Excerpt from a letter discovered in Miran Cache #25:
Ease your worries, my friend: the fighting was mostly far to the East. A few of the nomads came as far as the city, where they made quite an impression on the people. But I am happy to report that the city is mostly unscathed. Life for the merchants here in Niya has returned to normal, though the markets remained anxious in the aftermath of the victory over the Middle Kingdom.
Catalog Item #114: Yatagan. Niya, pre 3rd c. Engraved with images of battles, presumably of significance to Niya’s royalty. Lantern sigil. Notable for its gilded accents.
Catalog Item #32: Decorative iron window screens, excavated at the Grand Abbey during the expedition of 1836.
From the Annals of the Oasis Kingdoms…
After the nomad’s defeat of the Green Banner army, many refugees and deserters have travelled westward, reaching the borders of Niya. Those who swear the traditional oaths are accepted, though met with caution.
Pilgrims have encouraged the newcomers to take up the Paths of Kusinne.
Catalog Item #111: Pilgrim’s Guide, circa 2nd century. Contains a listing of waystops for pilgrims following the Kusinne Path of the Road. Each entry is separated by pages which are inscribed in a different hand (presumably that of the pilgrim) with remarks on the subject. At the end, in a third hand, there is the description of a journey to visit a ruin in the desert near Chayi, signed “Nabylah”.
The conversations over the past three weeks looked like this. This past week has been a bit quiet, though I’ve updated the state of the game page to reflect who has been sending out mail most frequently.
The seasons complete their cycle, and the Oasis Basin begins to awaken from the long hibernation.
The Kusinne new year rites are celebrated in the cities, and many goldfish as purchased from the merchants and kept in bowls of Anxi glass.
This ends Cycle 6 and Begins Cycle 7…
From the Annals of the Oasis Kingdoms…
Last year’s change in succession in Kucha has lead to an increase of Symness pilgrims in the region. Speculation is divided on whether they are drawn by a hope of greater favor with the new queen, or merely impressed by the solemn funeral rites.
From the Annals of the Oasis Kingdoms…
In the 115th year, Refugees from Yiwu made the journey to the town of Chayi, which stands at the confluence of the Gushi River and the Jushi tributary: a fertile region. The new settlers quickly worked to construct common shelter and prepare the fields and waterways.
Chayi is a place that seldom sees bandits or trouble, though the martial qualities of the ruins nearby suggests that was not always the case.
From the Annals of the Oasis Kingdoms…
With the death of the general, the nomads’ victory over the Green Banner Army was complete. No longer held together by the discipline from above, the soldiers wavered, beset by ambushes and driven from the wells and fresh water by the horse rider’s use of their superior knowledge of the paths through the wastelands.
Having triumphed over the soldiers of the Middle Kingdom, the nomad warbands withdrew. Some remained, but the kin that they summoned to their aid returned to their winter pastures far from the Oasis Basin.
From the Annals of the Oasis Kingdoms…
At that time, Niya purchased weapons, the finest iron weapons of Aksu. The sight of the the soldiers of Niya, armed with the swords with the lantern sigil, were frequently remarked upon as a truly martial sight.