CROSSPOST from character histories:

[Yaayal Kor]
A bare floor of rough stone has grown worn from countless years of use. A string of sinew runs across the edges of the hide walls, displaying an array of bone trinkets and talismans. A small nest of ridgeweavers has taken over a neglected corner of this small kor, their strands of silk glimmering eerily in the dim light. You also see a circular fire pit and a blackened khava kettle.
Also here: A wizened Yaayal elder
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A wizened Yaayal elder picks at his teeth lazily with a long cactus spine.
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A wizened Yaayal elder invitingly says, "My home is yours, and I insist you drink some of this khava."
>nod slow
You nod slowly.
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A wizened Yaayal elder raises a blackened khava kettle into the air as he pours a steady stream of the aromatic liquid into a rounded ceramic cylinder. He meticulously adds a cube of hardened cactus nectar and stirs it into the beverage purposefully. He wraps the cylinder in a thin strip of yierka-hide and places it at your feet.
>get cyl
You pick up a cylinder of Tehiri khava.
>drink khav
You drink from a cylinder of Tehiri khava. The sweetness of cactus nectar pierces through the pungent, earthy flavor of khava.
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A wizened Yaayal elder clears his throat forcefully and somberly says, "I am troubled by recent events that I felt the needs to share with you. Do you remember my three nephews, the orphans of the Southron wastes taken in to my brother's clan after that nomadic tribe was captured?"
>pond
You ponder.
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You say, "As I recall, they were raised as scribes of the Tor. Some of the very few lettered people among your tribe."
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A wizened Yaayal elder says, "Indeed. Their aptitude for language and learning far exceeded their physical strength, and much water was spent and sacrificed for the betterment of their lives."
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You say, "I recall them falling into some trouble in their youth."
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A wizened Yaayal elder glances at you and scowls, breathing a heavy sigh.
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A wizened Yaayal elder sadly says, "They were nearly the death of us all. They were too hasty in their efforts to reform our situation. Once they became lettered and fluent in some of the ancient dialects of the Tehir, they used their knowledge to set up relationships with neighboring tribes."
>nod
You nod.
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You say, "As I recall, they brought quite a bit of wealth to your tribe before the controversy began."
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A wizened Yaayal elder exclaims, "Wealth brings trouble! We are a simple people. Ever since copper was discovered in the Sea of Fire, we have been cursed. Our ancient ways are being lost. Between the greed of the Wetlanders and the arrogance of the Highborn, it won't be long before all true Tehir are forced to become nomads to survive, retreating deep into the harshest areas of the Sea of Fire."
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You say, "Wasn't it that very struggle for identity that your nephews so passionately fought for?"
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A wizened Yaayal elder says, "Despite their talents, their youth made them too hasty. The booming sands can shape the hardest rock with time and patience. They lacked that sensibility. Their zeal for justice, equality, and a return to the ways of the ancients was too much for our times. That, paired with their talents for smuggling copper, made them a primary target of the Wetlanders."
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You say, "How did this situation evolve?"
>drink kha
You take a sip from your cylinder of Tehiri khava.
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A wizened Yaayal elder says, "As the boys developed relationships with various tribal elders, learning the nuances of Tehiri dialects, they also learned to scribe the Tor. Many women from surrounding villages sent their children to learn from them. As their students perfected their writing, they were also attracted to the simplicity of the ancient ways. That is how we taught them after all, to take pride in their roots and to shun the superstitions and wealth of this world."
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A wizened Yaayal elder says, "Without consulting the tribe, the boys began recruiting their students as messengers. They would scribe small messages which the students would take home. Their mothers would transmit the messages by hiding them in their hair. The boys used the loyalty of their students to create a network of informants, so they could track the copper caravans moving across our lands."
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You say, "So they were involved in the raids and looting of those caravans? Weren't innocent tribesmen killed in those raids?"
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A wizened Yaayal elder sighs sadly.
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A wizened Yaayal elder says, "Yes, my nephews led the charge to begin the raids and likely participated in the majority of them, and I am aware that some Tehir men working with the Wetlanders were killed during this effort. The Empire led us to believe that these men were innocent, simply assisting the caravans as guides. Thus, our nephews were portrayed all across the Empire as vagabonds and traitors to their own people. But many among our tribes acknowledges the so-called "guides" were actually mercenaries working with the Wetlanders to rob our lands of vital resources. According to the old way, these mercenaries are implicated in this theft and thus stripped of water rights according to the Tor."
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A wizened Yaayal elder says, "The copper raided from these caravans made its way to River's Rest, where it was sold by smugglers there. For a time, their base of operations was out in that nasty old bog in Maelstrom Bay. Before they were caught, the entire Empire was up in arms over their successes in curbing copper production."
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A wizened Yaayal elder exclaims, "Despite our village being ransacked, we buried quite a bit of Elanthian silver coins out in the dunes."
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A wizened Yaayal elder says, "A half-Krolvin working with the smugglers betrayed my nephews and turned them in to one of the Barons of the North. They were all to be executed, but the Krolvin purchased two of them and shipped them off to work as the slaves of the Krolvin slavemasters, using their talent for new languages to communicate with various captives. The most talented of the three, who we called Kaatib, was purchased by a Dhe'nar and is now likely in Sharath. He was an expert in calligraphy and always took a keen interest in learning the languages and culture of the Elves."
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A wizened Yaayal elder says, "I was able to visit with the younger two before they went to sea. I could see in their eyes that they yearned to be reunited with Kaatib. I advised them to earn their freedom and go North, learning the various professions of Elanthia. I strongly urged them to learn the art of the wizard, for with that great power they could pioneer the expeditions into Rhoska-Tor, perhaps one day rescuing and reuniting with their lost brother."
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A wizened Yaayal elder wearily says, "This is all for now. The time for rest has come. Telling this tale pains me and I fear I will never hear from the eldest, brightest star of them all.. again.."
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A wizened Yaayal elder weeps silently as he rises and swiftly escorts you from the kor.

**

These 3 Tehir are highly eloquent and they seek to rescue their eldest brother who is a prisoner of the Dhe'nar in Sharath. They hope to lead a group of pioneers from River's Rest towards the southeast, venturing through Tamzyrr and then through the northern edges of the Wastes until they reach Rhoska-Tor, and finally, Sharath. They are seeking to establish this trail and set up Tehir outposts along the way, in places where conditions are favorably desolate to their advantage. Once their brother is rescued, they hope to return to the Sea of Fire and resume operations against the Wetlanders who are mining copper in their lands.