Karen gets lured into a trap, with David, one of her clients as bait, by some heroin dealers. She is shot, rescued by Furry Anarchy who total the drug dealers, and healed by CB. She is then taken for a walk to the caern house.
In the meantime, Alyssa sneaks out the back and tries to get away in crinos form. She leaps the fence, only to confront a bicyclist. Once he retrieves himself from the wall, he comes back her way. Alyssa, now in homid form, agrees with him about the bear that he saw, but rather than waiting around to help look for it, makes a break up the street.
Police, stealing the car, driving most of the way to caern. Caern calms people down.
Alyssa, Karen and Kris come together. A tall blond guys arrives with Andrew. Dave is led in by a short, vaguely European looking woman.
Meet Melinda Cousin-to-all-Gaia and Alf Salkin
Taken into the centre of the caern, all swampy and gloopy.
Characters are led into a circular area of crushed reeds and such. Surrounding them are the people who brought them in. There is a strange and still feeling in the air. People keep looking east.
Two guys in suits turn up. There is mention of something called Bounteous Plenty, and Bonegnawers. Squabble b/w Furry Anarchy and members of suit guys, about Karen. Melinda gets involved.
Khementiri turns up, claims her as Silent Strider. People bitchy. Khementiri: "Grek saw her in his dreams. [points to karen] Said that she was to become part of a pack with the dreamwalker [points to Chris] and he who sees with the eyes of phoenix [points to andrew]. Now lets get on with this."
Suit guys storm off... Furry Anarch step behind Khementiri and whisper to themselves, and then to Melinda.
Each of the mentors addresses their pupil in turn...
Woman facing Kris:
"I am Walks in Dreams Alone, Lupus Blackfury Galliard adren,
and I call you forth. You are Kris the dreamwalker, Homid Blackfury
Ragabash cliath, bound to the Sept of the Sleeping Green. Repeat"
Kris repeats.
"I will teach you the ways of our tribe, and who you shall fight in
defense of Gaia."
Man facing Andrew:
"I am Marc Gunter, Dances the Grave of the Wyrm, Homid Get of Fenris
Ahroun fostern and I call you forth, as I gave my word I would. You are
Andrew James, Homid Get of Fenris Theurge cliath, bound in honor to the
Sept of the Sleeping Green. Repeat."
Andrew stumbles through it.
"I swear to teach the ways of our tribe, and how to fight in defense of Gaia."
Man facing Alyssa:
"I am Sergei Borofkin, Teaches Nights' Wisdom, Homid Shadowlord Galliard
adren, and I call you forth. You are Alyssa Wentworth, Homid Shadowlord
Galliard cliath, bound to the Sept of the Sleeping Green. Repeat"
Alyssa nearly does not, but is stared down.
"I am to teach you the ways of our tribe, and the ways of your auspice,
so that you may understand the defense of Gaia."
Man facing Karen: "I'm Khementiri, Homid Silent Strider Philodox adren,
and I call you
forth. You are Karen Douglas, Homid Silent Strider Ahroun cliath, bound
to the Sept of the Sleepig Green. Repeat"
"I will teach the way of our tribe, so that you may know the ways of
Gaia."
Furry Anarchy step around Khementiri, sort of surrounding him and say "We are Furry Anarchy, children of Raven. We will teach you the ways of your auspice, so that you may see how to defend Gaia." Khementiri gives them a dirty look, but there is little he can do.
"I am Mietta Trecelli, Metis Silverfang Theurge fostern, and I call you
to come forth. You are David Stephens, Homid Silverfang theurge cliath,
bound to the Sept of the Sleeping Green. Repeat."
"I will teach you the way of our tribe, and the ways of your auspice,
so that you may know for whom you defend Gaia."
Melinda and Alf, synchronously "We are the Sept leaders of Sleeping Green, and we welcome you to our lands. Welcome cliath, one and all. We celebrate this creation of a pack to defend our caern."
As the dawn rays hit the tops of trees, all present speak a single word, and the ground shifts and moves underneath the soon-to-be-pack. The air feels clearer, and the light is odd - it seems to be twilight.
