Eighth Month of 1,266
- Lorekeeper Jianya met us in the council chamber to help us for the meeting with Naran and the five ministers (Revenue, Justice, Rights, Works and Military). We were seated at a circular table with a notch cut into one side where the Chancellor sat.
- Much discussion followed on what information both sides would be sharing, things like craft information. K’brin spoke with much authority on the general shape of what we would share, having talked with G’mar and others before we came, but felt that specifics should be agreed upon by others back home. It would be dealt with next
Turnyear in the Autumn, when we could return with diplomats or other appropriate representatives of our own.- A treaty was signed in both languages and we were given a copy to return home with.
- Everyone seemed fairly pleased with how things had gone. I had been concerned the Zai would be put off by our lack of commitment to detailed specifics on what we would share.
- As we left, I took note of several youngsters with long hair and loose clothing, wearing wide belts and wrist wraps. Some were training with halberds. There was a dragonrider, Chung-wo of blue Ruath, shouting at nearly three dozen people standing in rows, who responded in unison to his words.
- Garaam told us they were petitioners, possible candidates for green and blue dragons. They ranged from 15 to 25 Turns and would train anywhere from one to three Turns to be considered as candidates. Some kill themselves rather than return home in shame if they aren’t selected. I knew it was their way, but that some would go so far as to take their own lives shocked me.
- K’brin asked Jianya about the fact that we had noticed a lack of square shapes in Modaisa, even in the buildings. She shared that squares are considered unlucky in Satakam, which is central to most of their traditions.
- K’brin also broached the topic of being a Lorekeeper with Jianya. She told us that a Lorekeeper must be open to learning new things, even if they are distasteful or forbidden. She didn’t harbor any dark feelings towards other Dominions.
- Being curious on some of the various aspects of Satakam, which had clearly influenced much of life in the parts of the Zai dynasty we had seen so far, a few of us went to a domed building, where we hoped to talk to Shian Yunsoon.
- Inside, we saw five aisles leading down to a white marble platform with a skylight above.
- There were five bronze statues of dragonriders. Later, we found out they were riders who had left their mark on history through responses to disaster, battle, or other hardships.
- There was a pool with fire in the middle of it at the center of the platform.
- We observed three women standing over kneeling dragonriders, waving smoking cones above them while the riders chanted quietly. After a short while they stood, happily joking with each other and left. It was a Rededication – where they are transferred to another Lord’s service. It was a formalized way to transfer their loyalty to another, which made me recall the time riders transferred from Fort and Benden Weyrs and presented their rank knots to Daena to formally join Ista Weyr.
- Things we learned from Yunsoon:
- Sung-Shian is the highest temple ranking
- Gold egg candidates are chosen from the Shian.
- “True power is strength tempered by wisdom” – a big tenant of their belief system.
- All colors, shapes, and items mean something. Four is unlucky because of squares, fish mean prosperity, that sort of thing. People can tell a lot based on what you’re wearing (and how), or a building’s shape and color, for instance.
- “Where there are dragons, there is Shia.” The dragons breathe fire because she granted it. Foreigners and strangers don’t have Satakam, so why deal with them, because they have no honor. We have Satakam because of our dragons.
- Commander Garaam came by the next morning with his men. They were ready to travel and asked if we would be ready to go with him. We needed to fear being attacked by the Bohran again, as Garaam said it was likely they thought we were raiders from Carindas because of our gear.
- Jianya would be coming to Thusdo with us to act as a translator. She’d never been there before. K’brin expressed concern over her being of the Zai dynasty, but she explained that she was essentially a spy out in the open, who could then report on what she saw to her people. Those in Thusdo would know this and mind what they said in her presence.