~ GEOGRAPHY ~
The Hao Jin Tapestry is an artifact created centuries ago by the Tian sorceress Hao Jin.
It is the gateway to a demiplane of the same name, home to numerous different locations and environments.
~ BACKGROUND ~
Seven years ago, the Pathfinder Society acquired the Hao Jin Tapestry, a powerful artifact and gateway to a wondrous yet slowly disintegrating museum-like demiplane.
Despite the sacrifices made to preserve the Hao-Jin Tapestry by one of the Pathfinder Society's most influential members, the realm's collapse seems inevitable.
The Society has dispatched teams to high-value sites to salvage what they can of the historical treasures and knowledge, and the PCs are one of these first groups. However, their study of an ancient Tian site becomes far more complex thanks to not one but two burgeoning religions.
It's up to the PCs to navigate this landscape riddled with hazards both extraplanar and political.
Silence falls as two cloaked figures enter, marching in sync, their steps echoing through the hushed room. Ornate masks obscure their faces.
One mask is woven from spreading branches, while the other is a black domino mask studded with crystal tears.
The silent room buzzes with anticipation, as the assembled agents wait to hear why these masked figures, two of the shadowy Decemvirate that leads the Pathfinder Society, have summoned them.
The figure in the branch mask steps forward and speaks, their voice crisp but slightly distorted.
"Pathfinders," they say from behind their mask, "many of you have already undertaken missions into the demiplane within the Hao Jin Tapestry. Numerous expeditions have gone inside that artifact since the Society acquired it seven years ago, each mission yielding some handful of the near infinite treasures hidden inside it. Our last mission found the tapestry crumbling and Aram Zey lost."
Murmurs can be heard.
"You will be recovering what you can from the tapestry before it is too late for any to enter — or too late for what’s inside to leave. The venture-captains will give you more specific directions in the coming days. If you wish to be part of a salvage team, prepare as best you can and remain in Absalom. May fortune smile upon you all."
As swiftly as they entered, the masked figures depart, and the crowd’s excited conversations rise into a dull roar. Before you have a chance to disperse into the crowd, the familiar face of Sorrina Westyr - the Society's Master of Spells - catches your eyes as she's peering over the masses of agents. She makes her way towards you and gestures for you to follow, her voice barely audible over the nervous yet excited chatter that fills the chamber.
Before you know it, she has led your group down a flight of stairs and through a couple of corridors to a chamber containing the fabled Hao Jin Tapestry. Even from the outside, it can be seen with plain eyes that the fabric is fraying.
~ ~
"Agents," she begins, "I'm sorry for pulling you into this so suddenly, but with Aram Zey gone, and the Tapestry crumbling, we haven't had much time to make proper preparations. You have been selected to be the first salvage group to enter the demiplane. Your mission is to enter a part of the tapestry that holds a village that serves as the home for an ethnic group from the Chang Liao Jungle - The Sunsu Godae. Before Hao Jin repositioned the tribe to the Tapestry, they had suffered centuries of hostilities between warring neighbors, making them particularly hostile to outsides, as reported by yhe group of pathfinders that originally found the village."
She looks at you with her sharp eyes.
"Despite this complication, we need you to enter the village and learn everything you can about the Sunsu Godae's culture. We also have reasons to suspect that their lands may be home to a rare purple flower that has great magical properties, but is supposedly sacred for the villagers. Legend has it, that the flower only blooms once every 144 years, but..." she seems a bit hesitant to continue, "... I have reason to believe that the recent fluctuations and surges of magic in the tapestry may have triggered the flower to bloom out of cycle. However - maintaining good relations with the Sunsu Godae is more important than searching for the flower! If you can find the flower and collect a sample of it's pollen without angering the locals, do so, but don't just murder anyone over it!"
She lets out a deep sigh, the burdens of the last few weeks clearly wearing down on her shoulders.
"If you have any questions about this mission or the tapestry itself, ask now. Once you are ready, I'll send you in."
