Minor Ritual

Angwe

You have emoted: Angwe grows still, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "I think," he muses, looking at each of the gathered faces in turn, "...Yes."

Rylan tilts his head curiously.

Clasping his hands at his waist, you say, "I think, before we go back on th' hunt, tis time for a ritual."

Today is the 15th of Severin, year 406 of the Midnight Age.
Your innate calendar sense tells you it is winter.
In your world it is Friday, the 22nd of November, in the year 2013.

Zaran tilts his head curiously.

Casting off her final fetters, the luminous lady awakens fully, shedding her joyful light from horizon to horizon.

Kaira tilts her head curiously.

Zaran says, "Should we get a goat."

Zaran chuckles long and heartily.

You have emoted: "A goat would work well," Angwe acknowledges Zaran, "But this is but a small sacrifice. A smaller creature will do just fine."

Beckoning, you say, "Come."

Kaira says to Zaran, "No dear, we have you to sacrifice."

Kaira flutters her eyelashes enchantingly.

Kaira begins to follow you.

Rylan begins to follow you.

Zaran shrugs helplessly.

Kaira says, "Just joking."

Zaran says to Kaira, "Youll cry."

Kaira says, "Totally."

Zaran smirks at Kaira.

Kaira says, "I can't have any of you sacrificed."

"Heh heh heh," Zaran chuckles.

Zaran begins to follow you.

You have emoted: "Leave levity behind now," Angwe chastens. "We offer blood to th' earth in th' death of the seasons, that th' game in th' coming spring will be strong."

At the highest point of the ruined coliseum (43827) - Duiran (231)
The highest reachable point of the coliseum overlooks the rest of the Savage Valley from a height rivalling the nearby forests of west Hollow. Below, one can view the bottomless pit of the arena just to the south, the spectator stands of the coliseum ringing it on all sides. Beyond that, the stretch of diverse forest before the valley of the western Hollow. The ceiling of the cavernous hollow looms high above, and the walls are close enough to touch from this lofty position. A natural-formed chute is built into the rocky face, craggy ridges looking as if it were possible to scale the mountain itself from here. A natural-formed chute is built into the rocky face of the Hollow. A sigil in the shape of a small, rectangular monolith is on the ground. Prowling about the area is a feral bahkatu predator. Rylan is here. He wields a vicious reddish dhurive in his hands. Zaran is here. He wields a vicious dark brown dhurive in his hands. Kaira is here. She wields a vicious reddish dhurive in her hands.
You see exits leading southeast and southwest.

Kaira, Rylan, and Zaran follow you to places

Zaran says, "I cant wait for spring to sunbathe all day."

Kaira, Rylan, and Zaran follow you to

Fissure among the twisted trees (25672) - the Eastern Ithmia (3)
The bright sun shines down, blanketing you with its life-giving warmth. Tall trees stretch upward here, dripping puss from the tips of their branches. Their roots trickle downward into a violently pulsing fissure, the colors of which fluctuate rapidly. The energy within the fissure occasionally laps up over the cracked edge of its enclosure, leaving a strange after-image of what was once in its wake. A gaping fissure in the
ground here appears empty.
You see a single exit leading southwest.
[5200(100%)|5800(100%)|0|99%|100%|50.7%|R:44|S:100%] [HMcsdb eb]
Angwe crouches down, passing his fingertips over the disturbed earth in the location. "Good," he says quietly. "See these tracks? A group of stag passed by recently."

Pulled from Weaponbelt: a twin-bladed, dragonbone dhurive
Wielded: a twin-bladed, dragonbone dhurive

Target set: Stag

Kaira nods her head emphatically.

Rising to address the Trackers, you say, "We will take th' eldest and sickest among them. That one will symbolize th' old, dying year."

You say, "Leave th' rest."

Kaira nods her head emphatically.

Kaira says, "Do not want to upset the balance."

Kaira, Rylan, and Zaran follow you to the northwest.
A cluster of maples.
The bright sun shines down, blanketing you with its life-giving warmth. A tight cluster of maples provides dark shadows beneath their full boughs. So close are these trees that their branches have become entwined in a tangled green mass. Were it not for their trunks, it would be near impossible to tell where one tree ends and another begins. The mass of branches also provides an excellent barrier from gusty wind and heavy rain, and many forest animals often can be found seeking shelter here from violent storms.
You see exits leading northeast, southeast, west, and northwest.

You glance towards the northeast.
An old stump.
The bright sun shines down, blanketing you with its life-giving warmth.
You see exits leading east and southwest.

You glance towards the west.
A Cairn Stone.
The bright sun shines down, blanketing you with its life-giving warmth.
A weathered cairn stone stands solemnly in the center of the glade. There are 5 great white stags here.
You see exits leading east, southeast, and southwest.

Kaira says, "By taking more than is needed."

You bare your teeth in a feral grin.

You have emoted: Angwe drops into a crouch, readying his dhurive. "There," he says, pointing westwards.

Your pose is now set as:
Muscles coiled to spring, Angwe crouches in the underbrush.

You don a staring, wild-eyed bone mask, tightening the bone-studded strap.

You will now be described as " who bears a menacing form similar to the fauns of the Ancient Heartwood. A sublime green radiance blazes through the eye-holes of staring, wild-eyed bone mask that appears brand new. The eerie mask obscures a face framed by a mass of hair moss-like in texture and of a color somewhere between green and black. Small glass objects, pieces of bone and other trophies are braided through the locks, producing a muffled clattering sound. Supple musculature covers a lithe frame bearing long arms covered from the elbow down with a thin pelt of brown fur. He carries his weight upon rear-jointed bovine legs, the flesh beneath hidden by a pelt long and shaggy enough to cover cloven feet; the broad sharp that compliment them similarly are spackled with some dark substance. Goat-like ears sprout from the sides of its head and the nut-brown skin covering this creature boasts a hardened and inflexible look as though carved from wood."

