How Togruta 'earned' their stripes

Fearless.

In the heart of the dark, at the lowest slope in the amphitheater-style seating, a little light begins to flicker, no bigger than a candle's flame. It is just enough to reveal the bright-eyed shine of someone, or something, looking back upon the audience. It isn't human. Few are, tonight, in this showcase of otherworldly cultures.

The fluttering flame tips, igniting a sudden rush and crackle of fire which promptly dies back into a low glow of embers. High above, a multitude of teensie lights glow to life. Twinkling stars. A face leans into better view over the shimmer of coals. The flesh tone is much akin to those fiery embers, flanked by an organic, flexing striping of dark and light. Soft clatter of beads can be heard in the hush, as the face bows lower and points a heavily ornamented pair of montrals at the audience.

“The ancient ones once told a truth to me. And so I tell to you," a thick, guttural accent that does at least pass for female, if a bit husky. The Togruta slowly raises one hand, shaking a rattle hidden in her palm. The stars above continue to brighten and a low light rises from the rear of the stage to gradually replicate the dawn.

(So that’s the second part of the intro I used in the scene. The first scene set was lost because of my log fail but Kasia was able to back scroll to catch what she entered in for! The rest is just folktale)

"Suh'var grre Akul Berrg unt Togruta, Nah mjet sa'daarrr gem tunga," costumed Rheisa begins in her native speak - a language that is minimally vocal. Exaggerated by her own facial markings, the woman's expressions, tics, and subtle flexing of headtails adds greater meaning. The droid translates into more eloquent basic, gesturing stiffly to the crowd after every parcel of speech she releases.

"Many seasons went by since Akul was made to live among the first Togruta, and not all of the Sa'daar - the shadow children of the sun and moon - were accepting of his place among the others."

"Beht'ek da mrrgro eh turrru so leh trrre. Suun baijhet, turrru eh sa'darrrra, so leh trrre eh daark'a,"

Rheisa paws gently at the ground with combing fingers, then overhead at imaginary trees. By day, most were safe to graze in the tall grasses, to eat the fruits in the trees. But when the sun grew heavy with sleep and asked her mate to keep watch, the grasses became lost in shadow, the bounty of the young forests too hard to find.

"Nahgt Akul."

One finger snaps up for emphasis, sickle-shaped fingernail catching the still flickering light from below, her portion of stage still notably darker than the rest, and slowly turns to point across her partially shrouded frame to the silhouette behind the screen which suddenly freezes, rears up, and displays a comically large, stage-crafted mouth with teeth and giant claws. "Except for Akul." Says Kee'tch'ka.

"E mig det Darrrrka e va Akul sa Esrshk eh turrru, eh trrrre, maijet ba'lahesk nah."

The 'Akul' lowers back down and resumes pacing. "Under the watchful eye of the Moon is when Akul may stretch his legs through the grasses, go into the forests, and take his meals without hurry." Translates the droid.

"Unt Suun ka, e grut nej eht, dau bhek, e taztuk'a'a tazi comrro te'aan 'Dau grut, dau grut. Yeh nahgt n'rrro. Yeh ahnu boshk na viida na eh mig Suun. Dhak sa yahl Daarka dek ta, Suun ghe yeh."

Rheisa continues, still seated upon the stage floor. In from the opposite end, a humanoid actor struts in, body painted bright red, loins girdled in animal skins and nothing else. There are some ridiculously formed montrals and lekku fastened around his head, and it takes a great deal of composure for the little storyteller herself not to let slip a laugh. He picks up a prop of tangled line and starts fidgeting with it, but not for long before a stuffed squall-looking creature gets tossed at his feet from somewhere above.

"One day, a hunter was outside his hut, preparing his traps, when a taztuk'a'a approached him and said "Mighty hunter, Mighty hunter. For you, there is no rival. Your bounty would grow, if only there were more hours in the day. Take aim with your bow, strike the moon from the sky, and the Sun will shine always in your favor," translates Kee as the 'hunter' jumps with mock surprise at the creature allegedly speaking to him.

