Beware of the Shadows

Sun Oct 09, 2016 11:07 pm

14th of Vhalar, Arc 716

Ti's eyes snapped open as he woke from his slumber, he stared at the ceiling for a while as he searched for the strength to move his weak body. He could feel his side burning with every and any move he made, the area incredibly sore from yesterdays ordeal. He managed to find the strength to push himself into an upright sitting position, he rested against the tree which his lean to was built against. His body was weak and ached more than it ever had before as he examined the burned flesh on his left side. He grimaced at the ugly wound as he noticed how it had mutilated his body. The last injury he had sustained had been from a wolf, however, those scars were three uniform claw slashes not this burnt ugly mess. As he examined his damaged side he remembered that he needed to go to the city, he had to tell the elders what he had discovered.

Somehow, he found the motivation to push himself to his feet reaching for his bear skin coat and pulling it over his body to protect from the cold morning air. He then proceeded to place his quiver over his back and to take up his bow. He noticed that with the rest he might be able to walk better now after recuperating some strength. Holding the coat close around himself he left the small lean to searching the clearing quickly in case of any intruding creatures. After taking the short time to search he headed out into the forest stepping over his boarder rope with care. He walked silently through the trees the only light from the stars as he waited for the sun to rise, he hated this time in the morning everything seemed so empty without the sun or the moon. Ti fumbled around in the forest for a while at this stage, he vaguely knew his way by the stars but struggling to know for sure. It was then that the first rays of light began to pierce through the trees as the sun rose bringing the first morning light.

Now able to see again Ti began to walk with more purpose, he tried to ignore the constant pain in his side as the seared flesh rubbed against his clothing. His ignoring of the pain was working, until, he began to feel faint. He had lost a lot of blood when the wound was open and had not taken the time to eat before leaving this morning. He quickly moved to a tree leaning his weak body against it in a feeble attempt to stay up, when the time came he did not manage to stay up and he fell landing heavily on his left side. He screamed and writhed in agony as his damaged flesh slammed into the ground and the air was forced from his lungs. He laid there tears breaking out of his eyes as he tried to contain his pain. He could hardly feel anything but pain as his side throbbed and burned, he whimpered as he laid face first in the dirt. Unable to find the strength to move himself he found himself doing something he had not done since his father died.

He began to ask Moseke for her guidance, in the past she had always seemed to answer and he had always been thankful for it. But now he needed it more than ever. As he laid there in the dirt he began to speak forcing down his whimpers. "Oh Moseke, earth mother, I call for your help give me the strength to stand and to walk. All I ask is to be able to help my people to warn them of what I now have information of. I want to make sure they are safe and that they do not get caught off guard. Please give me the strength to make it to Desnind, to my people, even if it costs me my life to save them." Ti said as he laid there letting out another loud moan as he rolled himself over onto his back. "Oh help me earth mother, please."

Ti laid there and sighed as his body began to settle and the pain came back down to an ache and burning feeling in his side. He began to muster all his strength as he prepared to stand readying himself for the rest of the painful journey. He was unsure of what the trek would hold for him on the rest of his journey and although normally he would say it was short right now it seemed impossibly long. He pushed himself to his knees and looked around he did not recognise this part of the forest and realised he was lost. He leaned his head against his hand as he realised how stupid he had been leaving during the dark. He must have been delusional with his pain and loss of blood he sat there thinking as he pulled his coat tighter around him. Lost and in pain, could my morning be any worse... he wondered to himself.

Sat Oct 15, 2016 10:48 am

Moseke sat in the clearing, inspecting a young sapling that she was nurturing. Normally she would be alongside the Ojọgbọn, but the forest had called to her specifically. Something had been off and she was now actively trying to seek out what was disrupting the balance of the Makubwa Lori. Creatures were calm in her presence, but they chattered of shadow beings that were present when she was not around. A darkness was consuming her forest, and she feared for her people. The Sev’ryn and the Tunawa needed to be protected, and to do that successfully, she needed to understand the creatures that were threatening the peace she had created in the Southern Region. In her wanderings, she had encountered sick creatures, dead creatures, and decaying plants. It reminded her all too much of the blight that her sister, Lisirra, and forced upon the forest and her people. Was the Mistress of Poison at it again? Moseke could only suspect her, but there was an underlying feeling that whatever this was, it was not quite right for Lisirra’s work. Something else was going on.

