem you are in the lead for now; where shall we go?" he asked the zebra, his horn-hung bells jingling as he tilted his head upwards slightly.

Crimson Hoof had left and a sand-colored pony with an outfit made of small, bleached bones (probably from many birds and rodents) had taken the stage. His voice came through in a raspy, wispy way, and was hard to hear over the general noise of the crowd. "Udus Khan speaks wisdom in his plan to unite the tribes into one herd. However, Udus Khan is not of the Shamans. Only a Shaman Khan who can communicate with the Mother Spirit can truly lead a flock of such numbers to the promised lands beyond the Sands and Salt Sea. We should look to Shale Khan of Sunstone, greatest of Shamans, for leadership. Udus Khan, and all who follow him, should bow to her authority if their plans are to succeed. To do otherwise is to risk angering the spirits... and doom us all."

-Meanwhile-

Sleipnir had finally managed to get to the front of the line and enter the grand tent of Khan Udus. It was made apparent quickly that magic was at work, as the greeting entered his mind. He bowed back. "Udus Khan, I am Sleipnir, representative of the Prairie Strider Tribe. I am interested to learn more of how you plan on uniting the tribes under one banner."

There were many ways that Khan Udus could proceed with his plan of unification: He could go and plead his case to each Khan and attempt to win them over to his way of thinking, becoming a Khan of Khans. He could try to bribe or buy their loyalty. He could attack and absorb the other tribes. He could try to influence the Shaman caste to be named a great spirit given mortal form, a creature worthy of reverence. He might have also came into possession of an artifact of the First Khan, a part of the royal regalia, that could be used to claim leadership. If he had a part of the First Khan's regalia, he could invoke the Sacred Rite of Leadership. It would be an open challenge to any Khan to either submit to his leadership, or fight to see if they could claim it. But once the Rite was over, all would have to heed the will of the holder of the relic, as the First Khan did centuries ago to win the loyalty of all tribes. Until his death, where no one was able to complete the Rite, which led to the fracturing of the tribes and the loss of the royal regalia.

Azureink wrote:Crimson Hoof had left and a sand-colored pony with an outfit made of small, bleached bones (probably from many birds and rodents) had taken the stage. His voice came through in a raspy, wispy way, and was hard to hear over the general noise of the crowd. "Udus Khan speaks wisdom in his plan to unite the tribes into one herd. However, Udus Khan is not of the Shamans. Only a Shaman Khan who can communicate with the Mother Spirit can truly lead a flock of such numbers to the promised lands beyond the Sands and Salt Sea. We should look to Shale Khan of Sunstone, greatest of Shamans, for leadership. Udus Khan, and all who follow him, should bow to her authority if their plans are to succeed. To do otherwise is to risk angering the spirits... and doom us all."

History Check:

"It is true," Cau'rha spoke up loudly, making his way to the stage, "That Muth-La, the Mother Spirit, is only heard directly by the Shaman Khan. But, is it not also her wisdom that brings leaders to do her will? Would Udus Khan have such wisdom if The Mother hadn't given it to him? While I agree we must consult the Shaman Khan, I do not feel that she would not dare lead such an effort, and it is foolish to imply otherwise. Kala nak maz suthi; Fasat Muth-La pahak nak."

Pahmuthi Translation:

Grey Pen wrote:Following Zane out of the tent, Cau'rha turned to his new companion. "It would seem you are in the lead for now; where shall we go?" he asked the zebra, his horn-hung bells jingling as he tilted his head upwards slightly.

"To the lowlands we will tread; once the Meet has had its lasts.
But for now as you have said, we each have our own tasks."
Zane just looks on as Cau'rha challenges the Sunstone tribe. This is a conflict of shaman; he has no place in it.

As he walked away from yet another uninterested steppe-dweller, Book Smart noticed Zane talking with a goat, from his dress, a shaman of some kind. After the shaman left to speak with another pony who had taken the stage, Book walked up to zebra and said, "I hope your talk with Udus Khan went well. I don't think I'm likely to learn much more here, so I think I'll head back to the Dark Water tents and see what our elders have to say about all this." He gestured back toward the rest of the camp. "I'll have more Royal Jelly ready tomorrow morning. If you see anyone else who might have a good story, maybe you could let them know!"