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A golden haired half orc stands with your group. He is trying not to stand out and slouches slightly. If he stood his full height he would have to be 6 and a half feet tall and very well muscled. He wears breastplate and carries both a long sword and pole arm. He is a good looking lad, especially for a half orc, but something is off. Those that look close enough notice that his skin also has a golden gleam about it. Closer still reveals that his skin has a scaly appearance and his fingertips end in claws. He looks confused to be selected as part of the group but nods acceptingly at the Master of Scrolls.
To the group he addresses I am Terragon the Golden. My friends call me Tear. I fear I am not the most diplomatic of agents but I can be persuasive in other ways when I need to be. I'll be serving as muscle mostly I fear, though I certainly will NOT be murdering anyone. He looks almost sick at that idea.
Turning back to Sorrina Westyr he asks Mistress, with the tapestry crumbling should not our goal be to rescue these Sunsu Godae? Do you know their number? Should we try to convince them to come out with us?
Hao Jin was from Goka, a city on the continent of Tian Xia. A powerful sorcerer and famous collector, Hao Jin was killed and returned to life several times before she vanished without a trace over 400 years ago.
The Hao Jin Tapestry is an artifact created centuries ago by the Tian sorceress Hao Jin. It is the gateway to a demiplane of the same name, home to numerous different locations and environments.
Hao Jin originally created the tapestry by ripping settlements (alongside their inhabitants) and geographical features from Golarion and transporting them fully intact to the demiplane to be preserved. She used it to hide her most dangerous treasures, and hid it away when she left the Material Plane.
The demiplane is accessible via the seemingly mundane wall hanging, the Hao Jin Tapestry, and is stocked by Hao Jin with people, monuments, and entire cities that she collected during her travels. Originally, each location Hao Jin created or placed in the tapestry had its own micro-climate, carefully controlled by Hao Jin's magic. However, recently, these climates have begun to shift and bleed into each other, developing its own strange weather pattern.
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An albino ratfolk dressed in a white lab coat joins the gathering. Both the lab coat and the fur are pristine. Well ironed and perfectly trimmed.
"Hello everybody. I am a distinguished exchange teacher from Akiton and I'm very glad to be able to share my knowledge here. As my Ysoki name is unpronounceable and unhearable by most non-Ysoki, I go by the cognomen 'Professor'. My work is mostly theoretical, but I do dabble in applied chemistry."
He will lecture the group about Hao Jin and her tapestry demiplane.
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This Chelish man has dark red hair with a striking white streak in it, and is probably in his forties. His clothing is of fine make, and favors black silks with red accents-- and the red accents are, if one looks closely, in the shape of Asmodean pentacles as often as not. Another pentacle glows faintly on his brow.
"Mister Terragon. Good day. And Professor, how do you do," he says with a once-over of the physically formidable half-orc, as well as the impeccably-groomed ratfolk. The latter earns a slight nod of his approval for his well-kept person.
"Iason Blaise, of Cheliax; a less exotic clime than fabled Akiton to be sure. I dabble in the arcane arts; my bodyguard shall be of use should we be in direct combat."
There's the briefest hint of a nod at a muscular figure who stands at the edges of the group, wearing a hooded cloak that reaches all the way to the ground but doesn't entirely conceal a pair of red eyes that burn in the shadows of the hood. "His name is Etrigan. I apologize in advance for his tiresome speech.
"But as to relevant matters: so, we go into Hao Jin's pocket world, eh? Mister Terragon here has an altruistic but sensible question: our mission is only to retrieve this flower, and not evacuate the tribal peoples? Very well, then. Have we a physical description of this flower, and do we know of any particular dangers surrounding this village? What language is spoken there-- some form of Tien, I imagine? I'm afraid I don't speak the tongue, but of course, there are magical ways to get around that."
Iason's 'bodyguard' stands silent, but appears to listen with keen interest to all that is said.
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Oh Wow... That been a long time since i haven't enter this office.
A Blond haired human a multi-colored clothing who seem more like a patchwork of everything is looking all the around the room.
Dark circles under his eyes seems to be his compagnions and his body tense.
Why I am here? Desna, you know i don't like the pressure you give on me as your will on earth. Why Desna, Why?