The winds picked up the whisper of a prayer, just as the forest was known to do. She was always in tune with her people’s wishes and desires, and found herself ignoring many prayers for love, honor, and whimsical needs. This one caught her attention. The smell of blood tainted the breeze and it immediately caused her attention to turn in the direction that the prayer had come. The sapling had even seemed to shake from the illness that the wind had carried with it. Moseke picked up her carved staff, taking to that direction with haste. To a mortal, her speed would have made her appear like a gust of wind. She was there and then she was gone. To another Immortal, she was simply running with urgency.

Her run slowed when the sense of illness increased. She stopped at an area where a battle had taken place. Blades of grass were flattened from a person rolling and the paw prints of wolf were gouged deep into the soft dirt. She followed the prints off a ways where she found the body of the creature. It was strange looking, as it appeared relatively normal. Its eyes were sunken and wide open with fear. The blood that leaked out of the arrow wound was thick, black, and foul smelling as if it were rotten. She knelt beside the animal, placing her hand on the scared face of her fallen ward. An image of blackness came to her, as this creature had encountered a corrupting shadow. When contact was induced, the original wolf had died and a shadow monster had taken its place with black fur and red eyes. Moseke withdrew her hand as if she had been burnt. She compelled nearby tree roots to reach up from the earth and pull the wolf’s body into the ground, burying it.
It had suffered a cruel death, and the killer had used it to fight another.

Moseke was once again on the move. She followed the stumbling trail to a camp. The bed was cool, but not cold. Someone had left here not a break before. The bed smelled awful, like burnt flesh. The shadow beast had done some damage, and illness would soon take hold of the person’s wounds. It did not smell as if they had been cleaned properly. This Sevir was in trouble, and Moseke was obligated to do something about it.

The prayer breeze brought her along the path towards Desnind. She stopped in her journey several strides behind the kneeling man, her staff placed firmly in the ground. She appeared very similar to the Sev’ryn. Her hair was straight and black, and her eyes were colored the most beautiful green that anyone would ever have the pleasure admiring. Her skin was flawless, unmarred by tattoos, brands, or piercings. Her staff was made of white birch with various animal carvings on it. She closed the distance slowly, speaking in the native tongue of her people.

“Miu ngumu. Ke’u awt didara.”

She remained at a distance, unsure how he would react. Never before had she come before a mortal without some sort of mask. Normally she asked of them to go through a trial before sharing her identity with them, and even then it was generally skewed in some way. She would give him a few trills before taking the last few steps to kneel next to him. She motioned towards his injury, before setting her hands in her lap.

“Omowe tsakiyar. Wätäkïlä eo.”

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Sun Oct 16, 2016 2:37 am

Ti'niva looked at the beautiful women and his heart seemed to skip a beat. She began approach him after speaking. She was like no one he had ever seen before. Her skin was so flawless and her perfect green eyes seemed to peer right into his soul reading his every thought. He watched her close the gap between them with disbelief. He did not know this woman or where she had come from yet she seemed strangely familiar. Then suddenly, like a switch had just been flicked, as she spoke calling him her son, he made the connection. It felt too soon after his prayer for this to be coincidence, however, he was still dubious as to whether it could truly be her. Yet he found himself speechless in her presence, he could not believe his eyes and he could not help his jaw hanging and his eyes form staring. She seemed to have some kind of hold on him purposeful or not Ti felt somewhat enchanted by her unprecedented beauty. Ti had heard tales of Moseke, who he believed her to be, but if she was her he had never been informed of her stunning appearance.

He turned as best he could to face her as she knelt at his side. He listened to her command and lay back opening the tear in his tunic to reveal the burnt flesh on his side. He grimaced and exhaled heavily as the fabric rubbed against the sore wound. He lay in the cool grass which caressed his tired and aching body as he awaited the woman's examination of the wound. As he lay in the grass his mind wandered back to the creature and he wondered what may have come of it. He struggled to believe it could be dead he had only landed 2 arrows in the foul monster. He then began to wander what could have created such a creature and why they would do so. His first thought was drew to the immortal, Lissira, who had once killed many many creatures here and was often spoke of in tales from the elders.

