Greppa of Tartwater
First Post
Yep, but the post that reveals Greppa's true feelings about Bellos is coming after Seasong gets to "the conversation."
seasong's Light Against the Dark III (Sep 29th)
- Thread starter seasong
- Start date
seasong
First Post
Hidden Depths
Greppa bounced and jostled uncomfortably across Chatham's back. He'd exhausted himself at the last tribe, summoning earth spirits until he'd collapsed, so that their hunters could capture a hydra. It had been a swifter death than starvation for the hydra, and it had helped prevent starvation of the tribe... and he'd discovered that hydra liver was about the best liver one could hope for, and that hydra steak was invigorating.
But that didn't change the fact that he'd then run with Chatham and the others after two hours sleep, or that he'd drunk too much of the chunky beer along with far too much red meat, prior to his impromptu, two-hour nap. And when he'd finally collapsed again and vomited up several partially digested hydra bits, Chatham had carefully picked him up, fashioned a pappoose of vines, and slung him into place so he could rest.
If you could call it resting. Still, Greppa didn't complain - Chatham's back was a very comforting, if not comfortable, place to be.
Bellos signalled for a stop, and Chatham obediently slowed to a halt, "What is it, my wiry friend? Have you sussed a flavor in the air my nose has missed?"
"No, I had a thought."
"Ah, an even rarer breed of creature than those I normally hunt!"
Bellos grinned, "Well, it was just this - I can probably carry Greppa fairly easily, and you could probably carry Merideth. Neither of 'em are tired, but I'd be willing to bet we could cover ground better."
"Your idea has merit, indeed..."
Merideth interrupted, "Hey! I'm not a sack of grain! I can run!"
"It is true that your dimensions bear no resemblance to that of a sack, and while it is true that you can run, it is also true that your woods-minded friend and I have both had to maintain a slower pace for even your long legs."
Merideth, complimented and insulted in the same breath, was momentarily stunned. And Greppa, though he would have dearly preferred to remain with Chatham, was not about to argue that he needed to run anytime soon. They continued on, Merideth and Greppa both in orc-made papooses.
As night neared, Chatham nodded to Bellos and both split off a bit to find a likely camping spot. Bellos, however, had no such immediate intent. Instead, he found a good spot, set Greppa down, and faced him.
"We need to talk."
Greppa raised an eyebrow.
"About the fiend you are consorting with."
Greppa's insides went cold.
Greppa bounced and jostled uncomfortably across Chatham's back. He'd exhausted himself at the last tribe, summoning earth spirits until he'd collapsed, so that their hunters could capture a hydra. It had been a swifter death than starvation for the hydra, and it had helped prevent starvation of the tribe... and he'd discovered that hydra liver was about the best liver one could hope for, and that hydra steak was invigorating.
But that didn't change the fact that he'd then run with Chatham and the others after two hours sleep, or that he'd drunk too much of the chunky beer along with far too much red meat, prior to his impromptu, two-hour nap. And when he'd finally collapsed again and vomited up several partially digested hydra bits, Chatham had carefully picked him up, fashioned a pappoose of vines, and slung him into place so he could rest.
If you could call it resting. Still, Greppa didn't complain - Chatham's back was a very comforting, if not comfortable, place to be.
Bellos signalled for a stop, and Chatham obediently slowed to a halt, "What is it, my wiry friend? Have you sussed a flavor in the air my nose has missed?"
"No, I had a thought."
"Ah, an even rarer breed of creature than those I normally hunt!"
Bellos grinned, "Well, it was just this - I can probably carry Greppa fairly easily, and you could probably carry Merideth. Neither of 'em are tired, but I'd be willing to bet we could cover ground better."
"Your idea has merit, indeed..."
Merideth interrupted, "Hey! I'm not a sack of grain! I can run!"
"It is true that your dimensions bear no resemblance to that of a sack, and while it is true that you can run, it is also true that your woods-minded friend and I have both had to maintain a slower pace for even your long legs."
Merideth, complimented and insulted in the same breath, was momentarily stunned. And Greppa, though he would have dearly preferred to remain with Chatham, was not about to argue that he needed to run anytime soon. They continued on, Merideth and Greppa both in orc-made papooses.
As night neared, Chatham nodded to Bellos and both split off a bit to find a likely camping spot. Bellos, however, had no such immediate intent. Instead, he found a good spot, set Greppa down, and faced him.
"We need to talk."
Greppa raised an eyebrow.
"About the fiend you are consorting with."
