Namgar, known as the sorcerer in the camp, was a distinctive presence with a sheepskin wrapped to his knees and a vulture's hide upon his head. He served as the spiritual anchor in the absence of a chief. Seated against a boulder, his wind-chapped face bore the marks of the elements as he absently passed mala beads between his fingers. Every so often, he'd feed the fire with yak dung, which gently cooked hearty bread.
Recognizing his guests as Wakhis from China, Namgar served them tea in chipped cups and discussed the absent Shah Ethsan Sayed, who had not returned to the valley in over five years. Amidst the ritual of the night, Namgar took a sheep's shoulder blade, charred it in the fire while chanting spells, and scrutinized it intently to divine the future, a task he approached with a blend of solemnity and terror at the signs he read in the bone.
Namgar, the camp's sorcerer, wore a sheepskin to his knees and a vulture skin hat. As the de facto leader, he was a figure of spiritual guidance, his face weathered by nature's forces. Between thumb and forefinger, he'd fidget with his mala beads, occasionally fueling the fire for baking bread.
Serving tea to his Wakhi guests from China, Namgar spoke of the valley's absent Shah and his own role as a seer. Using a sheep's shoulder blade, he performed a bone-burning ritual to predict the future, his face a mixture of concentration and dread at the omens revealed.