"Awt ke’u Ileri? Anou muradi ọwọpọ." Ti said as he looked at her returning from his wandering thoughts. He found it hard to believe that someone as busy and important as Moseke would have come to his rescue. He was not important, nor did he have many friends and he had no family, he was a nobody. He still lay in the grass looking up at her from his resting place. He wondered whether she knew who he was or whether she just met him and learnt of him as of this point. Ti assumed she could not possibly know every Sev'ryn and was not optimistic for her knowing him. Besides there was no reason for her to know him, he had never achieved any great feets nor had he made any major difference in Desnind that he knew of.

"Jasi ke’u seen èrè? Anou gwalo." Ti asked as he wondered what had come of it after the end of the encounter between him and the abomination. He had never hated any creature, it was not like him to hate, however, this creature left and incredibly sour taste in Ti's mouth. He knew it was wrong of his to feel such about another living thing, but that creature was not how it should have been. The creature was tainted and unnatural something that should never have existed. In many ways he actually felt sorry for the creature, having to live an existence such as the one it led was a horrible prospect that he did not believe anyone deserved. Suddenly feeling sick he found himself forcing back vomit as it rose up his throat, he could not allow it to leave his body for it would only burn his throat and mouth and make him feel worse.

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Tue Oct 18, 2016 9:59 am

Moseke occupied herself with his wound. The damage that the beast did to him had been extensive, but his use of hot metal to seal it had caused some more damage. He clearly was not a medic and only knew the basics. Had he not called to her, he would surely be dead. Infection would have set in quickly with this injury with all that dead flesh hanging around, no signs of any kind of healing salves in use, and no dressing to keep it clean. Moseke simply nodded at his first question. The Earth Mother. That was not a term that she had been called to her face, but she had heard from of the Sev’ryn use it. Her domains include earth and life, so it was a title fitting for her. She briefly wondered what they would call Ymiden if they knew that they shared a relationship that was equivalent to marriage in the mortal world.

“Sev jasi seen èrè. Fẹsï èrè sngä’ï, tashi av ioang osise ṣayẹwo. Erè sngä’ï kisa.” The shadow had caused the wolf massive pain, and that is how she imagined it caused so much physical damage to her son. Had it walked around the forest in its true form, it would have done minimal damage or none at all. This black shade was a shadow, nothing more. What could shadows do other than scare children and dancing in the firelight? If these shadows took over aggressive beasts and made them crazy, her people would be in for a fight that she could not explain.

“Sìlpey sïï. Sev hìtua ätïnuwä ke’ua karyu.” The early morning haze, a pale yellow-green light formed at the tips of her fingers. Most likely he had not seen the work of one of her marked, but the members of the Cikkaken knew this power well. They called it Moseke’s Light, and it was the heart of convincing the cells to do as the user willed them to. She convinced life into the cells on the edges of the wound that were attempting to die. Moseke hummed a quiet song with a beautiful, haunting sound. These cells were invigorated with life, going through the process of replication much faster than normal. The body ate away at the dying tissue, replacing it with healthy tissue. In what would have taken a season or two to leave a garish scar, she managed to do in bits without a scar. The light faded when she was done, and she leaned in closer to inspect her work. Perfect. “Pẹlẹv. Ke’u olorijori sïï bou'eri läïpäruwọ. Murädï ƙärshẹ.”

Moseke sat back on her heels, inspecting the young hunter. He had been brave to go up against the beast. He had managed to hurt it to the point that the shadow had given up its hold on the creature. She needed to know whatever he knew. “Hawng did ke’u ariwo èrè? Dẹọdọ dav ke’u ailewu? Sngä’ï pẹlẹv atru wasi inan ke’u?” It was a lot of questions all at once, but she needed to know. The forest was in danger and so far he was the only one that could give her clues to the origin of this beast.

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Wed Oct 19, 2016 8:52 pm

Ti felt his side tingle and crawl as Moseke's hand lit up along his wound. Ti had never seen or felt anything like it, it felt as if his body was being brought back from the brink of death. Ti could feel each and every cell gaining new leases of life and crawling back from the edge of the end. Ti had heard stories of these healing powers. It was said that those who had been marked by Moseke could also use this strange ability. With his wound healed Ti found a little strength and managed to push himself up right. Once up he watched the Moseke sit back and speak. He was suddenly overwhelmed by a flurry of questions, it took him a moment to process them.

