Private The Speaker & The Dreamseer

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

The night time glowing of lanterns were as awe inspiring as the peaceful pine tree grove this town was nestled into. Kestri's Cin'ciri mountain range sheltered the settlement of Resa from the ruthless arctic winds, leaving a strangely still atmosphere in this entire settlement. It was purer, at a base level of simplicity close to nature compared to Tor Valum. It felt far more comfortable to Elise than that underground industrial city. The Ajayid walked the streets barefoot, despite the frigid temperature. She always felt more connected to the world barefoot, even if she was freezing. Her new beskar'gam shone brightly as she walked through town. After recovering from her Verd'goten at the Vong Dead Zone, Elise had opted to do something she had yearned to do desperately since first coming to Kestri... establish some kind of connection with the Shamans here.

Elise knew fully well that the Mandokarla were vastly different, in so many ways, from her own Novanian Shamans. Two completely different cultures and beliefs, though both served as spiritual guides to their respective people. Elise had kept information of the Novanian Shaman order close to her chest since coming to Kestri; and she felt far more disconnect from people that way. But the Archais Arkanians were completely different than the Mandalorians of the Enclave, though Elise was as Mandalorian as any fellow vod here. Perhaps, finding some kind of connection to the shamans here could help her. After all, one spiritual Mandalorian could help another in ways only the two could understand. Now that she had finally passed her Verd'goten, Elise felt more confident coming here.

Stopping at the foot of the large, wooden house she had come to, Elise briefly closed her eyes as she heaved a sigh. <"Arr'huwal, Mother Melarria, Ancient Ones, please guide my way.">

Still holding onto her beskar boots, the young Mando'ade walked up the wooden steps. This round house was truly gorgeous; matching the rest of the town. The lantern lights lightly contrasted the winter paradise of this town, so peaceful and divine. Stepping into a pile of snow, Elise shuddered once more. Her tolerance for the cold had definitely improved through her Verd'goten, but she still felt most at home within Archais' tropics. She walked slowly around the deck, shivering, and ascended to the second floor where she saw a figure standing, gazing out towards the city below. Elise cleared her throat, then took a couple steps forward from the opposite side of the balcony.

<" Runi Kuryida , Jorhaar'ir, Speaker of the Mandokarla?">

Once she received confirmation, she respectfully dipped her head, <"I am Elise Viszla, Clan Vizsla. A Dreamseer of the Novanians...">

...

<"... Can I please take a moment to put my boots back on? I'm not on the ground anymore and I'm freezing.">

 

[Runi Kuryida]

:: Resa, Kestri​

It had been a day full of trials. Several young ones had sought their advancement. One required correction. Two others sought counsel. Not that Runi complained or lamented her lot in the universe. It was as it had been. No, but she did enjoy a breather now and again. A chance to feel the currents of the wider world as they swirled about her without distraction.

Until someone had need of her, of course. As Runi turned her unadorned head, her hazel eyes fell upon a barefoot woman as she stood not far. Resa might not be the open plains buffeted by the endless winds, but it was no beach. She couldn't recall anyone approaching barefooted before.

"I am." The Speaker turned to face the newcomer.

With that a brief and graceful introduction soon came to a halt to address the small matter that had been difficult not to notice. A small smile graced Runi's lips. "Of course." She gestured toward the open doors of the Briirud. "Please, join me inside. There is hearth and drink should you desire either." The central chamber always had a fire lit. Not that the building was only kept warm by open flame. Resa sought to not be shackled by the trappings of technology, but they were not devoid of its boons -- a reliable, consistent, and safe source of heating was not something so easily forsaken. Nevertheless, they did have one open fire in the middle of the Round House for many ceremonial purposes.

"Dreamseer of the Novanians," Runi echoed softly as she led the way inside. "Of relation to Archais as I recall?" She was a well-traveled woman that helped Mandalorians wherever they had need. "I have not had the pleasure of speaking with many, but you are welcome here."

