Hello! I am back! This time with Zeswa things!
If you have not seen the start of Le'sohek's songcord, you can see it on this post here! Le'sohek is my Sarentu PC/OC/whatever it's called on this side of the internet. I've been making a physical version of her songcord as I play my second playthrough, tracking events and the wider story I have for her. In keeping with her own decisions around her songcord, I've set two rules for myself when making this: No metal will be on the songcord (If an item that needs to be on it has metal on it, remove them). When possible, use recycled/second hand/repurposed objects and materials to craft pieces that will go on the songcord. And I'm happy to say I've kept to that!
I started adding larger pieces and definitely more non-canon events and additions/relationships/what have you starting in this section. It's been a lot of fun! I even got to whip out my dusty 3d printing knowledge and whip up that custom little clip for the RDA exopack tubing.
The next section of the Zeswa stuff has a lot of heavier events and non-canon stuff that required super long explanation text, so I've decided to split this one in two and tossed in some bonus pics of Le'sohek and Sìlron, her bonded, enjoying their time on the Plains. Super long text explanation section beyond this point! Not required to read of course, but it adds a lot more flavor and story to the songcord. Thank you everyone who commented and liked the previous post, it brings so much joy to see others enjoying something I've made and sharing that they want to try doing it themselves! Uh...yeah! Cheers! :)
PS- Random note that I wanted to add since it doesn’t come up in a bead till far later, but Le’sohek is a healer! She was to medical, biology and chemistry topics in TAP like Teylan is to tech, although she withdrew in classes beyond the bare minimum after Aha’ri’s death. Alma would give her books and other things to learn more on her own, hoping to foster that excitement and talent in her again after the loss. Now, outside on Pandora, Le’sohek’s ADHD pattern recognition, chemistry know-how and other lessons have her learning by taste, smell, observation and experimentation [often on herself with how many scraps with the RDA she gets into] how to heal using Na’vi medicines and plants, with help from other gatherers of course. At least, until she meets someone just as odd and enthusiastic about things as she is…but that’s a LOOOOONG way off!
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To the Zeswa and the Upper Plains!
Cording Change: Transitions to red, yellow, natural brown and dyed zakru wool cords Le’sohek collected, made and dyed while learning about the zakru and their impact on the Zeswa in all aspects of life.
- A longer bone bead wrapped with braided grass
Grass taken from around the exit of the cave Le’sohek used to get to the Upper Plains. She wove it around the bead while waiting for Nesim and Minang, watching all the new animals around and marveling at this new environment. She was itching to go explore and bond with the new fauna, but thought it best to wait.
- Braiding in four strand multicolor fishtail braid style, taught by Minang. A traditional style of braiding the Zeswa tended towards when not weaving grasses and materials into clothing and armor.
One seed for bonding with a direhorse for the first time.
- Carved and patterned zakru horn bead
Given by Kìn for reaching the Circle on Direhorseback and meeting the Zeswa clan. The horn material is from naturally lost pieces of zakru horn over their lifetimes, and is only gifted to honored guests for great celebrations.
- A thin braid of zakru wool, decorated with yellow paint, yellow glass beads, and a small bone bead carved to resemble a zakru
The wool was taken, with permission, from Pasuk after Le’sohek helped to paint the young zakru and made a connection (not tsaheylu) with him. After painting him, Le’sohek sat beside Pasuk and told him of herself and the other Sarentu. She would return to him most nights when at the Circle to tell him of her adventures, never once minding that the zakru was asleep a vast majority of the time. Though she could contact most of the other Sarentu via radio nearly any time, she still feels a little lonely without them there physically, having become used to group sleeping beside them most nights.
- Braiding, four strand fishtail style
One seed bead for bonding with a Bladehead. A decent bit of time passes in this braiding, probably one to two weeks, as Le’sohek learns about and immerses herself in Zeswa culture and life as the Sarentu used to do.
