Turn 11 - Twix's Tattoo

The leader escorts Twix away from the fire circle, and red-feathered cloak follows. The sun beats down on Twix as he kneels on the rocky ground. The two others hold his left forearm out as the leader barks a command, and one of the escort guards approaches, and hands red-feather his black, gleaming glass knife and suddenly grabs Twix's arm, wrenches it flat to the ground, and sits on it at the elbow, so Twix can't see it.

The sun beats down. Twix wonders what's next.

The leader is murmuring. Red-feather is bending over the arm with the knife. The guard sings something softly. Suddenly, a sharp pain. The leader is rubbing what looks like dirt on Twix's arm, as he writhes in pain but is unable to move. The guard hands the leader a strip of cloth he takes from a pouch. The leader winds it expertly around Twix's forarm. They release him. He stands.

Twix, your arm hurts like hell. Blood is seeping through the bandage, but it seems to be mostly staunched.

The leader grabs your head with both hands, looks you in the eye. The guard and red-feather continue to sing as the leader says something in a language you don't know. Your arm tingles and stops hurting.

"Leave the bandage on until dawn tomorrow. Your tattoo is revealed. It is your flesh, carved and rubbed with the earth of this place."

The leader is glowing bright yellow. You rub your eyes, unsure if it's because of what you just went through, but nope, he's still glowing. Like someone outlined him faintly in yellow light. No, that's not it. Like he had a fire inside him.

The leader, as if he can hear your thoughts, nods solemnly. "Exactly. The fire inside."

You look at the others. They glow various golds as well. You look off in the distance, but the animals are too far to see.

You notice a movement near the party, which awaits you nervously back at the fire circle, another guard having discouraged them from approaching during the ceremony. It is a shadow. Nothing seems to cast it, since the sun is directly over head. It's hard to explain what it looks like, since it seems to melt away when you look directly at it. But when you look away, there it is.

You have an uncomfortable sensation that it is looking back at you.

The leader nods again. "Yes it is."

He pulls you around to face away from the party, further inland, on the savanna. He points to a village of small round huts with thatched roofs that you didn't notice before. It too is not entirely clear, shimmering in the heat or maybe in spite of it. There are figures near and in the village. Some are still, some run aimlessly. You hear a faint wailing that comes over the grass. With a shock, you see that all of them are wounded in some way, some with missing limbs, some walking slowly with their entrails streaming out behind. Those running have no heads.

"Beware the dead," says the leader, looking straight in your eyes, "for they will know you can see them. The happy dead have left the earth, but the unhappy stay here. Many are wroth and seek revenge against the living. In time you may learn how to speak with them or comfort them, but until you learn, keep silent."

You shiver, though you are not cold, wondering whether this was such a good idea.

Chip appears from the jungle, munching a bat, and lands near you. He looks at you with interest, but no apparent concern. He glows a bright silver, so bright you have to squint.

The guards, you notice, glow a faint blue, and they look ... insubstantial, now. You can see through them a bit. Although their weapons are still uncomfortably solid.

The leader returns to the circle, where Gepetto is fingering a gold amulet appraisingly. The guard and redcloak stay where they are. Twix remains where he is, staring off at the village.

The leader looks at Gepetto. "It is clear where your heart lies. Your choice is made."

Gepetto squawks his protest, but the leader is unmoved. He looks over the rest of your party, who have not touched the treasure. "Choose," he says.


[Wilson, you get double the effect of this tattoo if you actually draw it and post the drawing here, along with a short explanation of why it looks like it does. Ditto anyone else who opts for the tattoo.]