"Brrgh hahm. 'Mi dau grut, et Akul, ge bhat a mrrriki mig daarka.' Grut te'aan eh tazi, 'dhak tohg ahway krrrri."

"The hunter looked on with surprise at the taztuk'a'a that had spared him the trouble of setting his traps. "I am a mighty hunter, who, like Akul, can take my meals in the dark times," he said in reply to the creature then, troubled by the request made of him, struck it with his foot so that it would run away." And the actor delivers a swift kick to the toy, which sails into the crowd.

"Dek Suun, grut tohg'ha eh Turrru ke huhk da'ki. Nahgt meht'ta ahway dai, och Djeba comrro dek turru eh strrida naght wah."

"The next day, the hunter was traveling across the plain to follow a herd so that his people may know where to move the camps. He had not yet put the valley out of sight behind him, when a Djeba appeared from the turu grass and stood before him without fear." The actor has since swapped his net for a harmless-looking bow and arrow and is meandering about stage, squinting around at the audience. He stops when someone rolls a fabricated, hoofed creature - about shoulder height - with sable fur onto the stage.

" 'Ha'a', ne grut, 'yi och unt hurrru.' Grut dahk sa yah Djebas behm dahk e mehkt, nej ghut Togruta."

"What luck, thought the hunter, that I should find one so lame. And he drew his bow to put an arrow through the animal's heart to end its suffering in this world and fill the bellies of his pack," says Kee, crooking one arm while straightening the other.

"' Sa'daar,' unt Djeba ta'aan prrej dag grut tohg."

The /real/ Togruta unfolds a leg from beneath her and lifts to one knee. She pivots on that knee slowly, dramatically facing the actor and his scene, and splays one hand forward into a beseeching reach while the other cups over her heart.

' Yi svah du yau, ek nej ghut Togruta, yi ghek unt ta'aan de tunga. '"

"Brother," the Djeba said and prostrated himself at the hunter's feet. "I offer you my life to fill the bellies of your people, if you will entertain but one request from mine," echoes the droid.

"Grut om yahl, prrrishk'ti. Naght unt Sa'daar comrro ta'aan. 'Wah ta'aan yi, ka mi, dahk sa yah svah yi?' ta'aan grut." Rheisa's arm lowers, head tilts as though listening with curious expression.

"The hunter stilled his bow, listening with a curious ear, for this was not the first of the Sa'daar to approach him so. 'What is it you ask of me, that I may take your flesh to feed my family?' asked the hunter."

" 'Sa'daar,' ta'aan Djeba,"

Rheisa intones while her right hand traces up her bared leg, to the band of skirt with a serpentine track. When it reaches her torso, there's a small, flat blade held in palm, glintly brightly. She makes a gesture to stab at her throat.

"' Yi svah du yau, ke shhk, ek yi unt dahk sa yahl e Daark behm," she snaps her head aside to look pointedly at the actor. "Djeba naght ehm e Daark's och sah, mig Akul. Ek Daark svah, Suun och och, y'ehm mrrrgro eh turru. Yi ba'la naght och. Togruta nej.'"

The droid translates: "Brother," said the Djeba, "I give you my life, to take with your knife, if you will but use one arrow and fire it into the night sky, into the heart of the moon. My people are not safe under the moon's sleepy eye, because that is the hour of the Akul. If the moon is no more, then the sun must stay awake and we will be safe to graze in these fields. Our numbers will grow beyond counting and your pack will never again be hungry."

"Grut, wah Djeba ta'aan de ghu, de ba'la dahk, dahk de Daark. 'Ta'aan naght unt,' grut ta'aan, prrr nej hrahm." Rheisa taps at her chest with two fingers, the knife disappearing somewhere back into the scanty layers of furs.

"The hunter frowned because what the Djeba spoke was true, but was also a great sin, to strike against their father moon. "I cannot promise you this thing," the hunter said angrily, but inside he was tempted!" Kee'tch'ka announces with as much emotion as a monotone droid can muster.

