perception-and-reality

This chapter recounts the history and cultural evolution of Woodcarvers, a city-state founded six centuries ago, highlighting its transformation from a solitary artist's pack to a powerful and innovative nation. The narrative then follows Wickwrackscar, Jaqueramaphan, and Peregrine as they arrive at Woodcarvers, observing its dramatic growth, fortified defenses, and the enigmatic change in leadership with Woodcarver now presenting as female. The chapter closes with the travelers confronting the unsettling reality of Woodcarver's current state and council, marked by physical and social disarray.

In this chapter, Paul Hagbolt observes two feline beings, including Miaow and a larger tiger-like female entity named Tigerishka, who communicates with Miaow in broken English and reveals a complex, empathetic relationship between them. Meanwhile, Don Merriam contemplates a vast, seemingly infinite artificial shaft descending deep into a planet, filled with tiered floors and mysterious lights, highlighting the alien technology and the enigmatic absence of the beings responsible. The chapter explores themes of alienness, communication barriers, and the awe-inspiring scale of extraterrestrial constructs.