A Divine Theater

[Serpenteye]

Asveh:

Asveh sends a thought of mild derision to Hesaras in respose to his fear, followed soon after with a powerful pulse of reassurance. He steps out of the Halfling's body to stand in his true subjective form in front of Osafar, a supernatural aura of menace radiating out towards the pack. He looks at the rest of the attackers, trying to sense wether they too are lycantropes or not, his eyes boring deep into theirs. Then he looks at Osafar, and shakes his head slightly.

If some of the other wolves are also lycantropes he says:

"You are a fool and a murderer. You have betrayed your people and led your kin to their doom. And for what? There is no justification for what you have done.
For the crimes of heresy, insurrection, murder, assault and destruction of the property of others I cast you out of the tribe and sentence you to death and an eternity of suffering."

ooc: Power-Word Death on the little bugger.

"As for you," he turns to the other lycantropes, "I am prepared to show you mercy. You were led down this destructive path by your Elder. You followed him out of loyalty and trust, and he pulled you into his own madness until escape became impossible. Your crimes are not entirely your own, therefore you still have a chance to survive this day.
Repent. Renounce the crimes of your past and kneel before me. The deeds cannot be undone, but they can be forgiven. You are still my chosen people. You still have my love, but I cannot allow you to continue to poison the tribe with your hatred."
---

If there are no other lycantropes in the pack he will say:

"You are a fool and a murderer. You have betrayed your people. There is no justification for what you have done.
For the crimes of heresy, insurrection, murder, assault and destruction of the property of others I cast you out of the tribe and sentence you to death and an eternity of suffering."

ooc: Power-Word Death on the little bugger.

He'll also Shape a Silent Wail of the Banshee to kill all the adult wolves and Chain a Hold Monster to incapacitate the young.
He will then remind the guards of the benefits of domestication and depart the scene after infusing them with a sense of the rightness of the execution they just witnessed.

 

[John E Smoke]

Attar and the Jasad

Rather than answer, Attar calls up the memories of all the beasts his tribe has encountered, settling firmly on the image of a herd of large, shaggy-furred beasts that wanders the tundra.

He then sparks the memory of a very hard rock that breaks into sharp fragments.

"Follow my guidance, and we shall all be better for it." With that, Attar disappears with an eruption of flame, leaving his people to their tasks.

OOC; Reminding them of the musk ox that should be plentiful on the tundra, as well as flint to make spear - and hopefully, eventually arrowheads.

 

[WizWrm]

Irohim:
As you show to the elder his path beyond death, you feel serenity and calm washing over him like a gentle wave. His worries - for his grief-stricken family, for the safety and well-being of the other gnomes, and for the future of the Volor - fall away and are replaced by an all-consuming tranquility.

Below, his family ceases to weep. Somehow, they understand the path that he has taken, and that he is no longer burdened by the concerns of life. They, too, find a sort of contentment after the elder's death.

It is only two days later that Morev, the elder's oldest son, announces that he wishes to be the first to travel beyond Quam. Clutching his starfish amulet, he calls to you for guidance.

Coreagen:
Oeln and Sama nod solemnly at your wisdom. "We shall do as you say, father." They leave the next morning, and decide to return in a week. Aesa, though struggling at first, soon grasps what you are trying to teach her, and the origins of the Sharalik and the hierarchy of the spirits are soon carved into a rock wall near the waterfall of the Fountain Home.

A week passes, and right on schedule, Oeln and Sama return to share their discoveries with the tribe, though you already know what they found. The river winds through the forest for about thirty miles, eventually leading out into a prairie, though the scouts did not venture beyond the treeline. Besides the usual inhabitants of the forest*, including predators such as bears and wolves, from a distance, the scouts sight treants, a few scattered fey, gigantic spiders, worgs, and a lone owlbear.** The scouts follow two streams that lead off from the river, and discover that one of them feeds into another cave that goes underground.

*I'm not going to list them off, but here is a site with a nice overview; it's a kid's site, sorry, but it's got good info.
**However, I'm keeping the list open in case you (or I) have something in mind for the future.

Asveh:
There are no other lycanthropes in the pack. You slay Osafar, his body crumpling beneath your magic. Then, one of the adult wolves whines briefly as the light leaves his eyes; they all fall to the ground, dead. However, there are no younger wolves with the group. When you slay the wolves, you feel something you've never felt before - a dragging sensation that, from your experience with the halflings, you know to be fatigue, though you are easily able to hide your tiredness from the tribe. You know that mere sleep cannot rid you of it; only time will bring you back to full strength.

Hesaras, despite your rebuke, only seems more terrified when you slay Osafar and the wolves. However, he soon recovers and you feel a sort of vindication from him; he is satisfied at what has been done. He and the other guards carry the news back to the rest of the tribe in the morning, and there is a brief ceremony wherein they thank you for ridding them of the predators and saving several lives. With the ceremony, you feel a renewed energy, and find that the exhaustion you felt earlier has passed. You choose this moment to demonstrate the properties of clay to them, and once again they are pleased at your wisdom.