Another stage hand comes scurrying out in black and rolls the prop animal off stage at a hastened pace. Someone else rolls in a 'tree' while the actor resumes slinking around stage, bow looped over one shoulder. Rheisa, meanwhile, has risen to her full height and proceeds to shadow the actor, move for move. It's uncannily effortless - maybe choreographed - maybe not - as she keeps her face turned toward the audience, not watching with her eyes where it is he's stepping.

"Mig grut balahesk berg, de trrre, togruta ta'aan 'wah ko?', och grut mah,"

Rheisa finally looks at the body she's stalking 'round and tips her face up into his, eyes overly wide with concern. In response, the actor grunts and flaps a hand before brushing rudely past and coming to slump down against the fake tree trunk.

"Grut ta'aan da'ki ahway, grut aht. Grut strrida trrre de meht, aht de trrre."

(Droid translates) When the hunter returned to his home in the forest empty-handed, his people asked him what was the matter, for they could see he was troubled. The hunter blew them off, saying that the herd had traveled too far and he was in need of rest. He wandered deep into the forest of his birth and fell to sleep under a tree.

"Trrre ehm ek saad, strrri ek leh, rrreesa ek ssss de leh'ka."

The tree sheltered him with her shade, caressed him with a soft blanket of leaves and sang to him a whisper from her branches.

"Grut och och na, prrrishk'ti trrre:"

The hunter awoke gently, listening to her as she said:

Rheisa is crouched on the other side of the tree now, hidden in shadow. Her voice is suddenly changed, singing with a clarity and quality of one who, while not as fluent in Basic, could very well make her living this way.

"' Tazi, dau grut, dau me grut. Dahk sa yahl Daaark, Suun och och, ba'la trrre. Suun och och, y'ehm, y'meht, kee'tch tazizi. Tazi strruh, ba'la ye tungu, Akul mig nahgt ma... '"

"Little Togruta, a mighty hunter you are, but mightier still you could be. If you shoot down the moon, you will forever raise the sun and forever grow this tree. Under an everlasting sun, your place of safety, your choice of home, will nest more birds who will give more eggs. Your children will be strong, your kind will spread, and the time of the Akul will surely be done."

"Grut saa. Trrre ta'aan. Yihl nehl, ka dahk." Rheisa whispers from her 'hiding' place.

The hunter was moved, that the most ancient of the Sa'daar, this tree, should speak council to him, and he wept with the knowing of what he must do.

"Mig grut naght neh..." Rheisa wilts lower to the ground.

At last, the hunter could not deny

"Daaark svah."

Their Father Moon must die.

"Grut set de nil su, nehl tazik'a'a, nehl Djeba, nehl trrre."

The actor stands from his slouch and slide the bow off his shoulder. Kee narrates: "The Hunter waited until the next dusk to fulfill the desires of the tazika'a, the Djeba, and the ancient tree."

"grut set ne Suun Daaark comrro ca mig. Daaark och och, naght ehm nil grut, grut dahk sa yahl..." A low thrum of warning rattles in the Togruta's chest.

Kee translates: "He waited until the lovers - Sun and Moon - were together in the between time. The moon was bright and did not hide away from the hunter when he drew his bow."

"Grut dahk sa yahl unt. Eh. Daaark behm."

The actor nocks an arrow into the toy bow and leeeeeans way back to aim up as effigies of the sky orbs lower from above stage.

Kee translates "The hunter fired one arrow into the sky, into the heart of the moon." The actor's arrow sails an impressive three feet up...then askew into the crowd. Someone chuckles, catching the thing in their lap.

Simultaneously, however, someone more professional is taking blind aim from the sidelines. The lights dim, leaving the 'moon' bright above and a soft glow cast down upon the actor, when a sudden, thin whistle cuts across the stage. A real arrow strikes its mark, causing a loud *POP* as something inside the moon bursts and sends a shower of sparks and confetti raining down upon stage.

"Dahk eh drrao. Drrao eh turru eh trre."

Kee translates "The sky was made open by the wound and bled water onto the land."

"' Och yi svhau Daaark. Naght ocht de tungu aht! Och och de sa'daar,' ta'aan grut de Suun."