As Elise would find in time, the Mandokarla did not proselytize their beliefs, which was why they were not expansive throughout the galaxy. There were many that sought in their own way to advance the needs of the Mandalorian people. They were just the largest among the Clans of the Enclave. Runi wouldn't complain if their number continued to grow once more, but whether Elise embraced their ways or not did not matter... provided she lived an honorable life. It was all Runi could ask of any Mandalorian.

"What brings you to Resa, Elise Vizsla?"

:: Elise Ahana-Gwyneira ​

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Elise was more than happy to step inside. As opposed to putting her boots on, she warmed her feet right by the fire as she looked around. It was different than the Novanian architecture entirely. But like on Archais, there was a strong connection to nature and the outdoors. That, at least, was familiar. It felt quite homey in this large, round room. The heating through the whole building was a relief to the tropics raised Mandalorian.

As she warmed up, Elise removed her buy'ce. The girl's sharp, red eyes glowed in reflection of the fire's own rays. With an intelligent and pleasant expression, she smiled at the Speaker, "Curiosity, mostly."

She looked back at the flames, her frown fading slowly as she sighed. "Well..."

Her hand shook a bit as she clenched her boots, "Curiosity, and loneliness."

She looked back up to Runi, "Kestri is so, so different from Archais. The climate is bitterly arctic, the city of Tor Valum is industrial and underground. Every time I visit that place, I try to feel at home, but I can't."

She looked down at her bare feet, wet from the melted snow. Dreamily, she looked back on her memories. "I'm used to running barefoot through Archais' rainforests. I'm used to sunlight, and nature all around me. Carrying armor in my pack while I wear light clothes to avoid overheating."

She blinked the nostalgic memories away, looking around at the wood carved hut the duo was warming up in. "I already appreciate this town. It's down to earth, actually connected to the earth. For the first time, I could feel Kestri itself in my footsteps..."

She finally felt warmed up enough, so she bent down and started sliding her boots back on. However, there was another side to her isolation she dare not speak of. Not yet. The other Mandalorians her age. Even older. She was plagued with visions every time she slept on this planet. Visions and horrible omens of dark times, death, and a choice. She looked around at who should be her fellows, her vode, and only felt destruction and thirst for blood in their hearts. War hungry, brash and reckless, violent. She tried to reach for them, but always recoiled back. She knew she was alone on this planet, and she was unable to give up her own morality to close to gap. It was isolating. Isolating and as cold as Kestri itself.

A part of her hoped she could get insight from Runi Kuryida . Yet, she was also scared. Scared that if her non-extremist ideologies were discovered, she would be cast from this building, this town, and even this planet. And what then? She knew that Kestri was her mother's home - more than Archais ever was. And her sister adored For Valum. She did not want to leave them, let them down. But how could she find her own home in a place so foreign to her?

 

[Runi Kuryida]

:: Resa, Kestri​

The Shaman calmly knelt before the fire as Elise got comfortable. Runi slowly reached over to retrieve a pot of water to hang it over the open flame. A small wooden box was set off to the side with a number of cups for such an occasion. There were many kinds of people that came to Resa, so it was best to be prepared to meet them where they were. And Elise was freezing cold.

It was pleasing to see the younger woman remove her buy'ce after she'd begun to warm up. Runi was a strong proponent of not wearing it when you were among family. Whether people wore it on other words was their choice, but she herself did not unless there was battle. There was no need to hide here. No need to represent all Mandalorians or the Manda in this moment. It was enough to be.

As Elise began to finish describing her feelings, Runi opened the wooden box to retrieve two packets of tea. Two cups were chosen and the bags set in them as the water's temperature neared its prime.

"I fear the hostile environment of our home may have affected certain elements negatively. That they may have grown too removed from the natural world that you, yourself, richly enjoy. A harsh, bitter landscape that can lull a soul to sleep and, soon after, to their next life." Runi reached out to retrieve the pot from the flames and begin pouring the hot water into the cups.

