[b]Time: Era of Gray (no precise timekeeping system developed)[/b]

[u]Platta Civilization[/u]
Population: 40

[u]The Meaning of the Sky[/u]
As Darbu and some scouts travel along the west side of the river, Darbu 'paints' in the color of the landscape, with little marks about details such as the apparent fish. Occasionally, a fisher walks into the water and checks to see the level of the fish. It is generally found to be only slightly higher, but not as high as remembered it being in the past. Some fish is gathered for tonight.

That night, the group makes camp, and they discuss progress. Darbu explains the mapmaking is going well. When it is time for sleep, Darbu remains awake thinking about the recently discovered, amazed at how much there was to see. She also wonders why she has to be a map maker thinking scouting would be much more exciting, learning of nature's symbolism. As she looks up into the sky, the question crosses her mind, what is the symbolism of the sky? And she realizes she's never heard anyone answer that. They seem to only be interested in the water, ground, life, themselves, and other Platta. "What is up there? What is it trying to teach? What is the meaning of the sky?" There was no cultural answer to this that she knew.

When Darbu and the others got back to the village, and reported their findings, she asked this question to the gray secretary. They answered, "...I cannot recall the answer. Let me reflect upon the Platta gone, and hear what they have spoken. I will let you know when I have found the answer."

Darbu also asked what they would need to do to become a scout instead of a mapmaker. The gray secretary answered, "Bring this to the attention of the other scouts and mapmakers. They will tell you what you must do to not disgrace your original position, and to bring a showing of goodwill to the new."

The scouts answered, "To join our scouting, find something no one else has."

The mapmakers answered, "Find something to map which will last longer than your life so it is as if you remained a map maker."

Darbu thought about what could do these things, and realized she never saw a mapping of the meanings of the sky. Although she figured the grey secretary would find that soon to correct them, she was wrong...