Okay. Calm down. She said Jungle right? That mean poison or disease, plant, animal, vermin undead. Always prepared to be attacked by undead. Especially with you are in a mission in Geb.
"Hey... I am Jean-rené Lamare. I mostly heal people for Desna."
You see that he draws a sort of headband. "I have this headband. It is a lucky headband. When someone use it. Luck protect them from spells. Also, it give extend luck for 6 seconds longer. That great because i give luck for 6 second to people. So with this headband, you will have 12 second of luck for everything that you do. That super. So, who want it?"
As for question. What do we know about this jungle and those peoples?"
You see that Lamare looks at Terragon when he talks about his headband.
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Just then a slender wiry man rushes into the meeting area wearing a gaudy nondescript traveling clothes thrown over a gaudy robe along with a scarf tied around his neck in the latest fashion for Absalom. A closer look reveals his light brown hair flows out down past his shoulders, currently braided in a stylish way. Sky blue eyes peek out from his youthful face. His lean, wiry body is covered in dark tanned skin with a reddish undertone only noticeable in bright light. Nodding profusely in apology he introduces himself, "I am Wadi Ahk'kolon! Sorry for running late...the rehersals were more involving than I anticipated, and it is a difficult role to master..."
Once the others have recapped the situation he strokes his chin thoughtfully as he recalls what little he recalled of the Tapestry.
"I believe we need to tread carefully here. Being isolated leads to strange behaviors so I can see why the natives need to be left alone there." Nodding to Blaise in reply.
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"Hey... I am Jean-rené Lamare. I mostly heal people for Desna."
You see that he draws a sort of headband. "I have this headband. It is a lucky headband. When someone use it. Luck protect them from spells. Also, it give extend luck for 6 seconds longer. That great because i give luck for 6 second to people. So with this headband, you will have 12 second of luck for everything that you do. That super. So, who want it?"
"I acknowledge the existence of both luck and deities, but I make it a habit to not depend on either. Instead I put my trust in science and my fellow pathfinders."
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"I acknowledge the existence of both luck and deities, but I make it a habit to not depend on either. Instead I put my trust in science and my fellow pathfinders."
"A fine sentiment, and yet fallacious
"For many of your agent corps"Gain power through those gods audacious
"And cannot on their own wings soar," murmurs the gravelly voice of Iason's servitor.
"So roundabout, by definition
"Your faith in another agent fine
"(Who happens, by their own admission,
"To be dependent on divine)
"Amounts to neither more nor less
"Than your own dependence, once removed
"Upon the gods who damn, or bless
"At whim, and who by logic are unmoved."
Iason rolls his eyes and waves his 'bodyguard' to silence with one hand. "Yes, yes, nobody wants to hear your views on theology, Etrigan."
Turning back to Sorrina Westyr he asks Mistress, with the tapestry crumbling should not our goal be to rescue these Sunsu Godae? Do you know their number? Should we try to convince them to come out with us?
Sorrina looks at Tarragon and sighs.
"They will not move and we are not able to get all of them out anyway with the current stability of the tapestry. Let me start by saying that last team made clear that it will not be easy to make amends with the Sunsu Godae. Especially, the lack of a common language is the biggest obstacle, and we decided it was best to leave them be for the time being. Now, however, we no longer have the luxury of waiting for a more opportune moment. The Sunsu Godae are a cultural group of Tian-Hwan people from the Chang Liao Jungle in Po Li. Based on the report from the previous group, the villagers likely speak Hwan, but the dialect is likely divergent from the modern language of the eastern Tian Xia. To avoid hostilities, I will cast Tongues on each of you. It should last for a bit over an hour and half, and overcoming this language barrier should help with establishing peaceful contact. I will also give you a scroll of Tongues to use after my magic fades - and I recommend that you prepare any magic you have at your proposal that gives you more time to converse with the Sunsu Godae."
"But as to relevant matters: so, we go into Hao Jin's pocket world, eh? Mister Terragon here has an altruistic but sensible question: our mission is only to retrieve this flower, and not evacuate the tribal peoples? Very well, then. Have we a physical description of this flower, and do we know of any particular dangers surrounding this village? What language is spoken there-- some form of Tien, I imagine? I'm afraid I don't speak the tongue, but of course, there are magical ways to get around that."