After she'd returned the pot to the fire to remain warm, allowing the tea to steep, her hazel eyes turned back to Elise. "Perhaps the Mandokarla should seek to usher our people to lusher worlds regularly to help them remember the warmth and purpose of this life." She'd leave it at that to give Elise an opportunity to provide her own insight or perhaps the perspective of a Novanian.

Soon, a cup was lifted and extended out with both hands for Elise to accept if she chose. Runi hadn't asked if she'd wanted any. It would help her warm up faster. The air outside could be surprisingly dry at times and leave the lips and throat parched, if she had a desire to speak at length on these matters. If she refused, Runi wouldn't take offense.

:: Elise Ahana-Gwyneira ​

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

As Runi Kuryida spoke, Elise was surprised to hear that she saw Kestri as a less than ideal home. It was a relief, but at the same time, her following words made Elise think. She shook her head. Eagerly taking the tea, Elise offered her thanks and took a sip. This tea had a strong, natural herbal flavor without an ounce of sweetness. Just how she liked it. Her insides were warming up as much as her skin as she lowered the mug, holding it in her hand.

"I'm not so sure. Kestri has become a home for your - our - people. Full of culture and meaning. After the fall of Mandalore itself, Kestri stands as a New Mandalore in a sense. It has become precious. Removing the Mandalorians from Kestri would be like plucking Jetii from Coruscant, or Dar'Jetii from Korriban... or the Chiss from Csilla."

Elise's red eyes were a small reflection of her minor Chiss heritage. She looked towards the fire, still holding her cup. "Why is it that when you want to defeat an enemy, you attack their home? Because once home falls, you are scattered and homeless. Like the Mandalorians were, and still are, after Mandalore fell. Kestri may be cold and hostile, but other civilizations have become well off in similar climates. Even if I personally am not fond of Kestri, we cannot deny it's significance in helping our people rebuild."

She blinked, looking away. If the Enclave goes down the path I fear, how long until the galaxy's armies sack Kestri now?

She looked back up to Runi, "The Novanians are closely associated with the Galidraani. And right now, the Galidraani's own home is controlled by a hostile force. They cannot leave behind a planet that means so much to them. Shouldn't Kestri do the same?"

"Kestri is a rich and vibrant world. I could feel it when I walked out there. An ancient Mandalorian tribe, rich resources and ore. Lakes of ice, towering mountains. It is not Archais, but it still has its own beauty. All one has to do is look beyond the frigid surface."

Then... she blinked in realization. She had indeed sensed a richness in this planet, though it required her walking barefoot in a less technology driven town. Suddenly, she realized that she indeed had a certain appreciation for Kestri, no matter how different it was from Archais. She chuckled at the realization, and spoke. "As much as Archais is important to me, Kestri is important to the Enclave. Even as an outsider, I can still see that much."

Outsider. Ah, yes. Elise was still an outsider. And with the looming horizon, she doubted that would change...

 

[Runi Kuryida]

:: Resa, Kestri​

The Speaker's hazel eyes watched in silence as Elise spoke at length about the importance of Kestri. Quite the change in attitude compared to when the young woman had been outsider. Surely earlier had not merely been the result of a lack of footwear. In a way, Runi had hoped to stir the woman to contemplation.

"Kestri is important," she conceded. "It gives us a place to call our home. A guidepost to know where we stand. But, it is not Mandalore." Slowly she lifted the cup of tea to take a sip. A deliberate pause in her thoughts. "Our people -- like many others -- put great value in certain symbols. It is only natural to have some way to distinguish one's heritage from another with these symbols. To know yourself by easily recognizable guideposts."

Runi set her cup back down and regarded Elise. "We should take care to nurture those that strength us. However, we should not become dependent upon them. Sometimes a symbol takes on a life of its own. People ascribe meaning or value to a thing, and will sacrifice everything to defend it believing that the symbol is what defines who they are. But Mandalorians are not made of symbols. We do not require Mandalore to be Mandalorian. We, as a people, are greater than our trappings -- we are a community. That, Elise, is what we must cling to above all else."