His voice barely above a whisper, you say, "We begin... now."

You ask, "Ready?"

Rylan peers westwards through the trees in the direction of the herd, attempting to find a likely target.

Zaran nods his head emphatically.

Kaira says, "Always."

Kaira, Rylan, and Zaran follow you to the west.
A Cairn Stone (5689) - the Eastern Ithmia (3)
The bright sun shines down, blanketing you with its life-giving warmth. Thorny vines and brambles choke a small clearing among the crowded trees. Their spindly leaves hide their sharp spines with cruel ease, and the
careless wanderer may soon find, stinging scratches covering all exposed flesh. Even the evergreens and bushes lash out at you with their dry limbs as you move past them, snagging clothing and leaving welts on bare skin. Small clumps of wild strawberries grow happily among the protective shelter of their thorny cousins. A weathered cairn stone stands solemnly in the center of the glade. There are 5 great white stags here.
You see exits leading east, southeast, and southwest.

Angwe leaps into the midst of the herd from his concealment, pointing out a great white stag with his twin-bladed, dragonbone dhurive. "Now, my Trackers!" he cries. "That one! Take him down!"

Its tiny wings beating happily at the air, a honey bee dances in on a nearby breeze.

"Done," you announce.

You pick up the corpse of a great white stag.

Kaira, Rylan, and Zaran follow you to An airy grotto of dendaric carvings (15523) - Duiran (231)
The intrusion of protruding roots sprout from the ruptured platform of this section within the Great Oak, their towering presence reaching towards the very boughs of the tree itself. Each of the roots has been expertly carved into a lifelike rendition of the various fauna within Sapience, their pronounced figures casting a gloomy shadow upon the floor. From the smallest of roots lies the ever timid squirrel, sculpted in the action of foraging for his daily meal. Circling the walls lie roots fashioned into figures such as the vicious wolverine, the leaping jaguar, and the prominent elephant. Near the very top of this chamber are the exultant models of the proud eagle in a dance of flight with the fierce icewyrm. The largest and highest of all the icons is the prevailing figure of the ferocious wyvern, each detail of this great statue in painstaking detail from its teeth down to its mighty tail. Despite their stationary nature, each of the figures seems to pulsate with a chilling air that spreads faintly across this vast grotto. A sigil in the shape of a small, rectangular monolith is on the ground. There are 2 yellow spiders here.
You see exits leading north and south.

(Web): Rylan says, "Is it bad that everyones mind went to ritual sacrifice when Angwe said ritual?"

(Web): You say, "Nope. That means you get this guild."

You have emoted: Angwe leads everyone to the center of the grotto, laying the corpse of a great white stag down. "To th' earth we give our bodies," he intones, producing a blade.

[Tripwire]: Info: Sheathed: a twin-bladed, dragonbone dhurive

Running a sharp blade over your palm, you brush your hand over the corpse of a great white stag, marking him with your blood.

Quietly, you say, "To th' prey, we give our thanks for the gifts given."

Kaira nods her head solemnly.

Zaran nods his head emphatically.

Understanding dawning in his eyes, Rylan steps forward and offers his palm to you.

You have emoted: Angwe nods in approval and presses the blade to Rylan's palm, drawing a line of red across it.

Kaira glides forward, her hand outstretched to you.

Rylan watches the blood well forth from his hand for a moment. When enough coalesces, he rubs it against the corpse of the great stag before stepping back into his original place.

You have emoted: Angwe turns to Kaira, taking her palm in hand and repeating the action with a swift, efficient slice.

Zaran offers his palm to Angwe.

(Web): You say, "I'm totally making this shit up as I go, btw."

The sun begins her downward journey towards eventual sleep, casting even, full light upon the land.

(Web): Zaran says, "Haha i figured."

You have emoted: Angwe smiles and takes Zaran's paw as well. With a nod, he wastes no time in slicing into the pad of his hand.

A heavy, weighted silence permeates the room, filling you with a dull and empty feeling. At once, the dendaric carvings on the wall begin to glow and thrum, pulsing with the life of the animal spirits.

Kaira clenches a fist, allowing the blood to drip forth unto the waiting sacrifice.

The clarion call of the wild shatters the silence, the rapturous cry causing your heart to race in sync with the humming runes. As the spiritual presence recedes, the carvings fade into the stone and a calming presence reigns once more.

Light flares as Angwe allows his eyes to fall closed. "The Ancestors watch us," he purrs, pleased. "Our sacrifice honors them."

Zaran squeezes his wrist and watches his blood drip from his paw onto the stag.

Rylan gives a short cry of awe as the light fades from the room, before beating his bleeding fist against his heart in respect for the Ancestors.

"May th' Ancestors who teach us," Angwe begins again, his voice raising, "And th' spirits of time and place, who rule this world in accordence with th' Rhythm of Lord Haern... may They all take partake of our offering."

You shout, "By our sacrifice in this, th' death of the year, give strength to th' earth that nurtures us!"

Angwe thumps right fist to his chest and inclines his head. "Blessings of th' Oak to ye," he says with an air of formality.

Angwe turns on his hoof, headed making his way out of the chamber, the ritual done.

Macian

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