Iason's 'bodyguard' stands silent, but appears to listen with keen interest to all that is said.
Sorrina nods at Iason.
"I answered some of the questions on the language I believe. What you should think about is how you should get to their better side!? They adhere to the warlike practices of ancient Hwanggot, shaped by centuries of violence with their neighbors. Their presence in the tapestry affords the Pathfinder Society a rare glimpse into the living past - an opportunity to access the traditions and history preserved within. The previous group identified the village called Onhae at the bottom of a river valley during their expedition. You'll enter the tapestry in the immediate area of the village and should not have trouble locating it. There isn't much else advice I can offer, but you're all seasoned agents - The Society has faith in your skills."
She thinks a moment.
”And we don’t know what magical power the flower possesses! Legends concerning the flower are inconsistent. Its powers in them range from sealing unbreakable oaths to communing with the gods to restoring the dead to life!“ she answers.
As for question. What do we know about this jungle and those peoples?"[/B]
The master of spells smiles at Lamare.
”Hmmm ... you've got me! I do not know how the terrain changed but it is plains and forrests. In general you should know that the Hao Jin Tapestry is a demiplane, serving as an archive of ancient wonders collected from across Golarion by the legendary Hao Jin, a Tian sorcerer from days long past. The Pathfinder Society won the tapestry in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament seven years ago, and we have been slowly exploring it and extracting its treasures ever since. Over the last few years, the demiplane has been becoming increasingly unstable, nearly shredding into strips cast adrift in the Astral Plane. A group of heroic Pathfinders managed to prevent total destruction, buying us time to continue to study the tapestry’s wonders!“
She looks at the tapestry.
“Well, many of you know how to get in and back from the demiplane but for those who are new. Previous expeditions into the Hao Jin Tapestry have taught us how to open and maintain a planar eddy, essentially a small link between the fabric of the Material Plane and the Hao Jin Tapestry created by your connection to the Material Plane. When you enter, a glowing planar eddy will appear where you entered. No one else will be able to see this portal, but you will be able to use it to return to the Grand Lodge!“
~
She then looks back at all of you.
"Do you have any further questions or are you ready to leave!?"
”The last group did nothing wrong. They made first contact, had a hard time communicating, left the village alone, reported the contact… and now it’s your turn! Including finding an appropriate gift!“ she says with a smile.
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"I'll obtain another scroll of tongues, to simplify matters of speech should matters go longer than expected," Iason muses. "I will also purchase... some incense, I think; small, valuable, likely difficult for people in a tapestry to obtain. As a gift. Etrigan, go to market, will you...?"
Studying his comrades a moment, Iason nods to Terragon. "I expect that should danger threaten, you are the sort to stand in the thick of things. In such an event, would you appreciate a magic to double your height and extend the reach of those muscular arms of yours?"
"If not, perhaps you might like your skin armored as stone? That one is a bit costly--- I only carry enough of the valuable materials for that to manage for my own needs, generally, but if you wished to obtain some crushed granite and diamond, I could do such a thing for you, as well."
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If these people are war-like then I could offer them this blade. He displays his greatsword. It is cold iron was was used to slay an oni. If they believe my tale perhaps is would be something they would be impressed by.
Responding to the summoner he explains When I enter my fighting rage I can choose to enlarge and will do so if there is room to take advantage of size. But my rage is a resource that I do not use for every fight. If I do not rage your magics would be most welcome. And I will invest in the cost of the material components for stoneskin if we have time to shop. It seems a reasonable precaution and will gladly trust your judgement as to when it is needed.
THE TAPESTRY AWAITS
Sorrina proceeds to cast Tongues (Duration is 100 minutes) on each of you, before directing you to touch a specific spot on the tapestry. With a gesture and a few arcane words, the world around you twists and turns for moment.
You notice that you have arrived a cliff overlooking a small village in the middle of a jungle. The immediate surroundings are mostly rocky cliffs and steppes, but you can barely make out a batch of more swampy looking terrain in the distance.