Kestri, like Mandalore, was merely the place where they had constructed their homes and found safety among friends. It was important. Scattered, they would be vulnerable to foes of ever greater number. All the same, they could rebuild elsewhere if the need arose. Not callously -- leaving behind all you knew carried its own mental scars -- but if necessary their enemies could not break the Mandalorian people by destroying physical objects. Their ideals would endure so long as a single person believed in them.

"I would not decline your assistance ensuring Kestri's future, the Enclave's future, and the future of the Mandalorian people. In whatever form that takes." Runi smiled. The other woman did seem interested in protecting the Enclave's current home. That was good. It would be better, however, if the Novanian protected its people; their well-being would affect no only themselves, but that of the planet in general. Something Elise privately had worried about already.

:: Elise Ahana-Gwyneira ​

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Runi's words on the subject of symbols and home, of what it meant to be Mandalorian as well, were quite intriguing. Elise had grown up deeply valuing symbols and shrines. Archais' deep culture has an emphasis on symbols. The Novanian Shamans wore personally customized Medallions, bearing symbols of importance both personally and as a Shaman. Not to mention, the masks worn by its members bearing likeness to the Ancient Ones' they venetrated. Then there was her own household, with an artistically expressive mother who constantly used symbolism and metaphors in her works. Raised Mandalorian as well, Elise lived by the Resol'nare, and its instructions on always being armed in some form. The signature helmets, the sacred armor, the Clan Vizsla symbol of a berry branch... It all greatly deepened Elise's sense of symbolic importance.

So hearing someone describe symbols as something not as important as practice itself; well, it confused her. People knew a Mandalorian by their armor, after all. But Runi essentially de-valueing symbols was something she struggled to wrap her head around. Although, being Mandalorian was more than the helmet - it was one of the first lessons her mother taught her. "If you cannot fight without our armor and weapons, you do not deserve to have them. This was one of the first things your auntie taught me."

Elise's own Verd'goten had been a mission with minimal tools and weapons, and no protective armor whatsoever. So, the more she thought about it... the more Runi made sense.

She took another sip of tea, brewing in these thoughts, before looking up to Runi and nodding at those words.

"Symbolism is still important. But yes, there is far more to being Mandalorian than our Mythosaur crests."

Then, Runi extended an invitation. The opportunity to help Kestri and her vod within. The invitation... made Elise grimace. She found herself fishing for excuses, hoping not to reveal her misgivings on the Enclave.

"I-I have so much responsibility as a Dreamseer already! And I'm-" She looked away, a hint of bitterness in her voice as she admitted this much, "-I'm technically an outsider. I grew up on a different planet, away from a larger Mandalorian culture. Sure, my ba'buir is the War Master and my buir is a respected Forgemaster, but those are just titles and names I haven't earned myself. I... wanted a deeper connection than that. And unlike Mevia, I'm not exactly getting along with the vod I do meet here so far..."

Runi Kuryida

 

[Runi Kuryida]

:: Resa, Kestri​

The Shaman smiled faintly and nodded. Symbols held power. Symbols could be guideposts. But if all you had were a collection of symbols with no understanding, then the moment those symbols were taken from you you were nothing. An empty suit of beskar'gam did no one any benefit.

Then the younger woman seemed to struggle just for a moment. Runi's hazel eyes regarded her calmly over the rim of her cup as she indulged in some of the tea. A curious reaction to the offer Runi had put forth. More so given the woman came from others similar, but different to the Mandokarla. Surely building up the community was a hallmark to their way as it was to her own?

"Ah." The cup lowered as Runi nodded her head once more. "Belonging. It is difficult to commit yourself to a community when you do not feel you have a place in it." She wanted to delve deeper into the reasons for that, but there was something more important to discuss first. "But, are you an outsider, Elise Viszla, Dreamseer of the Novanians? By what measure?"

