[b][u]Exploration[/u](5):[/b]
thin clouds were rolling over the mountains to the west of the colony. With the sun narry over the horizon the colonists were already busy preparing for various expeditions, clad in hiking leathers or combat equipment, they went about their tasks, eager to be away before the sun was fully risen and the midday heat began to seep into Ialdia's tropical bones. As if unwary of the commotion going on out in the square, Ryuun Hisari sat in his big wooden chair on the dias at the end of the great hall, listening to his scribe transferring recordings of previous meetings from one parchment to another. The humidity could be a nightmare for documentation, and until the archive tomb was fully excavated the scribes had to transfer all the documents on quite a regular basis. 

Ryuun cleared his throat. He would be instructing the new colonists today, and sending them out on their first expeditions. From the reports they were quite a rag-tag group of individuals with not much in common besides some locational preference, which was odd in groups so large. Their bonds seemed to vary in strength as well, but risking your life with a partner would strengthen that bond immensely. He remembered when he and Thul-Tak first set foot on the cursed ground and felt the tentacles of tainted energy writhe through them for purchase. They were afraid, of course, any sane man would be afraid of imminent death, but as they worked their way into the dense foliage they would soon call home they forgot about air of malevolence that hung over the land like an invisible fog. 

They eked the resources from the land, carving out flat foundations for buildings and plowing roads into the fertile soil. All the seeds they had brought for crops had died the moment they had been brought onto land. After much research from Shri-Rah and Vriis-Nar, it was concluded that the only things that could grow at all were the plant types that had been present when the curse was issued. And as it turned out, ninety percent of those plants were unheard of anywhere else in Veruulis. Shri-Rah had taken some guards out to find edible plants that could be cultivated and returned with several interesting fruits that they harvested for seeds, as well as what appeared to be some offshoot of barley that they had planted, and made bread of. It wasn't as good as proper cultivated wheat, but it was still food, and it that was something they had desperately needed at the time.

Ryuun could feel his partner, sitting around a worn wooden table with his men, drinking ale by torchlight in the shadow of a monumental structure that exuded an aura of mystery. He could remember when he couldn't even tell where Thul-Tak was, and it was odd to think he was alone before, as he could not imagine having only his thoughts to occupy himself with. Thul-Tak was tired, and slightly irritated. The torchlight would never bother him, as he had spent the majority of his life beneath hundreds of tons of rock. What did irritate him, however, was not being able to do anything. Ryuun smirked at that and felt a returned tinge of irritation when Thul-Tak felt his minor amusement through their bond. Communicating with feeling was an odd thing to explain to anyone who was not bonded. If you were clever enough with it, you could have an entire conversation without saying a word. But since he and Thul-Tak had been bonded so long, they could sometimes feel and see through one another's hands and eyes , if the conditions were right. It was as if they were tethered together by some sort of spiritual anchor. Sometimes Ryuun would even reflexively duck as Thul-Tak passed narrowly below the ceiling in the mines. Ryuun had no doubt Thul-Tak sometimes had similar occurrences of his own. 

The Scribe cleared his throat to get Ryuun's attention. He couldn't remember the boy's name, something starting with Vi, he thought. Ryuun looked up, welcomed back to the realm of the physical by a tall, thin man with bluish hair and piercing ocean blue eyes. His hands were clasped behind his back and he wore the same sapphire blue robes as Vriis-Nar, with the circle and teardrop insignia that denoted him as one of the Blue Circle, Ialdia's small order of mages that resided in the Magician's Circle off the main road. His hair caught Ryuun's attention a second time. It was dyed, and therefore looked more bluish-black than the qualified blue the man was obviously going for. The man held himself as if he were bigger than the entirety of Veruulis. His chest was puffed and his head angled back in a show of undeniable arrogance. 

"M'lord Ryuun." The man said with a slight bow that seemed to grate his pride. He had a western marsh accent that denoted him as being from the western coast of Aega. "I had collected the newly arrived colonists as requested of me by lady Vriis-Nar." He bowed again, not realizing that he wasn't addressing a duke or other similar royalty. "They await your leisure." 
Ryuun stood and brushed himself off, feeling like he had been collecting dust sitting on his chair for so long. His auburn hair was combed back, with a warrior's braid coming down over the front of his left shoulder. Two golden rings were knotted into the end of his braid; a symbol of status from the lands he had been raised in. He wore a worn red cloak over a set of finely crafted combat leathers. A sheathed dao hung from a sword belt embroidered with silver thread on his right hip, where he could easily draw it with his left hand if danger presented itself. He placed his hand on the pommel of his dao. 