Waschbaer wrote:As he walked away from yet another uninterested steppe-dweller, Book Smart noticed Zane talking with a goat, from his dress, a shaman of some kind. After the shaman left to speak with another pony who had taken the stage, Book walked up to zebra and said, "I hope your talk with Udus Khan went well. I don't think I'm likely to learn much more here, so I think I'll head back to the Dark Water tents and see what our elders have to say about all this." He gestured back toward the rest of the camp. "I'll have more Royal Jelly ready tomorrow morning. If you see anyone else who might have a good story, maybe you could let them know!"

Zane smiles at the changeling-earth pony as he approaches.
"Yes, my talk with the Khan went quite well, and I thank you for your concern.
I'm sorry that none seem to have stories to tell; perhaps I could trade one of mine for a bowl in the morn."
Zane turns back towards the pulpit, before a thought catches him and he faces the changeling again.
"Err...this invitation might be premature, but there seems to be a group forming.
I cannot guarantee that it would be secure, but would you be interested in joining?

On its face, it appears to be just an average venture.
And I may be misplaced, but I know that destiny means it to be more.

Currently we consist of Cau'rha, the goat shaman near the pulpit.
As a head shaman he inspires awe; I'm sure he has more than a few stories to transmit.

There is also Anemone Gracehoof, a Gazelle entrusted to guard us on our trek to the lowlands.
Silver Steele also comes from the same roof; though she has only been mentioned.

And finally there is myself of course. If you come with us, you might end making your own lore.
This decision should not be forced. Take time to speak with your elders before."

OOC Notes:

Grey Pen wrote:"It is true," Cau'rha spoke up loudly, making his way to the stage, "That Muth-La, the Mother Spirit, is only heard directly by the Shaman Khan. But, is it not also her wisdom that brings leaders to do her will? Would Udus Khan have such wisdom if The Mother hadn't given it to him? While I agree we must consult the Shaman Khan, I do not feel that she would not dare lead such an effort, and it is foolish to imply otherwise. Kala nak maz suthi; Fasat Muth-La pahak nak."

Pahmuthi Translation:

The sand-colored pony (who could be mistaken for a goat due to his horned headdress and beard) moved to one side to give Cau'rha enough room to take the stage. The sand-colored pony nodded his head. "The Spirits are wise, this is not in question. And they impart their wisdom to he who listens. Many Khans have led their tribe to ruins by not listening. Has Udus Khan listened? Truly listened to the Spirits?" The pony shook his head. "The Great Sand Scorpion came to me in a dream, tail raised in warning, venom dripping."

It was pretty obvious by this point, by the way this pony was talking and carrying himself, and from the clothes that he wore, that he was a shaman of the Sand Scorpion Tribe. Known for being a hardy, extremely spiritual folk who lived in the inhospitable Dune Sea to the south. To see a scorpion spirit, especially a totem spirit, with stinger poised to strike, was considered a grave warning. Those still in the crowd that heard the pony's words began whispering with each other in hushed tones. Clearly such a sign could mean that Khan Udus' plan may bring ruin to them all.

"Greetings to you also, Sleipnir of the Prairie Striders. It has become clear to me that the current warfare between the tribes cannot continue, as the raids only manage to deplete our collective resources, and entire clans have dispersed or disappeared from the plains completely. As individuals band together to form families, and families join into tribes, I hope to bring the steppes together, based on their need for security and to be able to accomplish greater things. I am not naive, I realize I will need to use force to back up my vision. I will force none to join me, but will fight any who prey on my allies, or any who prevent others from joining me. Hopefully the Shamans will support me, as I believe my plan will benefit all, and that I will be the one to repeat the First Khan's success.

That in the most general sense is my plan and motivations. Let me know if you or your clan are interested, I understand if not or if you need time to think. Your assistance is entirely voluntary, but should you hinder me I will remember it. If you are indeed interested in my plan, you can help test my vision by working with a team I have put together of individuals of different clans and backgrounds, you can find them outside, I'm sure you can't miss them."