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As they pass through, Iason passes a bottle off to his companion, who wordlessly quaffs it.
As he surveys the village ahead, Iason says, "Are any of us particularly gifted at soothing speech? I'm not the worst, but many Pathfinder agents are much better than I am."
"I could speak, master," his servant grins.
"And guarantee disaster? No, I think not."
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Iason inclines his head at the others, then nods once at the Professor. "If you can convince recalcitrant students, then I'm sure you can manage with some isolated villagers, Professor. And no doubt Mr. Ahk'kolon can assist if needed. Hopefully we won't need to scare them, Mr. Terragon.
"Well. Shall we start down there, then?"
Iason leads the way and you start your journey.
As you slowly approach the village, you notice that it is rather small and picturesque - about fifty single-story buildings interspersed with tall, flowering trees and tropical ferns. The buildings are mostly made from wood, stone and clay, and their exterior walls are decorated with colourful red and blue tiles and feature wooden double doors and slim, grated windows.
Curved tile roofs extend over the entrances to cover small wooden decks.
People of Tian-Hwan heritage move about the village, dressed in long-sleeved brocade jackets, wrapped tops, and high-waisted pants and skirts.
A few of them slow their steps and they stop to observe your approach. One of the adults - a woman in her thirties - seems to grip the handle of her broom a bit tighter as she calls for the nearby children to fetch their dad.
The villagers eye your group, clearly suspicious, but no weapons are drawn and they don't seem to be openly hostile.
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Before entering the village, Lamare wish to cast to himself cultural adaptation... but he realises he doesn't have a document written in the language of the culture to be emulated. He sighs and waits like Tarragon.
"Tarragon, that is a great idea. Also, were you the one who had the consent forms in Tian? I forgot who had them. "
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"Perhaps we ought actually ask to speak to their leader?" Iason says drily. "I think the only one being fetched just now is the father of those children, there."
He clears his throat and nods towards the woman clutching her broom.
"We are here in peace. Perhaps you could direct us to the chief, or wise elders, of your home?"
The villagers of Onhae do not seem to relax as Iason addresses the lady in their own dialect of Hwan with the tongues spell cast on party.
"Ehh ... wait, just wait here!!" she says and hurries away to the village center.
Most of them continue on their daily chores, while a few stay and watch as a burly man dressed in a guard's attire hurries towards you from the direction of the village's center.
His hastily donned blue lamellar armor seems to be made out of leather, and his intricate kabuto helmet is decorated with golden crest and bright hues of blue, red, white and yellow.
The guardsman looks a bit surprised to learn that you wish to talk their leaders.
"You ... you want to speak to the village's leader? I am sorry but Onhae's hierophant isn't in the village at that moment. Why, I mean, why are you here!?" the man asks suspiciously.
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"It is normal to be supscious of us. Especially with our strange clothes and the shape of our body. That is all in your honor as a guard. I am Jean-René Lamare. Envoy of the goddess of Freedom and luck, Desna.
We are heroes (adventurers) from an another land. Our mission is to explore what is unknown to our land, to cooperate with the locals and report what we saw. We wanted to meet with your leader to have his permission to do our mission and observe your village." says Lamare in a calm manner.
The guardsman looks a bit relaxed now.
"As your group expresses interest in learning more about the settlement, we can offer to give you a short tour! You are welcome to enter, but be advised that the populace will keep their eyes on you. Most of the townsfolk you will see will be going about their daily tasks! Pay them little attention as they need to work!" he says very directly and with full transparency.
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
The guard points out several locations that may be of interest to you to explore:
A small Inn welcomes travellers from elsewhere in the tapestry. The guard mentions that the Inn also has a small collection of books written in Sunsu Godae's traditional written style, that serves as the village's library.
Hostler's House - the people of Onhae seem to keep a few horses, mostly in the stables behind the inn, and the hostler could probably tell you more about their horse-based traditions.
Baker's house is surrounded by lingering scents of exotic spices, and visiting it could provide details about the fundamentals of Sunsu Godae cuisine.