"Bring them in." He intoned. The blue haired mage bowed again and crossed back across the hall to the big oaken door. Ryuun walked down the stairs leading up to his chair and clasped his hands behind his back. He did cut an imposing figure, a large man with broad shoulders, but the most unsettling aspect of him was his glittering golden eyes. The right door swung open and Shri-Rah was the first to walk in at the head of the line of new colonists. Vriis-Nar stood behind him, and behind her trailed the rather haphazard group of colonists. Not one of them was of the same heritage. Their were Humans, a variety of halflings of varying crosses, a Raevan, even a child. That made Ryuun narrow his eyes. If there was a child here, she obviously wasn't any simple child. One man looked rather drawn in his dark red vest and black long-shirt, while another, an orcish halfling by the look of her, hid her eyes behind odd dark-tinted glasses. Some looked nervous or irritated at being ordered around. The blue haired mage came and stood to Ryuun's left as the colonists formed a line across the hall. 

"What's your name, mage." Ryuun addressed the blue haired man. 
he glanced at Ryuun quickly and looked forward again, nervous with Ryuun's golden eyes upon him. "Rigitas, m'lord. Hailing from the-"
"Western Marshes, yes, i can tell by your accent." Ryuun finished. Rigitas nodded and crossed his hands in front of him, clasping his left wrist with his right hand. The colonists stood rather quietly. There was a few heartbeats of silence before Ryuun turned to Rigitas. "You are dismissed, magus." Ryuun used the formal address for magician to soften the blow. Rigitas reddened, obviously offended, but bowed and swiftly retreated from the hall. Whispers followed him out, and Ryuun then formally observed the line of colonists. The scibe [i]tick-ticked[/i] his inkpen, signaling that he was ready to record what was to be said. 
Ryuun started down the line of colonists. 
 "I will keep this relatively short, as I know our honored Shri-Rah has already given you the initial warnings and welcomings. But regardless, I welcome you again myself. I am Ryuun Hisari, the expedition head of our colony. You will see me frequently, as I resolve all matters that need resolving, and am the final say for [i]projects[/i] that require approval. Ryuun shot shri-Rah a glance, who's eyes widened nervously for a moment." 
 "We have been sent here to unravel the mysteries of this land. And while we have made significant progress on this front, their is still volumes upon volumes of material to be recorded and understood." Ryuun stopped at the end of the line and turned back. "I have taken into account each of your.. [i]skills[/i], and have assigned you all into groups of varying sizes, and have written up the expedition details and perimeters each of you are required to reach." Ryuun gestured to his scribe, who stepped forward and handed him a parchment bound by a leather clasp. He didn't unroll it, but instead walked forward and handed it to Vriis-Nar, who excepted it with an assured air and a slight inclination of the head, Ryuun returned the gesture. 

"You will gather the materials needed for your expeditions at the main hall of the Blue Circle, located in the Magician's Circle. While the list of perimeters and party members will be posted on the message board outside that same hall." Ryuun gave each one of the Colonists another look over before finishing up.
"You may think yourselves ready for the dangers of this land. You may think you are prepared." He paused. "I could tell you the stories of those who died thinking the same, but I will spare you the bloody thoughts. Instead I will say this. I have lived in this land for nearly two decades. I have seen unexplainable feats and unknowable forces. I have seen things no mortal should see. And I will never be ready for this land." He turned back toward the steps to his chair. "After all, how can you be ready when nothing is ever the same. When there are no patterns." Silence reigned for a short time. 

"Now go, you have preparations to make, I expect all of you to be on your way by dawn tomorrow. Speak with Vriis-Nar or Shri-Rah if you find yourself in need of equipment or materials, or have questions." He waved his hand, and the hall emptied, the door shutting behind them with a dull boom. Ryuun looked at his scribe. Who bowed and dried his inkpen, then retreated from the hall. Ryuun sat on the bottom step and watched the light of the rising sun slowly fill the room through the large window over the main door.