Sailor, in this Epoch, Haurkizadh, where minotaurs abide, holds someone you know. In the Epoch of the Bronze Pillar, seek out the same region (which is then allied with the draconic nations), for there something lies you seek. And in the Epoch of the Red Pillar, seek the Champion's Imperial territories on Dabusen."

About the Jinshin Uwo: <Nahuel> He considers, then says, "There is an obscure tale I once read in a text from Tenzanai, telling of their history on First Shem. Back then, they had no homeland, and indeed, on Second Shem, they did not have one until relatively recently. It was sealed beneath the waves by strange powers. The jinshin uwo carries land on its back, that is well known, and on First Shem, the Tenzanese lived on islands, some of which they believed were carried by

<Nahuel> the great fish.

<Nahuel> "The story was that the original homeland of the Tenzanese was held together by 8 jinshin uwos. During the First War of the Gods, it was torn asunder to protect it, but in doing so, the great fish had to find a way to preserve it.

<Nahuel> "The magicks the Tenzanese knew warped Time itself to keep their homeland whole and preserved, and thus, the islands the jinshin uwos carried were actually holding not just the present, but all of the past at once. Their whole histories.

<Nahuel> "The great fish carried time on their backs. How this relates to modern jinshin uwos, I do not know."

About the Potential Sevenths: <Nahuel> Kane glances into your shadows, then spits tobacco juice into the vastness over the edge of the steps. "Well, there's the mee-ro, what they call the Dream of Detectives. He's distant kin, in a way. His kind are like cousins to the archos. Instead of stories, they're the embodiment of certain dreams. He's not got a story so much as he /is/ a story. He's what people dream about when they dream of being a Pinkerton, so to speak." The term Pinker

<Nahuel> ton only has meaning to Isidore--it means an elite detective. Kane continues,

<Nahuel> "Then there's the swan maiden what works for the Staves of Justice. She hunts down criminals, but she always believes them good deep down. She's naive, but that's what makes her powerful. She can weather anything, and pretty much has, or so it seems.

<Nahuel> "The Truespeaker is a big ole rhino-man. He used to ride on big ships, so he's lost on land right now, but when he gets his head straight, he'll see what's what no problem. Has a Box from the Goddess of the Seas that he got from the spirit of the Rains.

<Nahuel> ...Marion Justus /Valance/. I mixed his name up.

<Nahuel> "The bumbler, the jackalope, now, his head's not a'right, but he can summon powers you an' I cain't fathom none. He was addlepated by forces unknown, and in his state, he's got insights, but also confusions. He's been sitting on an Egg full of knowledge, too.

<Davan> "Sounds fun."

<Nahuel> "The goldcat dude's a soft one, but he's not as limp wristed as he appears. He's shrewder than a Riverkin," read: Jew, "at a Diamond Temple. His pomes ain't so pretty as he thinks, though.

<Nahuel> "You met the funny lizard with the bad heart. He's one what saved me, an' I can't find no faults in him. He's one o' them book-learnin' sorts, but they got their place, and you all seen he's got powers.

<Davan> Goldcat?

<Nahuel> The poet is a keemasan (Dabusenese golden cat-person)

<Davan> Aah.

<Nahuel> "An' the big furry woman, the Wise One? She's one I can't put my head around. She's got powers I reckon would knock a man down, an' she's big as the winged lizard there. An' she's sharp witted, too, but then, she's also a woman. That's all I got fer ya, but I hope it helps."

Isidore's Tarot Reading: <Isidore> He offers the deck to Royce to cut and then he places the first card in front of him. The face shows the dancer of wands. “This is you. Which isn’t surprising considering you’re a footpad. You’re on a long and steady--” he frowns, looking for the right word, “-rhythmic path. Always moving and exploring.”

<Isidore> He turns over the second card and places it to the left of and slightly below the first. The card shows the knave of shields, facing Royce rather than Isidore this time. “This is what’s recently happened. This usually means something great has been made by happenstance. But when it’s reversed, the meaning is twisted. Perhaps it means that you made it by will rather than mistake.”

<Isidore> (let me know if I'm going too quick?)

• Royce tightens his jaw slightly but says nothing.

<Royce> [you're fine ^^]

• Isidore places the third card in the growing arc, revealing the sage of rings. “Your emotions now. They are causing you some trouble. They’re leading you astray from the truth of yourself. If you can realize that they are misleading, perhaps you can see that truth.”

<Isidore> The fourth card shows an image that seems to be part sun, part web, part map all coming together at a central point. “This is the nexus, and your best ally. It’s what connects us all whether it be physically, mentally, politically, cosmologically....” he trails off a moment, thinking about the implication. “A great ally Royce. A hugely important one.”

• Royce stares at the card, resisting the impulse to look around at the others.

<Isidore> He turns the next card, showing the steward of wands, again facing Royce. “This is the main thing you have to overcome. Something holding you back or in your way. You are holding onto the bad parts instead of releasing them. You have to let them go, so that you can find and hold on to the good.”

• Isidore pauses a long moment over the steward of wands before placing the next card down. “The servitor of pillars, this is where you came from, your beginning. It represents patience and a knowledge about the past. I’m not sure if it means your own past or...” he trails off and shrugs slightly.

