a greater spirit

say: "You have walked the path of patience and you now know what to expect. We are watchers. Our eyes are everywhere and we must be patient and quiet else we may miss what could be harmful. Can you sit still quietly and wait for just the right moment, then open your eyes with a fury and act with all the energy you have cultivated? Timing is everything, and without patience you cannot be sensitive to timing. You have shown your patience here and we believe you are ready to walk the [next path]."

say: "You know trust and patience. But before we can allow you to act in our name, we must know that when you do decide to act, you will make the right choices. We must ask that you now walk the path of wisdom. You must walk to the great plains and search out one of us. He is a wanderer, and it is his nature to drift with the winds and weather doing what he can to ensure understanding and longevity to all that respect their home. He will not be easy to find, though, and you must remember what you have learned down here to succeed in finding him. When you do, give him this gem and follow his instructions."

→ Receives Small Gem (#1667)

say: "Greetings, shaman. Tell me, do you follow [Justice], [War], [Honor], [Fear], or [Hate]?"

say: "Ah, it does me much good to meet with one who holds respect and reverence for the spirits. [Trust] that your place in the whole is important. Rather than trying to enslave and command others with the powers the gods grant you, you live in harmony and balance with the world around you. There are times when we, the [true spirits] and those like you, can work together to achieve goals. Individuals who help us are known as [Heyokah]."

say: "You would be best served by speaking to my brother in the next room, <name>."

say: "You would be best served by speaking to my brother in the next room, <name>."

say: "You would be best served by speaking to my brother in the next room, <name>."

say: "Ah, it does me much good to meet with one who holds respect and reverence for the spirits. [Trust] that your place in the whole is important. Rather than trying to enslave and command others with the powers the gods grant you, you live in harmony and balance with the world around you. There are times when we, the [true spirits] and those like you, can work together to achieve goals. Individuals who help us are known as [Heyokah]."

say: "Trust is the glue of the universe. When one trusts others to do their part, it allows them to focus on what they must do themselves. The trust that others have in us also gives us the confidence to do our parts effectively, thus maintaining harmony. When one becomes dissatisfied with his part and pursues his own desires, this is called greed. And greed destroys the glue of the universe. This is why we wished the bandits under the grass."

say: "As a shaman, spirits are known to you. They aid you if you pay them homage and respect the world around you. They also will bend to your will if you are powerful enough. We are a part of the entire universe and we exist because people believe and feel us. However [very few] know us in this form. To mortals we are but ideas, [wisps of consciousness] in an expanse of emptiness and as difficult to grasp as breath in Everfrost."

say: "There are only a handful of mortals we've judged worthy to be friends and, reluctantly, masters. We call them the [Heyokah]. Bondl is one of them and he helps to test those we believe might be able to grasp our existence. There are many troubles that threaten us and our home. We seek those with the wisdom, patience, and might to help us ensure the health of the cosmos. Whether you seek balance or personal power, this is important to you."

say: "It is difficult for mortals to grasp what we are for we are not material that can be held or consumed. We are the spirit that drives beings to do what beings do. The wolf lives to run and hunt. When you ask for his aid, his spirit enters your body and you 'become' wolf. The ox is the personification of endurance and when he enters your body, you do not become an ox, you become all that is ox. I myself am the spirit of understanding."

say: "The Heyokah are our mortal counterparts. Some are our friends who seek to help us in whatever goals we deem important. Some seek nothing more than to enslave and command us to do their bidding. We accept this and often make deals with those we realize are powerful enough to accomplish what needs to be done. To judge such individuals, we have prepared a test. We ask that before we enter into these contracts, the shaman walk the [path of the Heyokah]. We see you may be worthy. Will you walk the path? You will be rewarded for your efforts, albeit grudgingly."

→ Receives Opaque Gem (#1666)

say: "That is good. You will need to walk three paths before you can reach that of the Heyokah. The paths of patience, wisdom, and might. First, you must learn patience. Take this gem and go on a pilgrimage to an island in the great water the wasichu call Erud's Crossing. The Kerrans there are our allies and can show you to our next contact, Ooglyn. Give Ooglyn the gem and do what she asks. As you walk the path, remember what you've learned about trust."

→ Experience: 1,000