A lawyer comes around from behind a tree. He looks like a business man in a suit, with a briefcase. Very elegant. Says that he'll help them adjust, explain all, if they'll just sign this contract..... people aren't too keen, except Andrew, who signs immediately, without thinking (how unlike him).
Dave, in the mush, changes form. Alyssa follows his lead. Kris thinks that she is dreaming and tries to take the form of a bird. Much to the GM's surprise, it works (what she in fact does is call a peregrine spirit, which takes her up into the sky, but he brain can't deal with that yet). From way up above, she can see the laywer, and its not a good look - hydra-like, it is gross Kris flies down and warns the others, breaking the illusion. Kris and Dave kick the snot out of it, while the others run for it.
Division comes down to either Unicorn or Chimerae. The two totems disappear. Two drops of blood fall from the sky, spattering the characters. From the result is formed Meneghwo, Dream of Harmony. All pledge their alleigance to him.
Kris and Andrena:
Alright, listen up. I might be a Galliard, but I don't want to talk to
you for ever. Short explanation - you are a Ragabash Blackfury. That
means you are the essence of Gaia, the mother of all. You are female,
and should revel in that.... come, let us step sideways, and run.
[she takes you through to the Umbra, where the moon shines down]
Is she not beautiful? Phoebe, who watches us like a sister. She is your sister, as Gaia is your mother. Do not forget. Ever.
[she changes to wolf, and runs. You are hard pressed to catch up. You run for several hours... the world around you mists, as if you were being sped through it]
Here is better... catch your breath. ..... better?
[You stand in a grove of trees... but not trees... within their bark.. no, part of their bark, you can see and sense beings, wrapped around the trees, and part of them... as you watch, catching you breath, you can see that this is true for all things - all things are spirits. You catch Andrena's eye as she shifts to Homid..] No, you stay lupus.
You can see it, hey? Fast learner. I think you might have been a Theurge at heart. Oh well, you are a ragabash.... listen to me... reach deep inside yourself, past all that accumulated debris, and draw a breath... yeah, thats it.. again. Feel it washing through you, cleansing, expanding... Wrap it in your soul, pull that primal howl from your gut, open your throat and let it loose
[an amazingly loud noise issues from your throat... it seems to coil around inside you, giving you goosebumpbs... your hackles rise... you resonate with the area around you...]
Doesn't that feel better? Just for a second, you touched the mother, the alma mater one of my friends calls it... its part of every woman, if they would just let themselves feel it.. yeah, even the humans. Its Gaia, our mother. She charges you, doesn't she. A thrill, a connection?
That is what it means to be a blackfury - to be an instrument of the will of Gaia - we are the mother, we are the maiden, and in time, the crone. We are the huntress too - never forget that within you boils the gift of phoebe.
The others call her luna, us lunatics. We are the Daughters of the Moon, her beloved, and she gifts us with some of her power, the ability to move like moonlight... your body tells you of your link, even if your 'rational' mind blocks it out - betcha you menstruate smack on 28 days? Waning crescent moon - a few days ago? Its the same link.
Watch her, call to her.... luna, I mean.... [more howling].. can you see it?.... [you look around, and racing around you is a line of white light... of silver moonlight] - its a lune - Luna has sent you a child to thank you for your singing.. [the lune comes closer,... closer... and then rushes in to fill your eyes... you experience a rush, a sequence of images that make no sense, a feeling of an ancient femininity... an explanation to your hindbrain, bypassing your sentient aspects...when you can see around you again, the lune is gone]...
How ya feeling? Ok? good... what did she teach you? Yeah, teach, The spirits give us Gifts too, like luna - [the knowledge bubbles to the surface of your brain, of how to move between the worlds, stepping the moonpath - Andrena looks impressed] Hey, Luna has marked you as one of us. Us meaning camps - our tribe has its little clubs. We call them circles. You can move between them, but usually only join one at a time - luna has taught you a Moon Daughter gift - the same camp I am part of. I guess that means I have to explain stuff...
Our tribe is all women... yeah, all. Men are not appropriate to the things we have to do, the Wyld we have to channel.. but each part - kuklos, circles, camps,whatever - has an interest in different things. The moon daughters (us, right) seek out the new, try and guide the future. We work with the monk - the Homids, even the non-Garou ones, and try to get them to understand.