The halflings resolve to begin construction as soon as they are able, and within a brief span of weeks, they construct a dozen clay-and-stone structures. Lashing together several large branches, they create doors for their crude houses, and then proceed to augment their grain cairns with the clay, to seal the gaps and holes. Once this is done, the halflings start to build a giant wall around their entire encampment, about a foot thick and ten feet high, though the project will not be completed for months. The wolves have not returned since the day that you killed Osafar.

Attar:
Yalakar nods. "You suggest the musk ox, then. We have never approached them, for fear of their size, but we shall do as you suggest."

In the coming weeks, the Jasad orcs do as you say. First, they send out a small group of scouts to find flint. Though it takes a few days, the scouts soon return with enough to craft many flint-headed spears. Hunting parties use them to great success; it no longer takes three or four strikes to fell a single elk, as the flint-headed spears penetrate their thick skin on the first try. When there are enough spears for nearly the entire tribe, they cautiously approach a herd of musk oxen, weapons in hand. As they draw near, the herd closes ranks, trying to protect the young, but the Jasad hunters attack with their spears, and slay a pair of the adult oxen. The herd stampedes, and the orcs corner one of the young oxen, which turns about and bellows in confusion, though it does so in futiliy, for it is trapped.

With much caution and with spears held at the ready, the Jasad load it with their tents and much of their gear to carry during the next migration. Furthermore, after eating the felled oxen, they use the fur to fashion several coats that are of unparalleled excellence in keeping the orcs warm. Over the course of several months, they capture and slay a few more oxen, for their fur and for their ability to carry so much weight.

Yalakar calls to you one night after a hunt has taken places, saying, "We thank you for giving us the tools and bravery to hunt these oxen, and we welcome you among us. Our lot has improved greatly since you arrived."

 

[Kavyk]

Eilil smiles at the elf who points out the obvious. He nods sagely, radiating amusement and pleasure. "Indeed, if the homes you will build were on the ground, no purpose would be served. However, we will beat the river by using that stand of trees. When the river floods, your homes will remain dry. You will not need to leave this place unless you choose to do so."

Once they have the logs down, he will show them how to make planks from them and uses the remains to make wooden pegs to hold the planks together and to the tree branches. The stand of trees he looks for will be sturdy and close together, preferably with many large branches and deep roots, which will allow for an entire village which could easily accomodate more than just these few Radu, if several levels were used.

Once the first day of working is over, Eilil will take Alade aside for his first lesson, which will be weaving light, as Eilil has done. Eilil will teach him to ask for the power and then, as he slowly directs it to Alade, will teach him that his will can shape the light as he desires.

Later that night, around the fires, Eilil will use the same technique to show the finished product, a tree village, with vine ropes leading to the ground, and many walkways. He will show a village of several hundred so that the Radu can see how expansion will be possible.

 

[Serpenteye]

The night after his public appearance at the river Asveh moves trough the dreamscape of his tribe again, watching the dreams of his people for signs of their attitude towards him. He had experienced rebellion for the first time, and he was determined not to let it happen again. It had been easily crushed, true, but it would be far better for everyone if it could be prevented in the future. He probes deep into the minds of his people, secretly learning their secrets.
The effects of their ceremony of thanks had tought him something very important, had finally confirmed an earlier suspicion. The fates of himself and the tribe were linked, and neither could prosper without the other.

Later that night he appears within the simple minds of the remaining members of the wolf-pack he decimated. He fills their minds with the realisation of the death of their hunters and the understanding of the terrible fate that awaits themselves. All who remained amongst them were those either too old or too young to hunt, and left by themselves they would starve. Other packs would move into their territory and they would kill every one who remained alive. That was the way of nature.
Other images/sounds/smells pour into their minds. Cubs playing with halfling children. Toothless old wolves being fed rabbit and venison by a halfling man. Smells that speak of unity with the strange little bipeds, of community, of pack. Halflings riding wolves, wielding cunning and weapons to aid in the hunt. Both halflings and wolves enjoying the fruit of their labour. A sense of contentment, of the joy in supplication.

The second part of the dream returns night after night to the starving beasts. A mirrored reflection is sent to the halflings, accompanied by an impression of imminence.

 

[WizWrm]

Eilil:
The work on the elevated village begins while you teach some simple light-magic to Alade. It is difficult for him to learn, but he stubbornly pushes on until he is finally able to shape light consistently every time. The lessons take several months, as he becomes exhausted after only a few attempts, and you must wait until the next day to continue.

