The sudden withering of plant life wasn't just limited to the Sisters. With Onnen now part of the world, whatever happened in the other two continents began to take place here too. She was staying in Mamjaku when it first started, then she received messages from her family informing her that this was a worldwide crisis. The situation was deteriorating quickly, and the natives of Onnen were in a panic. This had never happened before. Onnen had yet to experience the wide-reaching effects of deities after centuries of going without them. Maybe it was due to everyone's prayers, but the downward spiral of the land's vegetation had finally stopped and was slowly being reversed. Everyone in the outpost then heard the Voice's call, and that was when she put it all together. The mass wilting wasn't a coincidence, something big had happened and it was affecting even the deities. When the locals found out she was an ambassador of sorts for Antikythera, she was flooded with questions from worried people on what was happening and going on. She did her best to answer, but soon she realized she needed a better way to handle this. The people of Onnen deserved to know how they could help bring the world back into balance.
She came to Namibia once again. It was the place where everyone came together under the same values despite their differences. And due to its location, it was also an ideal place for what she had in mind. Requesting to meet with Namibia's leaders, she presented herself and stated her position as one of the deities' representatives before bringing her proposition. "I know this might be a difficult thing to ask for, but I would like to call all the leaders of the tribes of Onnen to gather here for a summit. Strange and alarming things have been happening and I believe they have the right to be informed on the current state of the world. I'm sure many of you have heard that voice saying the gods ask for our aid. When everyone is here, I will explain the message in detail and how we can go about it." The Namibian council was unsure for a while, but after discussing among themselves they came to an agreement. "We believe your proposition is good. For the sake of all the people of Onnen, we will comply with your request and send messengers to our tribes to have them gather to listen." When those words were said, Chrys' heart felt a small amount of relief.
The assembly of Onnen's tribes took several weeks, as representatives for every group were summoned to the Sandawe. More people came each day, and the butterflies in her stomach didn't cease. When everyone was accounted for, she went up to a platform the Namibians had built so she could be seen and her voice could carry across the open area. Taking in a deep breath, she began. "Thank you everyone for coming today. I represent one of the many deities of the Conclave, and I wish to clarify what has been happening lately."
"The gods of the world need our help, as you've heard from the voice across the land. Weeks ago the land itself was dying only to finally come back to life. There are six items that we need to collect: Codex Pages, Soul Twigs, Tempestas Silversword, Dusk Fangs, Bear Claws, and Raven Feathers. We need to collect as much of these as possible and every bit helps. When the time comes, the items will be spirited away. The deities have promised those who help will not go unrewarded, but think of this as your own way of protecting your tribes, your lands, your way of life. This is as much as we know so far, and the moment we receive new information on what is causing these changes we will not hesitate to tell you. If anyone has anything they want to ask, I will do my best to answer you." Right away, a humanoid woman whose body looked to be made of stone and crystal raised an arm. "What of the tears in the world that have been appearing as of late? Our priests sensed a powerful force coming from these holes, could these be the gods' doing?" A human chieftain with face paint and a pelt headdress added, "Yes, we have seen them too. Our witch doctors began screaming in terror when they came close to them. They say it is as if the shadow realm is forcing its way into the realm of the living."
Chrysanthe shook her head. "No, these rifts are not the work of the gods. I am afraid that whatever your wise men have seen or felt had no divine origins. Something outside of what we know is trying to affect the world, that is as much as we can tell. Something beyond this world." Murmurs rose from the congregation as the leaders showed their concern. A Makone tribe leader tapped his skull-headed staff. "Is it true that if we gather these things it will help prevent the disasters that have been occurring?" She answered quickly. "Absolutely. I swear on it, on my own honor and the honor of the deity my parents serve. The one who controls luck and storms is not a dishonorable person who goes back on her word–especially when it involves the world." There were a few more questions before the summit meeting was dismissed, and the tribes began returning home to inform the others. Even though she hadn't done much, she felt physically drained. She sat down on a wicker woven chair and heaved a deep sigh.
"I beg your pardon, ambassador of Mamjaku." A masked Kijivu scholar came up to her, decorated ebony staff in hand. "Oh, do you need something?" Maybe she missed someone in the crowd during the allotted period for questions. "No no, not at all. I came here to give my thanks on behalf of my tribe. Your words have brought my heart much peace. You see, the fields of my people suddenly started to die months ago without cause. As our farmers always diligently tend them, we feared it was some sort of epidemic afflicting our crops. This was the first time such a thing had happened and it left the jali at a loss. But now I am glad to hear that it was not so, and that there is a way we can help change it for the better. The breadth of Taram-Cahaya is vast and the Kijivu many in number; I assure you we will spare no effort to gather all the things you have asked for."
After hearing that, she couldn't hold back beaming a smile. "Thank you, sir. Hearing this means a lot to me." The masked termite nodded, and gave a bow. "May the Great Tree bless you, child. You and the gods across the sea are doing a great work."