He turns is attention to Steele "Silver Steele, I think this ragtag band can use your services. Admittedly I must send you away for political reasons, as there are many who will be flocking to my banner who will want to blame you for a number of... missing items. But I know there is more to you than that, and I believe they can use a companion as fierce and devoted as you. I ask you to accompany them on their journeys, protect and aid them as I know you can, and keep ears and eyes out for any sign of any possessions of the First Khan, we could use the help that even a symbol would give to our cause."

Sleipnir listens to Khan Udus' proposed plan before nodding. "Very well. I shall forward your proposal to the Prairie Striders. I will also join this "team" of yours in order to learn more about your vision. If you'll excuse me, I shall depart to find these individuals you have spoken of." Sleipnir bowed his head to Khan Udus and excused himself from the tent. And did not make ten feet before he bumped into a zebra talking to an earth pony. "Excuse me," Sleipnir stated as he backed up and then began to move around Zane.

Steele paused, bowing before the Khan respectfully, silent for a moment...She knew she had a checkered past at best, and it felt like an insult in a way, but she knew he had to think of the clan first and foremost, and she had a knack for finding things...It made sense, even if her knee-jerk reaction said otherwise. "Of course, Khan. I'll keep them from harm, and I'll be sure to retrieve any I see, if there are any to be found." Plus, he was probably right...She might actually -be- responsible for a handful of items going missing, and it'd be wise to be out of reach of those who'd want a more physical means of payback. Though as she spoke, she couldn't help but try to remember any legends or myths of the First Khan...

Spoiler:

Book Smart blinked and looked up at the earth pony that had just bumped into Zane. Glancing back at the zebra, he noted with a chuckle, "You seem popular today."

He thought for a moment, his gaze lingering on his forehooves. Suddenly, he seemed to come to a decision as his head rose, an excited look on his face. "Is this for Udus Khan, or are you doing it on your own? Never mind! Either way, it sounds amazing. But, I guess I should talk to my elders first." Though, with all they've been telling me about the joys of travel, that shouldn't be a problem, Book thought to himself. "How about this," he said, nodding his head toward the Deep Water tents, "stop by tomorrow morning and I'll have your answer then."

Distracted by his own thoughts and not waiting for an answer, Book started off away from the zebra and earth pony, heading back toward where his tribe was set up.

OOC:

Sleipnir paused as Khan Udus was mentioned. Was the zebra the one he was supposed to meet? "Pardon me, but did I hear him correctly? Are you one of the members of the team Udus Khan mentioned needing assistance? I was going to seek them out after I reported the Khan's proposal to my tribe. In order to see what the Khan had planned through that group." Sleipnir paused again to hear Zane's answer.

Zane nods at the changeling's proposal before turning to the newcomer.
"Indeed, we have been grouped by Udus Khan...though I do not know I would call us his team.
The distance between our tribes has great span, but he has reached us with his uniting dream.

We are to return answer to those of Mist Tail, deep in the lowlands.
That is the only plan of which I am aware, after which our path expands.

You are welcome to come as well, if that is what your heart desires.
Any worries I will attempt to dispel, but the Meet's end will be when this offer expires."

Sleipnir listened to Zane's verse, then replied. "I understand. Do you plan on leaving soon or will you wait until The Meet is over? I still have some errands to attend to." Sleipnir needed to go back to his tribe's camp and relay the message of Khan Udus among other things. Though he was fairly certain that the camp was in good hands if he departed sooner rather than later.

Zane blinks a few times, confused, before responding,
"I suppose I was not clear enough; verse makes some things discrete.
I did not intend the rebuff; we will depart after the Meet.

Please take your time in making a decision; I am not in a hurry.
Though I would like an answer to be given, else your intent will remain blurry."

Sleipnir pauses for a moment, also confused, then something lights up in his eyes. "Oh! Yes. Yes I do plan on going with this group of yours. I guess I didn't state that for the record. I can understand your confusion." Sleipnir then begins to move off toward the direction of the Prairie Strider's camp. "I assume we are going to meet here after The Meet? I will see you then."