Flood season arrives, and the construction is unfortunately not far enough along for the Radu elves to stay near the riverside. They are forced to retreat back to the caves where you first found them, and several months of hardship pass, until the waters finally recede. The Radu return to find that the river-plants they seeded in the banks have sprouted, and the second feast in your name commences. They resume construction soon after, though there was some water damage that must be repaired, slowing the building of the village.

It is only a few months away from a second flood season that Alade declares the village complete, and a third feast is held. What have you been teaching Alade during the time, and what else do you want to do now that the village is complete?

Asveh:
While searching through the minds of your people, you find mostly respect and awe for you, but there are a few - mostly older members of the halfling families - that wish that the tribe would be allowed to find its own path. They are not rebellious, but want to feel as if they are individual adults, rather than a group of children being led along.

The wolf pack you killed has no remaining members; however, there are at least a dozen other packs roaming the grassland, which you seek out instead. To your surprise, you find seven other lycanthropes scattered among the wolves - furthermore, they are the children of Osafar. They have no desire anymore to attack the halflings, but do hold some ill will against you for murdering their father. Despite this, you know that they will not challenge you any time soon, after you showed how easily you could kill them. In general, they are concerned only with the well-being of the wolves; indeed, they have successfully kept the packs from starving, leading them to herds of deer and other animals. The lycanthropes seem a bit disturbed by the dreams you send, and begin making a greater effort to keep the less-intelligent wolves away from the halflings, lest they be tempted by your visions.

If there's anything more specific you would like to find out or try to do, let me know.

 

[Lichtenhart]

Irohim - Volor Gnomes - Isle of Quam and the Great Sea

The day after Angariful died, Irohim comes back to the Volor. Now the Elder's soul is at peace in the sky, but his body lays still in Quam. The godling gathers his sons, and when he touches their hands, as usual a vision appears upon his body.

The images slowly show the proper way to pay respect to Angariful's body: how build a small, very light ship, made of a white wood, how to put the body on it, facing the sky, with beautiful and fragrant flowers, how to drag the ship out into the sea, and leave it to be carried away by the current, while the tribe gathers on the shore for a last good-bye.

But they also show how they should never forget to respect Quam, that feed and nurtures them as a mother would. The visions teach the gnomes to plant three more sprouts for every tree they cut, and one more seed for every three flowers they pick, lest their beautiful isle becomes a barren black rock.

In the next picture four girls are busy making strange instruments: one is piercing a conch shell, making it into a horn resembling the one Angariful is playing on his star; one is tying together hollow reeds of different lenght, and seems happy when she blows into them; another one tightens strings of gut over a wooden structure attached to a turtle shell, then, smiling, plucks the strings and sing; the last one strikes with her hands a clay vase, that she covered with with a stetched skin, and begins singing with the others. The more they sing and play their instruments, the more they become good at that, the whole tribe sings and dances to their music, and suddenly their music resonates with the harmony of the stars, and they are able to summon lights that dance with the people, while the children laugh happily.

The visions slowly fade, and Irohim watches silently from above as they perform Angariful's funerals.


The following day, the starchild is very pleased to hear Morev's call. He flies down to Quam, and explains the Volor that a voyage to another island need thorough preparation, and likely the help of the whole tribe. Morev needs a companion, for that is too dangerous and tiring travel to go alone. His ship needs to be different from the simple ones they use to go fishing.
Irohim gathers the carpenters and shows them how to make a more balanced boat, by adding one or two outriggers, where the food and the water needed for a long trip can be kept, how to fix a mast that will resist the wind, and long paddles to gain speed and save strenght.
He gathers the women and teaches them how to dry the leaves and weave them to make a solid matting, that will catch the wind and thrust forward the boat, and how to make solid ropes from lianas, vine or some tree's bark.
He gathers the fishermen and explains them how to take the salt out of the water of the sea, and how the salt keeps the fish from rotting, so they can save it for another season, ensuring the tribe won't starve, or give it to those that leave for a long time, so that they won't have to look for it in dangerous waters.
He advises Morev and his companion to bring the seeds of the most useful plants that grow in Quam, so if they don't find them on the new island, they could at least sow them, so the plants will be there for the next tribeman that will dare the trip; and to bring also some tools of stone and bone, so they will be able to make some repair, just in case.

When all is ready, Irohim leaves with them, teaching them when to use the sail and when the paddles, and to pay attention to the sea gulls, that are never too far from an island and to the clouds, that far away look slightly green if there is vegetation below.
He also shows them how the star will never betray the Volor, and will always help find the right way back to Quam.

 

[WizWrm]

Irohim:
Angariful's funeral occurs as you showed it to the Volor.

Morev is pleased to find two others who are willing to travel beyond Quam, and everything regarding the ship's construction proceeds as you instructed. They set out on their journey into the ocean following a solemn ceremony by the other gnomes, and do not see land again for another week. It is then that they spot a group of birds flying northward, and in accordance with your instructions, they turn their boat to follow the birds. Within only a few hours, they sight a second island in the distance, and they close upon its shore, carefully marking the stars that will allow them to find their way home.