The Temple of Artemis is more interested in the past, in history. I guess its important, but [shrug] its gone and the future should take precedance.... The Bacchantes are just straight out dangerous, but they have their place - my pack members suppport them.
Anyway, domain. Yeah. We look after humanity. Well, herd would be closer - and they need some serious looking after. There are some really sick bastards out there - and bitches, truth be told, and its our job to curb them back. Normally we'd just look after the women - I've been to other septs where they ignore men completely - but with the Children of Gaia concentrating on us Garou, with our [holds hand to head] desperate soul troubles [pretends to gag], we have to take up the load. As usual. So we look out for humanity.
The other tribes? Well, they do other weird shit. The glasswalkers and bonegnawers are waaaay to Weaver infested - they are not really garou at all in some ways - they've lost that Wyld touch. They only look the cities.
The Children of Gaia, Silent Striders, Fianna, Stargazers are all ok - they have their own little hangups, but are prettyeasy to get on with. Some of the others are just... yeah, easy come, easy go. Its the Get you have to watch - the Fenrir are ... look, there are no words. They are the most stuck up, arrogant, psycopaths on the planet - any chance ou have to rid the world of one, the better.
Yeah, I know - you have one in your pack. KEep him on a short chain - he'll have his uses, just don't let him come anywhere near making decisions. The rest of them? [shrug] Shadowlord... yeah well. Watch your back. The Silent strider looked ok, the silverfang guy.. well, he looked ok - take it on a case by case basis... anyway, we'd better get back, its getting late.
ALYSSA: I'm guessing you're quite sick of the sight of me, hey? Well, this is the point where you should try and put that aside. I needed to pick you up and out of your rut, and anger is the best lever sometimes. Just be quiet and listen, you can ask questions later. Youve had a lot of information dropped onto you in the last 24 hours, and some of it needs to sink in, quick. You've chosen a totem that is going to make your life a bit hard. Its all very well to talk about unity, and harmony and concordance, but it needs to be a structure of strength. You wouldn't include a bunch of flowers into a car would you? Just because it was there? How about a bath? Well, there's no point in including the weak, or the corrupt into the Garou unified nation either. Well, the choice has been made, and there is no undoing it with honour. So you need to learn, and learn quickly. You are a Shadowlord, 1st and foremost. What this means is that some of your ancestors were noble lords from East Europe... what that means to you is what you make of it. Our tribe makes law school look like kindergarten at times - we are unified through our strength, and many of the members will test you to death - literally. They will not permit weakness in any form in a leader, and they will expect you to lead. Lead your pack, lead yourself. There will be no more coasting on the tails of others in your life, miss. Unless - unless that is exactly what you choose to do. Support the strongest around you, because they are that - the strongest and most pure of heart - you're smiling, do you think its funny? How much have they told you about the Wyrm? A little, I see... well, the Wyrm seeks out the strongest, and corrupts through pride. Power corrupts, and absolute power is kind of neat, and so on. In some ways, we can afford no pride, no glory in our work. If we take pride in our labours, it gives the wyrm an entry point, and from there we become the Lords of Dark, not Shadow. I babble, my apologies. I feel most vehment about some of this, so I may prosetylse to you a little. I am not here to teach you of the Garou - your Sept takes that responsibility. I am here to teach you of the Lords of Shadows. The ones that move in the grey areas, where others fear to tred. We have often been the ... backyard boys.. for the rest of the Garou nation. Doing what their honour would not permit them to do. To cautiously treat with the darkness, rather than to burn it away. Even our tribe totem, Thunder, shows this. Thunder acts when none can see, in the midst of the storm. When you fulfil your quest, Cliath, you should keep this in mind. You will feel the storms call from time to time - our holy places are at their most holy in the midst of the tempest. Holy is what I said. We walk here, in one of the holiest places in the world. This swamp and stand of scrub is a caern. Think of it as a church - treat it as you would a church. Be respectful of its priests, the Sept leaders. Don't kick over the pews, or leave rubbish in the aisles. If you do, you will not be treated well my some of the