Greppa's insides went cold.
Greppa of Tartwater
First Post
swift correction
My insides did not go cold. They contracted beacuse I was not feeling well and left alone and undefended with someone I didn't trust. I was/am wary of Bellos. There was some guilt also because I had not shared with him because I didn't think he'd understand...and I was right.
My insides did not go cold. They contracted beacuse I was not feeling well and left alone and undefended with someone I didn't trust. I was/am wary of Bellos. There was some guilt also because I had not shared with him because I didn't think he'd understand...and I was right.
Last edited:
Greppa of Tartwater
First Post
LOL!!
It does doesn't it? I'm just hypersensitive where Bellos is concerned. I will cease my ranting until I can do a decent in-character post.
It does doesn't it? I'm just hypersensitive where Bellos is concerned. I will cease my ranting until I can do a decent in-character post.
seasong
First Post
I'm hoping to have the Buhkenahk up sometime today, but it depends on how much work comes across my desk. I'm skipping some stuff that has less impact later so I can catch up, sorry 
.
The End Begins. Friends?
It was a short discussion, but an intense one. Greppa yelled at Bellos. Bellos yelled at Greppa. They stomped around each other, glaring. Somewhere in the muddle, Greppa explained what Belial had told him, and of his own doubts about Allas, and Bellos explained how it hurt him that Greppa and Merideth refused to include him, and asked why they hadn't simply told him about Belial.
At the end of it, they both felt somewhat exhausted, but also cleaner. Except, perhaps, for Bellos, who had still not mentioned his letter to Thelanna.
Greppa, slumped on a log, looked across at Bellos, "So... I'm sorry. I'll work harder to include you. I'll... I'll be more open about information." The tiny ellini was pretty convincingly authentic, despite the nagging thoughts of Bellos being Aglaonese rather than Theralese.
Bellos nodded back, "Thank you. I appreciate that. So, I guess we should catch up to the others, eh?"
"Eh" And Greppa grinned. There were still some things being held back, on both sides, but... the wild man from Aglaonis had begun to turn into a friend.
.The End Begins. Friends?
It was a short discussion, but an intense one. Greppa yelled at Bellos. Bellos yelled at Greppa. They stomped around each other, glaring. Somewhere in the muddle, Greppa explained what Belial had told him, and of his own doubts about Allas, and Bellos explained how it hurt him that Greppa and Merideth refused to include him, and asked why they hadn't simply told him about Belial.
At the end of it, they both felt somewhat exhausted, but also cleaner. Except, perhaps, for Bellos, who had still not mentioned his letter to Thelanna.
Greppa, slumped on a log, looked across at Bellos, "So... I'm sorry. I'll work harder to include you. I'll... I'll be more open about information." The tiny ellini was pretty convincingly authentic, despite the nagging thoughts of Bellos being Aglaonese rather than Theralese.
Bellos nodded back, "Thank you. I appreciate that. So, I guess we should catch up to the others, eh?"
"Eh" And Greppa grinned. There were still some things being held back, on both sides, but... the wild man from Aglaonis had begun to turn into a friend.
Now maybe they won't betray each other right away when it really matters. 
seasong
First Post
A bit of mythology. I've been wanting to post this somewhere for ages now... GLEE! 
The Broken Knuckle
The oldest, largest, and most powerful tribe in the world, the Buhkenahk (literally, "broken knuckle") are named for the force with which they strike their foes. They are mentioned in the chronologies of Kithios as a band of barbarian raiders who occasionally harried the eastmost borders of that great empire, and were studied even then as a link to the distant past, when the orc tribes ran freely over the land. They have always dwelled near Uggrahd (literally, "up there"), their sacred mountain, and they have always been the rod against which all other tribes eventually found their measure.
According to the Wauggraht, an oral chronicle of Buhkenahk history (literally "the words from up there"), the Buhkenahk were born from the third of three orc brothers, each with the same mother but different fathers.
The first father was a god, and his son became a mighty wizard who could wander the planes at will and command eldritch energies. He was frightful to behold when he raged, and controlled the heavens and the earth at his will. But he grew away from his people, and eventually never returned from his trips into the outer planes.
The second father was a dragon, and his son became a powerful protector of nature. He had but to hold out his hand, and creatures of the natural world would put their heads to the ground for the honor to be eaten by his tribe. He was well loved by his people for a long time, but when his people displeased the dragon, his heart hardened against them, and he went to live with the dragon, becoming more and more attuned to wild, and less to his people. It is said that he was the first koboldi.
