Recent content by Teriteqas

In the darkness the cloth covered abtati climbed up and over the top of the wall. As he did, he touched the vines and let them retreat back enough to hide their presence from those patrolling the walls. A couple of blinks and he adopted nocturnal eyes. Now he could see clearly in this darkness...

There was something all Nafas knew about oasis creeping vines, they were far sturdier than they looked. The plants had to fight wind, sand, and sun as they scaled up the trunks of date palms and other desert trees. It made them strong and that strength made them perfect for rope. A living rope...

The jerboa proved as helpful as always: yes but not in the way expected. So the sand elf called them all back to him through their link. None of them hurried. They never did. There was seeds and nuts to gather along the way in their cheeks. Fine meals for a fine job done. Once the last of them...

After the Jerboa were released Teriteqas got himself sat down on his knees. His eyes were closed and his head bowed. When White Swallow spoke all the sand elf did was say, "Hush." Then he went back to being silent. Teriteqas was viewing what the jerboa saw. Each was looking for signs of an...

Few outside the Abtati respected their ways. Their culture. Abtatu often was mocked and stolen from. The lord of this As Roodban Castl was one such person. Nizar had taken what belonged to Abtatu. Holy relics used in Abtati rituals from various shrines scattered around the region. The heresy of...

Niceties and pleasantries. Teriteqas did not like them. Wasted breath and pointless words. The old one, Janan, compared herself to him. She said she too walked the desert alone. Foolishness. His journey was not alone. Abtatu was always with him. He held firm to his beliefs and his creator...

Abtatu was displeased with the Abtati of ages past. Their lush lands had been scorched until it was nothing but sand as punishment for their arrogance and ignorance. The chosen people inherited this harsh land for a harsh lesson. But Abtatu was not a malevolent god. Oasis existed to provide...

The abtati frowned at her words. But he held his tongue. This Windwalker wished to upset him. She mocked his people and their God.... But perhaps that was the lesson here. A new path needed to be forged. It was Abtatu's will that a new way of life be available for his tribe. They roamed the...

The Windwalker's words were intriguing. It was the sort of discussion he remembered having in his short time traveling the path of the priest. But it was cut short as quickly as all the others. Perhaps he had missed out on this very discussion on the differences between belief, faith, and...

The sand elf just sat there quietly. The Windwalker's words were strange to him. As strange as everything else about her. What sort of hard lesson had Abtatu brought to him now? Was his offerings of first drink not been adamant and reverent enough? Yes. He should have been more of both, but that...

I believe in death. For me, it is the only way forward. Teriteqas had not expected something so deep in response to his rather vague question. The Abtati had little in the way to speak on what would happen during and after death. The focus of their teachings was more on the present. For those...

The cloud was gone. It was replaced by endless blue sky. So little water was in it that it had become a pale reflection of the desert below. Or perhaps the desert was reflecting the sky. A crazed abtati from another tribe once stumbled upon the Nafas and spoke of directions being meaningless. Up...

The older one was being a good host. It was leaving Teriteqas with little complaint. He did not like it. How was he to escape this trap of generosity if she was being and thoughtful? Abtatu truly was testing him this day. He just nodded to her graciously and kept silent. Perhaps that would be...

Plants hung from the sky. Mud covered stone. Cloth wasted as a decoration with no other purpose. Teriteqas did not understand and did not like cities so far. Winding, twisting roads of uneven sizes made up everything. All were packed in by the city and the people themselves. It was unnatural...

The sand elf shooed away the cats that clearly saw his little family as treats. The older woman's words were kind as was her actions. But that did not mean she could be completely trusted. An Abtati who settled in a city was no Abtati at all. It was the will of Abtatu that they roam the sands...