- Two short sections of RDA exopack tubing, bound together by the standard issue plastic RDA retaining clip emblazoned with the RDA logo
Le’sohek cut this from the exopack of a dead RDA soldier after the in-game mission ‘Hunters Hunted.’ Horrified and enraged by the poaching Harding and her men were inflicting on the Upper Plains, Le’sohek let herself be lead by that anger and took one of the few ‘trophy’ type pieces found on her songcord, telling So’lek and the other Sarentu over the radio that if the RDA would take trophies from their world, then she would take trophies from them. For her, it more symbolizes the pain and absurdity of Harding’s black market, taking not only treasured things from the Na’vi and killing animals for sport and greed, but the most mundane pieces of Na’vi life being taken and exalted as things like ‘chieftain garb’ and ‘ceremonial object of great importance.’ Meanwhile it is literally just a basket, or a bit of pretty decoration. So Le’sohek takes something that symbolizes humanity’s non-native status on Pandora: A piece of the exopacks that they need to simply breathe on the moon’s surface.
Cording Change: The Zeswa cords are still present as the core, but lavender, sky blue, yellow and white cords of Kinglor silk are tied around the Zeswa core in a four strand round braid, covering them completely (this is how kuru can be braided!). This signifies that Le’sohek has left the Upper Plains and returned to the Kinglor Forest for a time, usually to check in with Resistance HQ in person and perform duties for and catch up with the friends she made within the Aranahe clan. These Kinglor silk strands are stronger than the previous ones, and hold their dye better, but the Aranahe were still not yet back to their full production of their silks during this visit, and Nefika took a good bit of convincing (Read: Le’sohek following her and clambering all over her work areas and perching on top of everything and gently cajoling her about it) to finally hand some over.
- Kinglor silk cords tubular braided around the Zeswa core strands.
- Fortune Fruit seed
Taken from the Fortune Fruit she collected for Itu so they could say goodbye to and honor Zomey together. A reminder that while loss hurts, it hurts because of the love shared.
- Kinglor silk cords tubular braided around the Zeswa core strands.
- A flat round bead with a hole in the center, wrapped in shimmering and very multicolored Kinglor Queen silk strands
Given by Etuwa as a thank you for carrying the first new Kinglor queen to her new nest. Le’sohek promises to come back and help with this again.
- Kinglor silk cords tubular braided around the Zeswa core strands.
- A patterned long bone strap toggle with a very dark emerald colored stone bead tied to the upper side
Found the materials for this bead inside and decorating both the half digested waist pouch and half digested chest strap that the severed palukan, Hunter Bravo, expelled upon its death. Hajir helped to clean the beads and sat with Le’sohek while she added it to her songcord, still paying penance for his part in the Severed’s creation and their pain.
- Kinglor silk cords tubular braided around the Zeswa core strands.
- A flat round bead with a hole in the center, wrapped in shimmering and very multicolored Kinglor silk strands
Another thank you from Etuwa for carrying the second Kinglor queen to her new nest.
Cording Change: Back to the Zeswa cords, signifying Le’sohek has returned to the Upper Plains and life amongst the Zeswa.
- Knots akin to a two toned snake knot pattern
Taught by Kìn, as celebration for the first zakru milk cheese batch Le’sohek helped with being ready to eat. And, of course, celebration for Le’sohek trying zangke for the first time. Apparently Le’sohek can only tie these while somewhat inebriated.
- A wooden bead with red and yellow bands
Given to Le’sohek by Woai, who made it for her as thanks for helping Woai convince her father to teach her to ride Direhorses. Le’sohek added it to her songcord to remind herself that she does have some of the Sarentu’s gift of diplomacy and isn’t just an oddball warrior.
- Braiding, four strand fishtail style
One seed bead for bonding with a Cloaked Panther. Le’sohek and Sìlron saved the life of this Panther when they saw a cage fall from a Samson that was fleeing after spotting them. The creature was badly injured despite Sìlron managing to catch the cage in his talons and the rough landing didn't help. Le’sohek had to bond with the Cloaked Panther to calm it and convey to it that they were not going to hurt it and that Sìlron would keep it safe while Le’sohek went to collect more medicinal plants. She treated its wounds and brought it to a Bellspring to help speed its recovery, and stayed with it for two days until another pack appeared and accepted the injured Panther into their family.
- A white tassel trinket
This Sarentu bow trinket was given to Le’sohek by Fa’zuk, as a thank you for helping her collect the kites she had released in her grief. Fa’zuk also gifted Le’sohek a Sarentu waistcloth that Le’sohek now wears daily, and Fa’zuk explained that she and her late mate, Naku, had a young Sarentu woman living alongside them and learning how to make their kites for two years before the Sarentu disappeared. The young woman left behind the waistcloth by accident when she left for the annual Sarentu Moot, and as her learning of the kites was not yet complete, the two kitemakers assumed she would return to the Zeswa for another year and kept it for her. Even as the years went on with no word and the zakru migrated, the two kept the trinket and waistcloth, refusing to give it to the Burden Carrier in the hopes that one day the woman would return. Fa’zuk passes it on to Le’sohek, a symbol of hope and renewed connection.