Kee translates " 'Look, how I have slain Father Moon. No longer can he watch over us as you sleep! Awaken now and shine your eye always over us,' he called to the Sun."

"De Daaark svhau, Naght Suun och."

Kee translates "But as the Moon fell, the Sun did not rise."

"Suun ehm de drrao beh. Yihl de daaark'sva."

Kee translates "She remained hidden behind a veil of her grief, weeping for the death of her mate."

"De yihl comrrro magrra, ek Suun och neh sa'daar de ba'la dahk."

Kee translates "From this grief came anger as the Sun looked down upon her child who had committed this betrayal."

"De ehm beh, dahk. Dahk. Dahk."

Rheisa re emerges from her hiding place, hands empty of any primitive projectiles, but behind her come scurrying a couple folks dressed in gray. They proceed to slap the actor's red body with haphazard stripes of white paint. "From behind her veil, she struck. Again. Again. Again," translates Kee'tch'ka as the sound of thunderous booms echoes overhead, emulating lightning strikes.

"De Togruta neh neh na. Tog'na de tazizi sa'daar."

"Until the Togruta was cowered upon the ground, crawling upon his belly like the least mighty of the Sa'Daar."

"' Och ta'sa'daar, wah yi dahk,' Suun ta'aan och neh yut na, och y'grut, och drrao magrra de Suun. Se och, yut na nahgi."

Kee translates " 'See now, my foolish child, what you have done,' said the sun and bid him to look upon the wet ground so that he may see himself and the scars from the wrath of the sky. As he watched, the water on the ground dried up."

The actor writhes accordingly on the ground, burying his face in hands.

"Suun och och, eh sa'daar eh trrre ta'aan. Aht naght. Na Rherhe. Yut yus naght. Trrre ba'lo rherhe. Dri'ka svau, na ne'ne. Tazi svau, na ne'ne. Togruta n'nej, n'och sa'daar mrrrigi."

Kee translates "The sun remained in the sky, watching over all things as the animals and the trees had foretold she would. For many days she did not rest, and the land grew hot. The water in the rivers dried up. The trees shrunk in the heat, unable to drink. The Dejba herds grew weak, unable to drink. The tazik'a'a died, unable to drink. The Togruta grew hungry, unable to find the animals to eat that once they could."

"Grut montrra neh. Nihl ba'la dahk. Ta'aan ya weh weh na. 'Ba'la dahk,' ta'aan, 'nagh de Suun n'aht. Nagh Daaark svau. Ke weh weh yi?'"

Kee translates "The hunter hung his head, for he knew he was to blame, and begged the Sun's forgiveness. 'I have done you wrong,' he said, 'It is not right for you to be without sleep. It is not right that Father Moon is dead. What may I do to right this wrong?' "

"' Togruta ach ma,' ta'aan Suun, 'deh yi, tazi eh tazizi ach ma. De mig nagh. Drrao ge bhat tungu de ba'la dahk. Neh n'nihl grriva Shili.'"

" 'You are forever marked,' replied the Sun, 'and through you, so shall be your children and their children's children, until time's end. Your scars will serve as a reminder to all of your sin so that they will never forget the importance of balance, in all things.' "

"Grut yhe'na dahk de na. De ta'aan. Tazi drrao de ba'la dahk. Mig grut svau, Suun weh eh ke weh weh, da ha'a ek Daark."

"The hunter lived, despite the hard times that his actions cast upon the land, and it was as foretold - his children bore the scars of his sin. When at last the hunter died, he was forgiven by the Sun and offered a way to right the wrong, by breathing his last life breath into the dead Father moon."

"Ka Shili'neh - eh - e Daaark och och, ek Suun aht. Nagh de Sa'daar drrao grrriva Shili, dah nehkt. M'ba'la Togruta drrao de dahk."

Kee translates "His spirit went into the skies and the Moon rose again, so that the Sun may sleep. Never again have the Sa'Daar challenged the balance that is meant to be. Forever since have the Togruta bore the mark of his sin."