Shrine of the Pheonix: The shrine features an intricate silk and gold tapestry of a pheonix, and could provide insight on Onhae religion.
Smithy: The Village smith has a small forge near the inn. Your guide mentions that the smith, Lin Wo Got, trades frequently with lizardfolk in the nearby swamp.
Training Building: From inside, you can hear a local swordmaster issuing commands to a group of children as they practice complex series of sword forms.
Bridge: You spot a net of some sort underneath the bridge with a couple villagers attending to it. Examining it closer could provide insight into it's purpose and meaning.
Weaver's House: Several prominent weavers reside in the building. Talking with them and observing their work may tell you more about the local style and characteristics of clothes, nets, blankes and brocades.
Houses: The rest of the village is comprised of small houses. While the villagers seem to go about their business without paying you much attention, you suspect that they might be open to speaking to you about some of the current events in the village.
Despite your guide not mentioning anything about it, among the houses, you spot one that has been Boarded-Up and there are a couple of guards waiting around it.
~ ~ ~
Gathering Rumours: Instead of focusing on cultural aspects, the people in the streets are more interested in discussing current and recent events. Gathering information takes just 1 phase (20 minutes) instead of the usual 1d4 hours.
~ ~ ~
Searching the Village: Taking your attention away from conversation with the villagers, you can study your surroundings.
~ ~ ~
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Iason considers the description of the village, then nods. "I'd like to check out the stables-- I know a little bit about horses. Etrigan... go observe the children practicing their swordplay, see if you can learn anything. Return to me at once if you are making the villagers uncomfortable."
The infernal-looking creature bows once, smiling mockingly.
"The inn seems like the place where I should go. Liquids and a library."
"A good plan Professor," Wadi nods, "We should pair up here so as to cover more areas. I will head to the weaver's house first..."
A1. INN
This small inn clearly welcomes travelers from elsewhere in the tapestry.
The innkeeper, Gao Lai Wam sees Wadi and the Professor coming in!
In common he says, “Ahh, new customers! I have had many ratfolk guests from round mountain! Here let me offer you a free meal of smoked trout served with rice bread. You know, no visitors are currently staying in the inn so I have room for you!!!“ he says with a smile.
It’s clear that the rooms subsidize the meals and you learn that there are three rooms with two beds each open for guests for 2 gp a night, with additional space on the floor by the fireplace for 2 sp per guest.
“You can spend the night here as long as you behave!! Please don’t get banished from the village!!“
The inn also has a room full of books that serves as the village’s library.
On a successful check, the PCs earn 1 Culture Point. PCs who can fluently read these books have an easier time understanding Sunsu Godae traditions, gaining a +2 bonus on all skill checks to gain Culture Points. This bonus increases to +4 for the skill check to earn a Culture Point from the written language of the books themselves.
Iason considers the description of the village, then nods. "I'd like to check out the stables-- I know a little bit about horses. Etrigan... go observe the children practicing their swordplay, see if you can learn anything. Return to me at once if you are making the villagers uncomfortable."
The infernal-looking creature bows once, smiling mockingly.
The people in town are a little scared but they try to be respectful and look away when they see Tarragon and Etrigan.
Wooden swords and training dummies line the walls of this building, interspersed with the occasional spear, shield, or bow. Suits of o-yoroi armor and decorative masks carved to resemble the faces of demons and oni fill the corners of the room. It is here that Onhae’s children receive instruction in the sword.
The Sunsu Godae have a long tradition of swordsmanship, and its young people are expected to master and demonstrate a complex series of sword forms as a part of their coming of age ceremony.
An edler man with a katana approaches Tarragon and Etrigan.
“I have heard of you newcomers! But a demon? Well, the stories tell of demons that help and angels that make you fall so I will not judge! I am Swordmaster Jai. As long as you are respectful, I am willing to show you a few of the forms!!“ he says.
Though he is patient with his young students, he has no interest in giving you training.
Jai is impressed and tells Zafira about the coming-of-age ceremony. He tells her that it originated long ago in their ancestral homeland of Hwanggot, when war was commonplace and such training was essential to protect life and family.