OOC - Story Forge - LucianNepreen Volume 1

With the closure of the Story Forge I am transferring content at a sensible rate to the OW platform before continuing the Story Forge competition from this platform later in the year.

Here is the first batch from LucianNepreen

The Thaw
Posted by : LucianNepreen on Jul 10, 2018, 9:10pm

Many months had passed with no sunlight, only the eternal night that marked winter in Tundrain's far north.

Now, the shimmer of dawn broke through the thick curtain of darkness, illuminating the sparse pines and the mass of ocean ice. A small group of gnolls, their hairy, bestial forms making a stark difference against the pale snow, wandered through the northernmost part of their territory, hoping to find better hunting grounds. Their lean appearance attested to the hardships this had given them.

One of them stopped suddenly, lifting his head to the air. Sniffing deeply, he barked in a primitive language to draw the others near to him.

In a healthy, well fed gnolls mind, a scent would drive it to frenzy. The smell of meat drove the group to near insanity, it was a large creature.
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The being shuffled in his den, blocked from the outside world by a thick drift of ice and snow. Even then, the feeling of the Thaw reached his tired mind, waking a primeval timer that urged his stiff body to movement.

As he got a sense of reality, he flexed massive paws, great claws digging into the floor of his hibernation den. To others of his kind, to sleep would be about surviving the long winter. To an Arctodus like him, it was a deep meditation.

He felt the energy of Tundrain flow through him, stronger every year he hibernated. This moment was critical, forming a connection with the spirit of his world was vital to his people's beliefs. This time however, he felt another presence near his den.

Any of the Illonata knew to avoid an Arctodus hibernation den come the Thaw. Many came out of their stasis in a daze, striking at friend or foe as they returned to the mortal world.

The gnolls grew alarmed as a small whirlwind picked up around their feet, lifting them into the air and flinging them in different directions. Screaming in alarm as a massive form broke out of the drift they were on, the group scurried to the nearby trees.

Nankut looked about him as he shook the snow from his fur, watching the gnolls with slight amusement. The little creatures never bothered him, but their presence this far north bothered him. The southern taiga forests were usually sufficient to keep them satisfied.

He needed to meet with the elders and ask if they had seen the same.

OOC - The Rite of Passage pt. 1
Posted by : LucianNepreen on Jul 24, 2018, 11:47am

The day was cloudy, thick blankets hanging in the sky with no movement. Despite that, there was a firm wind blowing through a canyon that was gouged into the ice and permafrost. The land around this formation seemed devoid of life, with the sudden exception of a lone figure emerging from the drifts.

Amaqjuaq looked at the great gouge in the ground, then scanned his surroundings before entering. He felt the stinging wind cease upon his slightly hunched back, allowing him slight respite from the constant chill. The thick fur that coated him provided great insulation from the endless freeze that gripped Tundrain's northern expanse, but there were days when even that could do nothing.

He carefully scaled his way to the bottom of the ravine, stopping once in order to slake his thirst with the snow and ice. The sun had traveled to be overhead now, though it gave no warmth to him. He had known nothing but the cold harsh north his entire life.

His people, trapped in a nearly inhospitable landscape, scraped by on ever decreasing numbers of fish and sea creatures. The land offered no food source, the herds long ago driven to extinction.

As a young cub of the Seph-Ugar, Amaqjuaq was now expected to prove his worth in being with his people. Only the strong survived in the tribe and he would prove his strength.

A shadow caught his eyes, focusing his mind back to its killer edge. Lifting his ancient whalebone spear, he tracked his mysterious companion to where it had retreated to.
Seeing it stop between a massive boulder and the canyon wall, he knew that this was the best time to attack. Nearing the space, he prepared his weapon and gave a challenging growl, then charged in.

His bravado faltered as he saw a familiar face.

"Aput?? I nearly killed you brother."

Aput had been taken by surprise, his weapon off to the side of him as he had been eating a small meal.

"For my honor brother, I wish you had."

The two laughed and embraced, then Amaq stood guard to allow his friend to eat.

"Have you seen any others? Other than Nuniq, I have yet to find any."

Amaq shook his head, there had been no sign of the other initiates.

Aput only shook his head, tearing a piece of his dried meat in the same motion.
"May they walk with the Ancestors."

Silence enveloped them as the sun quickly began to descend. Spring brought light, but for only so long each day.

"Should we risk a fire? I see no caves or anything to be used as shelter."

Aput creased his thick brow as he pondered the problem. They would freeze with no proper shelter or source of heat, yet to light a fire would invite whatever horrors stalked the night.

"I forgot to ask if you have had any luck?"

"No, the Tagrain are elusive this year. Father told a different story of them when he became Seph-Ugar."

Amaq envied Aput for having family, his own dying years ago from a Tagrain ambush.
The tribe raised him, taught him the ways of their people, but he knew he was never truly accepted.

"Well, it looks as if we won't have any luck today either. Given that our choices for the night leave us exposed, I say we make our own cave."

The other grew worried at the idea, but stowed his fears away as he saw the truth in his friends words.

