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((Basically, I'm going to have your character and some NPCs meet up with some people from the Kiyap Turea, who will have an upsetting announcement for you. Then, if possible, we'll connect this thread to the Birth of a New Faction thread))

Ronyo's father had come to him with a strained look. Although he had been proud of his son's first excursion into Feretris, he seemed strangely more reluctant to ask his son to come on this mission. Perhaps it was because, although any mission into Feretris that left Ronyo unscathed was a moderate success, Ronyo had failed to extract the prisoner brought to him. Or perhaps it was because Raven strongly disliked the Kiyap Turea, even though, or perhaps because, his friend Haggrab Blaed* had married one of their women. Ronyo had never been to a serious meeting involving the Kiyap Turea before, though perhaps he had caught glimpses of them while hanging around Haggrab.

He had probably also met Maelyn, Haggrab's daughter. Both of the children had grown up without seeing much of their mothers, their mothers both being from different tribes. The biggest difference was that, while Raven openly saw his wife on occasion, Haggrab hid his liaisons carefully from his daughter, but not so carefully from Ronyo. It was partly because Haggrab sheltered his daughter that she had nothing to do with the Feretris underground, and thus why she was miles away from Ronyo and his father when his father came to tell him:

"Haggrab ran after his daughter as soon as he got word that the lock down is over. I need some one to take his place. I'm meeting the Kiyap Turea tonight." He paused, sighing uncomfortably. "They say only that they have news for us, as is their way. I don't care as long as they keep aiding our wounded and our escapees. But we must meet with them, and we must be civil."

((The above is all that I have worked out on his father-- you can play him too, whenever you like.))

*Maelyn, `Nonagon's character

Ronyo's father nodded and finished up preparations in silence. Although they did not expect to be gone long, it was always best to prepare for the worst. Even not considering the meeting itself, weather or bothersome animals could divert their energies and cause them to be away from other tribes people for a long time. The Anjts were the type that, if they saw something curious, they had to follow, and so were always prepared for such long and lonely trips.

Getting to the meeting place was not all too difficult, although being stealthy about it slowed them down. They brought horses, but left the horses lying down at a distance in the tall grass. They slowed even further as they drew near to the Kiyap Turea tribesmen waiting for them. There were signs of animals diverting their path suddenly to the north, as if to check something out or to avoid something ahead. It would have been nice to scout the area more, but now that they were so close to the meeting, they did not have that luxury. What was important was that no animal hung around too close to them, so that there could be no fighting or eavesdropping.

Now they were looking out for the people they were to meet. The Kiyap Turea were also so difficult to find, being the best at stealth. There were four of them crouched in the grass, waiting.

All four were older men, and the faces were each grim. Each had a band prominently displayed on their arm; red, green, blue, and yellow, representing the four Kiyap Turea families, respectively: Blæd, Gemynd, Hælt, Weork. The Blæd was the family that came most readily to mind: the warriors. Although the Kiyap Turea had recently begun to focus much more on stealth than outright battle, each tribes member would ideally know how to defend themselves in case of an animal attack. It was difficult to know how advanced their tactics would be compared to the Anjt, as there has been no recent opportunity to observe them in action. Each of these four men looked formidable enough, and old enough to have significant training in their respective fields.

Although the four stood up, they did not speak immediately, but turned towards the sound of a fifth person joining them. The fifth, a woman, looked startled to see Ronyo and his father. She was recognizable as being of the Demere by the large wing tatoos covering the backsides of her bare shoulders. With her, she had a tamed mutt-wolf that focused its attention on Ronyo briefly.

It was then that the red-banded man began the meeting. "We represent the entire tribe of the Kiyap Turea. We bring you a message from our council. Our aid to the Anjts and the Demere ceases immediately."

"Feretris no longer concerns us," the representative answered simply. "We see no reason to continue suffering the burden of unnecessary conflict."

"You once owned the lands that Feretris took," his father answered immediately, bringing the focus away from his son. "They attack, and you withdraw. Now you hide to the south. What will you do when Feretris swallows the plains and again reaches for your land?"

"Our decision is made. All of the injured fugitives that we have been harboring are being escorted back to your peoples."

"Where?"

"To the main pick up site. We will leave them there for you."

His father had spoken cooly, as you might expect of a diplomat. The knife flashing into the respresentative's stomach was a bit more of a surprise. He, at least, was caught completely off guard, and took a step back from the force of the stab.

Suddenly they had arrows and spears pointed at them, at close range. "Defend yourself, if you dare!" his father shouted, his hand still holding the hilt of the knife embedded in the other man. "If you have any honor left!"

Ronyo's father let the stabbed man step back further, out of reach. "Hold!" the representative shouted. "Your duty is your message!" He shot the men around them hand signals.

The men of the Kiyap Turea disappeared into the tall grass, heading back home. The Demere woman had stepped back during the brief moment of trouble, and made herself seen again, although out of reach. "Our tribes must now work more closely together, against the Kiyap Turea, if need be." Then she, too, disappeared.

Raven was breathing heavily through clenched teeth, staring after the Kiyap Turea men. "They will not even defend their own bodies, their own people," he said, amazed. He didn't seem to have any further plans, but rather was in shock.

EDIT: If you come back to post, please PM me so we can work out where your character will be going next. There are a lot of characters joining other characters right now and I had to change some of my plans for your character because you and others were not posting at the time

(Thank you for your patience!)

On coming to the meeting they had taken a convoluted path designed to lose trackers, scout the area, and kill time. Now his father seemed more careless and they traveled in haste, heading north by north west. Raven was quick to explain why they were not headed back to their main group, where they had come from. "There is a scout out here some where," he assured his boy gruffly.

When they stopped once to get their bearings and rest, he explained further. "None of our Feretris contacts have been seen since the raid." More himself again, he flashed Ronyo a crafty grin. "And the Kiyap Turea will not follow us so close to Feretris."

As they prepared to head out again, Raven stopped them. They had heard grass moving to the North, enough for a herd of antelope or a Feretris ambush, though still quite a distance from the border. He shrugged and motioned towards the sound.

(If you are ready to encounter the strangers, move here.)