"Let me tell you a story of a young man I met once on a distant world. They'd turned their weapon on their brother and were cast out into the void as Dar'manda. They wandered the stars taking whatever bounties they could in order to survive. We met in a cantina, and I listened to their story. I heard the song of sorrow in their soul. And, so, I asked them why they believed themselves to be Dar'manda after so much time had passed. He replied, because he had committed a crime against his own, and they had labelled him as such. I asked whether he believed himself to be so lost that even the Manda would have forsaken them. What else could I be, he asked."

Runi clasped her hands in her lap as she regarded Elise. "The Mandokarla counts very few souls as Truly Lost. Not because we turn a blind eye to those that commit crimes or atrocities, those that bring dishonor to their Clan name, or cause others to tremble in fear at the mention of the name 'Mandalorian.' But because so few are Lost. You are Mandalorian so long as it is in your heart to be Mandalorian, Elise. As it is for any that would walk that Path. I only suggest that you be there to shield others as they weather the rigors of this Life; to help bring them back to the Path wherever you go. As your ba'buir and buir have done. Communities live and die from the personal relations we form with one another."

As Runi picked up her cup once more, she paused with a smile. "Now, what can this old soul do to shoulder some of your burdens?"

:: Elise Ahana-Gwyneira ​

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Was she truly an outsider? Even worse, if she continued down this path, was she... dar'manda?

A deeply hidden fear even Elise had been unaware of, until it was yanked out of the dark and exposed to the sun. She shivered at the thought, and she listened attentively to the story Runi told, and what words followed. Elise had always been a Mandalorian, through and through, regardless of the other identities she also took on, or her distance from the major Mandalorian factions. She was positive she was a true Mandalorian, but hearing that the Mandokarla viewed very few as truly Lost was a relief... because she was sure that others within the Enclave would, like Yael...

"The Mandokarla counts very few souls as Truly Lost. Not because we turn a blind eye to those that commit crimes or atrocities..."​

Elise sighed, looking away. She was so nervous about others' opinions on her, and here her opinions on them were faced with sudden scrutiny. But, Elise did not see them as Truly Lost either. She frowned, even as Runi offered to help Elise in her burdens. Burdens which were many... but could Elise trust her with what she knew? With what she saw?

With a massive sigh, Elise set the tea aside as she sat down by the fire. She frowned, looking into the flickering flames as she took a risk, took a chance, took an opportunity.

"My burdens are many. I am a Shaman, with the gift of being able to walk through the Dream World, step into and out of dreams, and interpret said dreams. I have offered my services on Archais as a healer, and in other locations helping fellow Mandalorian rebels fight the Empire Of The Lost. The irony in it all, is that I am well versed in interpreting the dreams of others, but not my own."

She laughed. It was a pathetic, nervous laugh filled with unease and disturbance. "I will be blunt with you, Speaker. I do not have faith in the Enclave's current directions, its current path. I have foreseen a future of war and terror, and that the Enclave will become like a Demagogue in this path."

She looked up, sorrow and terror in her red eyes, "I don't want it to. But what can I do to stop it? I am no pacifist, but what I saw..."

Eyes closed, she bowed her head, "I could show you what I saw, walk you through my dream. Perhaps, you could find I different meaning to this vision than I have."

Runi Kuryida

 

[Runi Kuryida]

:: Resa, Kestri​

"Then you should, adiik be Manda'yaim. Do not be troubled by what I may see. I have seen much in my time, and much of it unpleasant."

Runi reached over to add fuel to the flames. She carefully removed the kettle and set it aside along with her cup. At times the environment could respond unexpectedly when one delved into the tempest of what might be.

"Have you shared such dreams before?" The Speaker looked over at Elise. If necessary, Runi could held guide them into the moment between moments; but if the Dreamwalker had her own way of finding the place and bringing another with her, there was no need to disrupt her process.

She would reserve her reply about the future until the dream was shared. It would bring little comfort to wax philosophical about changing the present only to be confronted with something... different. Not that Runi felt apprehensive her thoughts would change drastically with the viewing, but one should not rush in blindly when there was no need.

:: Elise Ahana-Gwyneira ​