Amaq closed his eyes as he sought the flow of magic. Feeling its caress on his paws, he gripped hold of it, then drew upon it as he swung his muscled arm in a straight line. In the direction he was pointing, a large jagged wall appeared from the ground, ice and rock forcing its way from below. Aput did the same, except made a more complicated gesture that caused the wall to continue in a arch. The result was a crude cave appearing on the side of the canyon, giving them a place to rest for the night.

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-Later in the night-

A lone figure appeared on the rim of the canyon, looking within for signs of habitation.

He easily spotted signs of his prey's magic, the jagged edges of an otherwise smooth cliff side.

A quick breath and a silent spell allowed him to gently slide down to the bottom, his feet hovering off the ground before softly touching. Another breath and an illusion spell was woven, no trace of the beings footsteps in the freshly fallen snow.

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-Inside the cave-

Aput shifted his weight as he settled for guard duty. Amaq had woken him to end his shift and had already fallen fast asleep, though he still wore his fur cloak and held his spear. The mercy of their enemy was null, meaning they always had to be ready to kill their attacker.

After only a few minutes passing, Aput stuck his snout in the air, breathing deeply in order to place a scent that had creeped in. He stood quickly and kicked Amaq awake.
"Tagrain!"

The silent growl alerted his friend immediately, this was the moment they had been searching for. With ears twitching and their backs against the other, weapons were held at the ready as they looked at the entrance from the farthest corner.

The moments that passed stretched for eternity, yet the two never relaxed their vigil for a moment, even when their absence threatened to let the fire die.

"Maybe they passed us by?"

"Don't give yourself such hope."

As this advice was given, a form dashed through the entrance. A roar from both Seph-Ugar greeted the intruder, Amaq heaving his spear where he knew it would strike, while Aput threw ice spikes from the wall towards any other open space.

The figure took the spear through the head, then several spikes along its body before dissipating.

"ILLUSION!!"

A cry came from above the duo as the real intruder revealed himself. Falling towards Aput, another spell shot towards his shaggy form, grappling the Ursine before he could prepare a counter spell. The spell crippled his strength, visibly draining it into the Tagrain's being, but it would not kill his spirit. Aput roared as he grabbed his enemies throat, slamming his head into the ground. Amaq had went to retrieve his spear, then heard his friends quarrel and ran to assist him. He was almost upon the feline figure when the tables turned.

The Tagrain's muscles bulged with the stolen strength, he easily threw Aput from him.
Standing confidently as Amaq helped his friend up, the Tagrain gave them a cocky grin.

"Well then, now that formalities have been exchanged, lets get down to business."

OOC - Rite of Passage Pt.2
Posted by : LucianNepreen on Jul 25, 2018, 10:29pm

SH'kair knelt before the altar before him, almost a statue if not for the feathers on his body flickering in the endless blizzard around him. An aven of youth, he was brimming with vigor. Upon the altar lay a dead Seph-Ugar, slain by his own hands, the very dagger still held in his talons. It's blood had pooled, but once away from the beasts body heat, it was immediately frozen, but the sweet smell still reached him.

His beak clattered in agitation, he had held this pose for more than half an hour and to no avail. A voice in his head was saying to take the meat and leave, but tradition demanded that he endured, no other way would he get what was his. If he was to be taken seriously, he would stay.

The wind howled louder, a small group of snowflakes swirling out of tune with the rest.

This caught SH'kair's eye, but he made no movement. It gathered more into its dance, swirling like a fish in a frozen ocean.

With a sudden flash, it burst into a vast form, a mix of endless void and swirling whites and blues. No features could be recognised on its form, but the young Skuan knew this was what he had been waiting for.

Where is the offering

A voice like the deep howl of the blizzard around them called out from the form. SH'kair took this moment to motion towards the Seph-Ugar.

"I offer this, a young one that died full of spirit."

He felt the creatures invisible gaze look towards the altar, then almost cowered as he felt the immense pressure again.

One half has been provided, so I grant you this knowledge

SH'kair quivered at the ominous tone spoken, but nonetheless stood to recieve his reward.

You have been played a fool young one, if only your pride had not clouded your wisdom

A sharp shriek came from the avens throat, turning to flee before feeling the sudden whisper of death grip him.

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As the spirit fed on the offerings, an older Skuan walked towards the altar.
Who asks for my favor

"I am Sheth-nul and I am in need of your vast power, Great One."

Holding a pose of worship, the elder aven waited patiently for his deity to finish his meal. The form shifted to hover in front of him.

A sacrifice from deceit and false hope

"He was my own son, blindly trusting the crooked words of his elder."

Your kind never cease to satisfy me, what is it that you seek from us
Bowing low, Sheth-nul averted his gaze before speaking.

"Our people have lived in this wasteland for to long, while the solitude is most exquisite, I long to see a world where you must not slake your hunger with naive young and starved Ursine. The life energy you so crave would be given hundred fold if the damned barrier were torn asunder."

A silence enveloped around him, but he knew he was still in the beings presence.
Seek out those loyal to me, then survive the eye of the storm. If this is done, you will have your answer.

The withered elder looked up joyously as the great void vanished into the blizzard.

"All hail Tagrain."