What happened

• the tribe was "attacked" at night by quickly-growing plants
• a number of children and Michina ran off into the wilds
  • two of these were rescued before the group set out
  • one was found dead in brambles; the rest has been found at the heart
• after some discussion, Paqarimuy set out with a select few tribe members, including the players
• the journey through the jungle - led by an Amardillo which follows the scent of those that ran off - was dangerous, almost costing some tribe members their lives
• the jungle seems actively hostile towards all initiated
  • Mica and Paqarimuy have difficulty using their magic
  • for Itzcoa, the effect is reversed
• Paqarimuy had a chance to talk to the group as Paramusuq is not following her so closely here
• they reached the heart, where the power could be felt even by non-magic users
  • this is the home of an ancient spirit of growth and renewal
  • Paqarimuy set off to try and fight the rival god she suspected here - but she managed only to draw the ancient spirit's anger
  • the group talked to a smaller spirit
• after quite some deliberation, they made a deal with the powerful spirit
  • the tribe will renew its traditions regarding magic, discarding the ages-old ban against non-god-given magic
  • Ihui was blessed to communicate more easily with spirits
  • the tribe is free to leave
  • Zuma, Ihui and Itzcoa are to guarantee the change; they have been touched to ensure they keep their part

What they learned

• chosen powers do not disappear at random; it is tied to the gods
  • only one out of five gods still seems to have chosen with powers
  • even these are under more scrutiny
  • no new chosen seem to have passed the rite during the last gatherings
• spirits seem to be more frequent recently; they seem to have been "suppressed" by the gods before
• the strange crystals can store energies desired by the gods
  • the ancient spirit called these crystals "Rumi Runa eggs"
• Paqarimuy - for now - still believes the gods are their best bet, their powers worth the sacrifices
• it seems the spirit attacked the tribe's camp for two reasons:
  • it has an innate hostily towards the "servants of the fallen serpents"; likely due to how the gods apparently suppressed spirits until the recent past
  • it sees a lot of old and stagnation in the tribe - both in the dead wood they use as gear and in the set ways of their culture; it seeks to destroy the old and "make anew"
• initiated members of the tribe (and, to a lesser extent, Mica) carry a "mark" on their soul that prevents them entering deals with spirits
  • spirits can sense this mark, and will often act hostile to the bearer
  • on the other hand, the mark offers some protection against spirit powers (only the non-initiated were affected by the lure of the deep wilderness)