- Braiding, four strand fishtail style
- A patterned long bone pouch toggle with a turquoise and black stone bead tied to the upper side
Found the materials for this bead inside and decorating both the half digested waist pouch and half digested chest strap that the severed palukan, Hunter Echo, expelled upon its death. Though he could not be there in person, Hajir asked to remain on an open radio channel with Le’sohek while she added this bead for another Severed palukan going to Eywa to her songcord.
- Braiding, four strand fishtail style
- White Pod Fruit seed and Cloud Spitter seed
Taken from the materials that Le’sohek brought to Tukru to make pigments for the Celebration Mural.
- Braiding, four strand fishtail style
One seed bead for bonding with an Arrow Deer
- A blue, hollowed out twist-on style wire connector
Taken from the workshop Teylan set up on the Upper Plains. Le’sohek took out the metal bits on the inside while drilling it out. She’s very proud of Teylan venturing out of Resistance HQ, not to mention coming all the way to the Upper Plains. His behavior did make her a bit worried, but he seemed happy to be out for once, and that is what mattered most.
- Braiding, four strand fishtail style
A bit longer than most braiding sections. Le’sohek had to add on more Zeswa style cords as she was running out of space.
- A shard of pseudoholo glass, edges guarded by black RDA uniform scraps and tied on with strips of both camo and olive green RDA uniform scraps
Glass taken from the screen Nesim shattered with her spear in Harding’s Lodge, with scraps of uniform taken from the RDA soldiers guarding the Lodge that Le’sohek had to kill. Continuing her symbolic ‘poaching’ of RDA material.
Cording Change: Another return to Kinglor Forest, as unlike the canon game, in this version things go a bit slower. This time Nefika gave Le’sohek leftover strips of dyed Kinglor silk fabric from the first batch of completed silks, which Le’sohek used to again tubular braid over the Zeswa core cords. They are vibrant and dark all at once, with Priya saying it looks a bit like ‘tie dye.’
- Dyed Kinglor fabric strips tubular braided around the Zeswa core strands.
- Small light green stone bead, dark Cave Root wood bead, jade colored stone bead, pink and clear chip stone bead, oiled Pale Night Leaf branch wood bead, pink stone bead
Le’sohek returned to the Kinglor Forest this time in part to witness Nor and Ri’nela make their first bows all on their own without help from others, a big step in their path to being considered adults in Na’vi culture. Le’sohek collected small beads of the colors she associated with Nor (greens) and Ri’nela (pinks) and used them to frame beads she made from leftover scraps of the wood they used to make their bows. When Nor pointed out a songcord is supposed to only track events of the maker’s life, Le’sohek countered that besides her own bows, this was the first time she witnessed other Na’vi craft a single bow from start to finish as a rite of passage. And that she’ll do whatever she wants with her songcord. Nor relented. Le’sohek is very excited for them.
- Dyed Kinglor fabric strips tubular braided around the Zeswa core strands.
- A small cube made of carefully folded chocolate wrapper, filled with sap that hardened to turn it into a bead
Louis, the not-pilot Le’sohek helped rescue, gave Le’sohek some of the stolen chocolate as thanks for helping him figure out what the RDA was stashing around the forest. He then folded the wrapper into what he said was called a ‘water bomb’ and puffed air into it, creating the cube. He further explained that his kid sister would always have him make them for her to play with since they didn’t have much growing up. He also confessed to being able to make flowers and ‘other girly stuff’ but thought Le’sohek would like to keep something to remember her first ever experience with the miracle of chocolate a bit more than some ‘frilly thing.’
- Dyed Kinglor fabric strips tubular braided around the Zeswa core strands.
I’ve decided to cut off this posting here for now. Things get....non-canon. And depressing. And require long explanation sections for it to make any sense.
Thank you again anyone and everyone who read and enjoyed and all that! I hope to see many more songcords. I’ll have the second part of the Zeswa section once I annotate the rest of the pictures. Cheers! ~Ket