The trio lands on the beach of an island which is similar to Quam, although from the sea they could see that it was much larger than their homeland. Upon landing, they clutch their starfish pendants and thank you, then begin heading toward higher ground to look over the island. Morev and the other two find plants and fruits that are similar to Quam's, though there are a few new specimens that they are unfamiliar with. There are enough of the recognizable ones, however, to make a meal for quite a while, and there is no danger they will starve.

Suddenly, as you watch the halflings explore, something approaches them. It is a large, bubbling, fleshy mass. Tentacles protrude from it at one moment, only to be absorbed by its frothing body the next. Jagged teeth encircle a mouth that seems to be the only constant feature on its ever-shifting form. Nevertheless, you sense an intelligence coming from it. It is about a hundred feet away, and the halflings are unaware of it; it is making very little noise.

 

[Kavyk]

As an aside, I'm not sure that Eilil himself knows more than a little about the light magic, since that is basically how he manifests to the Radu elves. As long as several months are going to pass, Eilil will single out another pair of individuals, at least one female and neither of them as old as Alade, to learn this magic. It has some offensive uses, such as blinding opponents, and bending light to make things invisible, so he will teach them those aspects as well.

In the intervening time, while they are in the caves, Eilil will teach them the concept of 'writing' so that they may pass on their ideas, and what they have learned and seen more easily using paint made from blood or berries while the walls of the cave will be the first place to record their history. Alade and the two other disciples must learn this as well. Once everyone can draw passably, and preferably write some as well, he organizes some expeditions. He wants the Radu to begin exploring, so he sends two groups along the river during one week. They are to travel for two days, then return. When they get back, he sends another two groups out away from the river for two days. He shows them the stars and explains that they all stay constant and if they follow certain ones they can return. To ensure that they are not lost, he flies into the heavens himself where he glows brightly each night at dusk, so they get a head start.

Knowing that the flood season will otherwise trap them in the arboreal village, he also demonstrates one last item, the crafting of a dug-out canoe and paddles so that they will be able to return to the shore and so that they can continue to fish to keep up supplies. He also admonishes them to bring in the harvest and store it before the floods commence, most especially fruits and roots.[I am making the assumption that they have pottery of some type to store things in. Otherwise, Eilil will teach them that as well. Also, I am sort of cheating, since I am very much hoping they will 'accidentally' leave some fruit too long and we will discover fermentation.]

Eilil continues to live among his people and will be open to answer any questions they might have. Once the tree village is built and a system of writing is established and there are some brighter than average leaders to carry on, he will observe for a few more weeks to ensure that they have taken his lessons to heart before he takes his leave of them for a time. After all, his purpose it not to tell them how to do everything, but rather to help them out when they are in need. At the moment, they will be able to farm and support themselves quite well. He wants them to manifest their own creativity and when someone seems close to having a great idea, he will subtly help them.

On the evening when he plans to leave he gathers the Radu. "The Radu, my people, have pleased me well this last year. It is time now for me to let you find your own path. Never doubt that I am with you, for I will watch you always and will return again when you are ready for what I will teach you next. I am here when you need me. You have but to speak, and I will be listening. Ask and I will answer, though you must listen not with your ears, but with your hearts. I love you and I am proud of you. Listen to Alade and his disciples, for they hear me most clearly." With those final words, he begins to glow more brightly. He removes his robe and places it on Alade's shoulders. A moment later, the glow fades and he is gone entirely.

 

[John E Smoke]

Attar and the Jasad

When called, Attar does not manifest directly, instead responding as a crackling voice that rumbles out from the blazing fire in the pit. "I am pleased that the Jasad begin to prosper. But take care, for over time you will hunt more and more, until the herds thin out. The tribe must take pains to ensure the continued existence of the beasts we survive from."

"Winter shall be harsh as always when it comes, and despite the progress our people have made, many shall succumb to its bite. Remember the many seasons ago when our people ranged farther to the south, into the woodlands. There may be less the Jasad knows to hunt there, but time spent there will show the way. Hunt enough to last the winter before it comes and dry the meat, then travel south once more to outlast the cold."

Within the flames, Attar provides visions of the Jasad travelling to a more hospitable location, followed by images of a more permanent settlement; great tents made more of chopped wood than animal skins and poles, with a great river nearby.

"Soon it shall be time for the Jasad to cease wandering the land like the beasts that exist to be eaten and to do our work. Hunting alone will not provide for our people forever. A single home is needed, from whence the hunters may range far afield and return with their prizes.

OOC: Central ideas here are to start herding livestock for a more reliable source of food, learning to preserve food and stock up for harsher seasons, and eventually to establish a permanent settlement.