The third was born to a simple orc hunter, but his blood mingled in his mother's womb with that of the other two, and he was born as strong as a full grown hunter. He knew enough of the gods to reject them. He knew enough of nature to be a skilled hunter. But most importantly, he held the orc people in his heart, and taught them that their connection to their ancestors and their family was their greatest strength.
When he was a youth, he slew a man of stone who had conquered the land. Calling upon his ancestors, he struck with such force that his own hand shattered with the enemy's hardened flesh. It was then that the name Buhkenahk was first uttered, in admiration for his sacrifice to win freedom and success for his people. The tribe took the name up from then on, and has kept it ever since.
When he was an adult, he built a mighty tower to hold the bones of his tribes' ancestors, and asked that each orc bring a stone for each of their family who had died, that there might be something to cover their bones. Each year, when tribesfolk had died, stones or dirt were brought, until the tower was buried beneath a hill of stone and tears. And still he continued the tradition. For two hundred years, he built Uggrahd, until at last, the ancestors climbed down from the peak, now above the clouds themselves, and asked him to stop. "It is high enough", they said, "for we would prefer to not be too close to the gods."
When he was an old orc, he taught a few members of his tribe how to speak with the ancestors, that their wisdom would never be forgotten.
And when he was on his deathbed, he got up, so that his people would never have to care for him in his dottage or bury him in death, and climbed Uggrahd unaided, to die there among his ancestors. Ever since, it has been the rite of adulthood to climb Uggrahd and speak with one's ancestors. A gift and a price are always exacted, and these things set the motion of one's life forevermore.
The Broken Knuckle
The oldest, largest, and most powerful tribe in the world, the Buhkenahk (literally, "broken knuckle") are named for the force with which they strike their foes. They are mentioned in the chronologies of Kithios as a band of barbarian raiders who occasionally harried the eastmost borders of that great empire, and were studied even then as a link to the distant past, when the orc tribes ran freely over the land. They have always dwelled near Uggrahd (literally, "up there"), their sacred mountain, and they have always been the rod against which all other tribes eventually found their measure.
According to the Wauggraht, an oral chronicle of Buhkenahk history (literally "the words from up there"), the Buhkenahk were born from the third of three orc brothers, each with the same mother but different fathers.
The first father was a god, and his son became a mighty wizard who could wander the planes at will and command eldritch energies. He was frightful to behold when he raged, and controlled the heavens and the earth at his will. But he grew away from his people, and eventually never returned from his trips into the outer planes.
The second father was a dragon, and his son became a powerful protector of nature. He had but to hold out his hand, and creatures of the natural world would put their heads to the ground for the honor to be eaten by his tribe. He was well loved by his people for a long time, but when his people displeased the dragon, his heart hardened against them, and he went to live with the dragon, becoming more and more attuned to wild, and less to his people. It is said that he was the first koboldi.
The third was born to a simple orc hunter, but his blood mingled in his mother's womb with that of the other two, and he was born as strong as a full grown hunter. He knew enough of the gods to reject them. He knew enough of nature to be a skilled hunter. But most importantly, he held the orc people in his heart, and taught them that their connection to their ancestors and their family was their greatest strength.
When he was a youth, he slew a man of stone who had conquered the land. Calling upon his ancestors, he struck with such force that his own hand shattered with the enemy's hardened flesh. It was then that the name Buhkenahk was first uttered, in admiration for his sacrifice to win freedom and success for his people. The tribe took the name up from then on, and has kept it ever since.
When he was an adult, he built a mighty tower to hold the bones of his tribes' ancestors, and asked that each orc bring a stone for each of their family who had died, that there might be something to cover their bones. Each year, when tribesfolk had died, stones or dirt were brought, until the tower was buried beneath a hill of stone and tears. And still he continued the tradition. For two hundred years, he built Uggrahd, until at last, the ancestors climbed down from the peak, now above the clouds themselves, and asked him to stop. "It is high enough", they said, "for we would prefer to not be too close to the gods."
When he was an old orc, he taught a few members of his tribe how to speak with the ancestors, that their wisdom would never be forgotten.
And when he was on his deathbed, he got up, so that his people would never have to care for him in his dottage or bury him in death, and climbed Uggrahd unaided, to die there among his ancestors. Ever since, it has been the rite of adulthood to climb Uggrahd and speak with one's ancestors. A gift and a price are always exacted, and these things set the motion of one's life forevermore.
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