more militant Garou. These places are where we are closest to Gaia, our mother. Ah, you scoff a little. You will see - the Theurges of this Sept will show you the world of spirits. I digress... our tribe... think of them as guardians. We guard the other tribes. We support the strong, and strengthen the weak. Some of us hear the siren call of ambition, seeing themselves as the strongest. If they are, they have the support of the tribe. IF they are not...well. Let us not speak of that here. Other tribes guard different things - the Children of Gaia, here, see themselves as protectors of the Garou also - but they nuture, comfort and heal the broken, where we test the capable. Ah, but subtlty is the key. If the other tribes knew we watched them, we kept .. score, almost, they would be infuriated. They see us as conspirers, trying always to find a better deal for ourselves, ready to betray them. As if we would do such a thing for no reason. It does no good to the Garou nation if we expose their 'petty' crimes - if you threaten to though, it is amazing how fast they pick up their feet, and straighten their own house. Many behave in a far better way than they ever did before, and it is always the ends that justify the means. So what are you to do with your pack? A motley crew, they are. The Get is primed for a fall, unless I am wrong. The Fury has no fury within her, the Silverfang is a pup and the Silent Strider walks with far too much compassion in her eyes... It is your duty to forge them into a group of companions to be proud of. To be proud to be seen with. You protest - you don't care? Too late for that, Cliath Alyssa - you are bound to them through Meneghwo - even if you weren't bound to them through kinship as Garou. Your destinies are interwoven tightly now, and until you finish what has begun, only death will seperate you all. KAREN Come on girl, I don't have all day. Have t'be in Coober pedy by night. I need to tell ya a few things about ya tribe. Silent striders. We'r called that for a reason. We travel. We stride. Easy enough to see where the name came from, isn't it? Dunno why you've been chosen for this pack. Grek told me to come and make sure we claimed you, all I know. Grek? Grek Twice-Tongue, he's the Jindabyne council member. What? You don't know... jesus h christ, didn't the sept teach you anything. Alright, we have a council, a sort of ruling body. Called Jindabyne council. They stand for allthe garou in Australia. Ok, striders... look, far off, we all had a purpose - each tribe. We used to watch the tribes of the Nile. I'm talking pre-BC here, alright? There was a war. We lost. We were cursed never to stop moving, never to have a home - and don't you forget it - this is a curse that hasn't diminished a bit, and won't until the curser is dead. ... yes, he's still alive. Well, still in his body. He's a vampire - and no cheek from you thanks. Sutekh. Snake god of Egypt. He was and still is a vampire. You don't believe me now, but wait till you've met one in combat. Yes, combat. Gaia herself, girl, what do you think an ahroun does? You're a warrior. You fight for Gaia. But first of all, you're a Strider. Since we were cast out, we've acted as scouts - first in line for trouble, but first to tell the other tribes where trouble is too. And its a duty that you should take up. YEs, I know about your totem,... Meneghwo. I know Grek wants you here, and its not forme to tell you to do otherwise. But still - when this is done, you'll move on. You'll know why to. No, I can't explain. Its something you can only know when you've been burnt. Come on, we need to walk a bit. I get itchy sitting still for too long. [walking through park] There's not much I can tell you at the moment. Until you've taken the road anyway. If this was a normal Change, we'd be walking to Pedy already. Tales are best told when walking, I've found. Alwys have problems talking when I'm not walking. Old habits die hard and all. Striders have a long history, lass. But its a history best told on the road. So for the moment, I've probably told you enough. Walk with me a while. Tell me a tale. Tell me about yourself instead. [time spent, Karen talking about herself. Khementiri proves to be adroit at drawing you out, talking about your life, and about the choice of totem. When you've finished, you have walked about 10 kms, to Huntingdale station.] Alright lass. Time for me to go. When you back to the caern, someone will be waiting for you. If you need to speak to me, tell a strider passing through, or leave a message at Bounteous Plenty. Your Bonegnawer friends can help you there. I'll be back in two weeks, before your first moot. [trains turns up, he gets on] DAVE
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Last edited 11-May-1998 20:02:38 Last compiled 4-Aug-1998 10:06:27 Maintained by Eccles |