"Oh!" Zira exclaimed with relief when Illiana returned with the strange pendant.  "Thank goodness you found it!  I feared this might have all been for naught!"  Retrieving the odd jewelry from the defender, Zira leaned forward so that she could better display it to both her and Tarion.<br/><br/>"This is what I found down there with the strange creature.  It was buried beneath a heap of metal debris and a great deal of unsalvageable electronic equipment off to the side of the cavern.  It seemed so out of place that I couldn't help but take it back for investigation.  See here, the symbol appears to be some kind of serpent whose body meanders about almost aimlessly," she says as she traces her finger along the body.  "There are small studs at different points along its form, but I found no pattern to their placement.  At first glance, it appeared to simply be a crudely designed ancient bauble, but then I started to notice something."  At that point, Zira pulled something else out from her robes -- thankfully, she at least had something still intact -- laying it out to reveal a map.  "This is a drawing of the lands surrounding Gursat.  It lies within a canyon that curves westward past the village proper and then turns sharply east before the mountain range levels and passes southward.  It is a distinct formation and is fairly well known to those of Gursat who care to learn."  She excitedly pointed back to the pendant, focusing on a single part of the serpentine band.  "I noticed that that exact path could be found within the twisting serpent!  Not only that, but there is a stud right where Gursat would be!"<br/><br/>With no small bit of enthusiasm, Zira once again held the pendant up as she continued.  "I decided that it was too much of a coincidence to ignore, so I set out to discover if these studs were actually other locations like Gursat that contained similar lifeforms.  It took some time, but I followed the path of the serpent and found another township right where it was indicated with a stud -- a lush village that, while not as green and fertile as Gursat, still benefited from its own freshwater lake even as they were surrounded by dry lands for dozens of miles in every direction!  After exploring the area, I discovered that there was indeed a strange life form -- though different in every way from the one in Gursat -- that lived at the bottom of the lake, not only acting as a natural filter to purify the water, but also using an array of tentacle-like appendages to inhale oxygen from the surface so that it could convert it to water!<br/><br/>"Do you see now what this means?  This pendant is no simple piece of jewelry -- it's a map of locations where fantastic organisms nurture the land and make it livable!  Now, while the discovery of such creatures is of course incredible, obviously it is of little bearing in long run since there are only a few of them scattered about the land and there are likely whole villages already enjoying their benefits -- great for a few, but ultimately pointless in the grand scheme of things.  But, look here... "  She then pointed to a small red jewel that, at first glance, was easily construed to be the eye of the serpent.  "This one stands out.  It isn't a stud -- it's an actual jewel.  Even stranger, I've inspected it as closely as my tools will allow and I've determined that there is a microscopic set of circuitry at the heart of the jewel."<br/><br/>With a proud smile on her face, Zira looked up at Illiana.  "This village lies on the serpent path and the jewel indicates a location not far from here, likely on the other side of the mountain.  I know that my logic might be reaching here, but... I truly do believe that whatever lies out there is the key to understanding these life forms.  Can you imagine the possibility that something just beyond those rocks might give us the ability to make not just this countryside by perhaps this whole world habitable once again?  Can you believe that this might be the key to restoring humanity?<br/><br/>"This is why I've risked my life to come all this way.  I can honestly say that finding this place has become my life's work and, no matter what, I must continue on with my journey.  The reason I'm showing this to you, however, is because I'd like to ask for your assistance.<br/><br/>"I know that you've already done so much for me and, I swear to you I would not ask if it were not so important, but... I wish to ask you to accompany me to this place beyond the mountain... "<br/><br/>"No!" Tarion finally chimed in, slamming his hand down on the table and causing Zira to jump in her seat.  "Absolutely not!  Everyone knows that the creatures around her nest on the other side of the mountains.  The range is swarming with monsters -- it would be a fool's errand to go there!  I've let you had your say, but I won't hear any more of this.  This village, not to mention Illiana, doesn't need your prattling theories and suicidal quests!"  He rose and grabbed the young woman by her wrist, urging her to vacate her seat.  "Come now -- you've wasted enough of her time."<br/><br/>"But...!" Zira protested weakly, pleading to Illiana with her eyes as she was led away.