<Isidore> He places the seventh card across from the first, forming a half circle. “This position is always tricky. It represents what you desire most at times, or the person you belong with, or the path that’s truly /meant/ for you. And the sage of wands,” he gestures to the card he just layed down, “well that’s an interesting one to land here.” He frowns, thinking of the phrasing, biting his lip for a moment before continuing.

<Isidore> “It can refer to a rest, a calming. But it can also refer to the search for the meaning of signs, of patters that reoccur to you. You’ll have to think about this one a bit, unless it means more to you than me.”

• Royce nods slowly.

<Isidore> patterns that reoccur

<Isidore> “This is your immediate future.” He says as he lays down the steward of shields. “This represents family with a guiding or mentoring role. Like a parent,” he pauses and then looks at Royce. “Or like Auk.”

• Royce manages not to close his eyes at the name.

<Isidore> Isidore places the merchant of wands down, forming a long crescent with the cards. “This represents the things around you that are influencing you and your path.” the corner of his mouth twitches up toward a grin. “I think this is referring to Davan’s luck.” he says as he points at the card, which shows a man blindfolded but grinning as he tries to hold overflowing handfuls of gold coins.

<Isidore> His slight grin fades as his hand moves back to the deck. “This next one is your worst enemy.” He turns over a card and looks at it for half a moment. “Although perhaps in this case, it’s your worst weakness. This is the instigator and it represents the wasting of resources or the strife that arrives when one doesn’t have the things they need.”

• Isidore places the next card above the instigator. “This is the handmaiden. She is your strongest resource. She can represent service, usually a great responsibility or the search for a personal mentor or partner.” He pauses, looking at the cards.

<Isidore> “It’s interesting that she should come after the instigator. Special attention must be paid to seek the understanding of the Handmaiden because if that resource is wasted it will lead to catastrophe.” Isidore says as he points to the instigator. “Your worst enemy,” he says again.

<Isidore> He places the last card to the left of the first, completing the ring. It contains only a bright white point on a black field. “This is your greater path.” He looks up at Royce seriously. “This is your /fate/. You will be the Star, you will travel through vastness, and sometimes darkness. But you won’t be adrift. You will be guided and you will act as a guiding position for others.”

From Age of Waves.

Bosun/Fisherman. Fishing is as much a hobby as it is a job for him; he enjoys pitting himself against the creatures he catches and, as a matter of pride, only uses a net for small "bait fish" or fish that are best caught and sold in bulk.

from Footprint Fleet, though it's been years since he's seen it.

Faith: Weather, Water, Air, all pretty equal. Weather likely a touch higher than the other two.

Equiv. of early H.S. ed, has experienced six other cultures: Kit Wood (tren/werefox culture, Amerind.), Chrysanthemum City(Europe), Tenzanai(Edojidai Japan), Merukis(Pirates), Jorgendheim(Vikings), Agikaan(China)

Collects feathers, also stuff from things he catches.

Grandad Auk, mother Rohesia, father Tern, brother Petrel. Granny Jess dead years ago.

Curious, bold, ADD

2-3 friends from home (Isaac the ropemaker; Jamie the cooper; Gar the shipwright)

6 friends in other cultures (Han Binh Junjun, Agikaani merchant-marine; Teraoka Shinji, Tenzanese Weather priest; Sean D'Amore, Chrysanthemum City smith; Duncan Jacques, Merukese pilot; Brynjarr Gunnarson, Jorgendish sailmaker; Wayra Shikoba, Werefox farmer-equivalent?)

Enemy: Captain Jonathan Fairfield

Most treasured posession: Lucky pole w/ hook and line, broken compass that once belonged to Ashland Macullen (former lover, to date probably truest love he's had)

Extroverted, chatty, loves trading/hearing stories.

Has had flings, no known children, no SO

Bi

Romantic

Instinctual. Definitely the type of man who, when served a dish he has never seen before, will try a bite before asking what it is, regardless of what it might look like.

Scared he won't see everything before he dies.

He wants to see everything before he dies. He'd like a kid to pass the legacy on to but at the moment it's not high on his priorities. And he wants a feather and a trophy from every bird and marine animal on Shem (that he knows about/can find, anyway.)

Started a bar fight that got Fairfield's first mate, Ashland Macullen killed.

Landed a catch of salmon/herring/cod that helped a ship he was travelling with stave off starvation long enough to get to a city.

Weirdest thing ever eaten: Balut

Gift: Wheel of Random Effect (every time he spins it, something happens), gotten by fishing it out of the water, quite literally.

Halfings/pshalflings have the following skills/traits:

Taunting

Quick Learner of Languages Edge (Royce is fluent in Kit and Chrysanthemum pidgin)

Wanderlust

Racial Disposition

A footpad, in general, has a moderate taunting score, an insanely good quick learner edge, a wanderlust that extends to the fact that they can't even sit still, & a racial disposition of geographic curiosity--in any given place, they want to know everything about it, but if you move them, they will not lament not having learned everything about the last place, because they will be trying to learn everything about the new place. They are eternal tourists.

They can learn a language in a week to speaking decently but with an accent. In a month, they can speak it without an accent; in a year, they are indistinguishable completely from a native to the language.