"Èrè came wov anou kisa azceah av yaudara sọ bushes srung anou yän." Ti said remembering the creatures emergence from between the bushes. The creature had struck so much fear in him he had ran for longer than he even realised possible. "Sev sngä’ï aiu." Ti responded to Moseke's question trying his best to inform her of what he had discovered. "Sev ailewu anou gwalo sngä’ï ṣayẹwo. Èrè didara eo ingyentsim täräruä ar èrè had sani kọv èrè's eyes. Èrè felt toṣe tìt'nari ar sngä’ï stronger ẹbọv atroj'ath syuratan ioang." Ti said feeling sort of useless and wishing he knew more. He sat and tried to think of anything that could be useful to her. He thought hard about the creatures and their appearance, the way they moved but he couldn't think of anything.

Ti pushed himself up to his feet and found the strength to bow slightly. "Moseke, sev ọfïïsï ke’u osise answering miu lushivu ar osise healing eo, sev aji honored aw miu kanu." He knew he was in the presence of a great being and he felt nervous. Ti also felt like he was being relied upon and this was more pressure than he had ever been under before. "Sev aji kïnä osise miu ekunwo sọ àbo." Ti looked down and shrugged as he examined his side. He could hardly tell that there had ever been a wound there, the method of healing had left no visible marks, it was incredible.

Ti suddenly realised he had not introduced himself. "Sev aji Ti'niva." He said again bowing his head to the immortal in front of him. He brushed his messy hair out of his face as he felt a wave of dizziness come over him. He rocked backwards as he began to lose his balance, trying to keep his balance he threw his arms out to his sides. His arms flapped at his side as he tried not to fall his balance gone from his exhausting night. The world span as he began top slip backwards his knees giving way as he stumbled back and fell onto his lower back with a thud. His vision quickly righted with him being on the floor. He looked up at Moseke above and sighed as he again began to push himself to his feet.

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Mon Oct 31, 2016 12:36 pm

Moseke listened while she sat back on her heels, the butt of her staff sitting down in the dirt and crossing her body to touch her shoulder. So, the beast had no particular center point of creation. It did not sound like it came from a Fracture nearby, nor did it seem to have a particular person involved. At least, as far as she could tell. The creature may have been easily corrupted as forest wolves had a significantly higher drive to kill, but the shadow that had corrupted it was pure evil. What kind of monster would create something like that? Her instincts proceeded to lump her own sister, Lisirra, into the category, but this was different. She killed in subtle ways, now with shadow puppets. Audrae? No, the shadow queen would not possible be interested in starting a war with Desnind now.

Ti’niva’s movement to stand was curious to her, but she appreciate the respect. Many of her people did not out right know her as he now did. She often came to them disguised, so being honored as her true self held a different allure to it. “Ke’ua àbo ies srä ẹbọv sev jasi.” He had given her a lot to think about, and she wanted to discuss the weight it had with Ymiden. Maybe in his journeys across Idalos, he had come across more information.

“Dav takip ọfïïsï eo. Erè ies miu abin azuk anou Sev'ryn ọwọpọ. Ti’niva!” She had barely gotten the words out when his world began to spin. Had she not been crouched down, she probably would have reacted faster and been able to catch him. Instead, he landed with a thud on the small of his back. She was standing up and promptly was over him. Despite her external healing of his wound, she was still incapable of revitalizing him of his weakness. Only rest and food would be able to do that.

Moseke placed a hand on his shoulder, applying enough pressure to keep him in his now seated position. “Dav takip shäurï. Sev säkọdä ciuzui ke’u skepek,” Moseke commanded. She weaseled one arm under his arm closed to her, wrapping it around his back. Her staff and other arm slid under the crook of his knees, ready to carry him as if he were a small child. Of course, he was a full grown Sev’ryn, and she expected him to fuss and resist. She was seen as a woman, slighter of frame than most Sev’ryn men. Yet, she was an Immortal, and their strength appeared limitless to mortals. She stood without effort, tucking his larger frame up against her.

“Hargitsi ke’ua ligoks tìflrr ke’u hìtua ìparí sädudä. Miu hïvyọ ies odi ẹbọv ọsïsẹ sọ av Sev’ryn,” Moseke advised, before taking off at a sprint towards what she assumed to be his camp.

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Mon Oct 31, 2016 9:03 pm

Ti looked around slightly concerned by the fact that an immortal, and not just any immortal but Moseke, was lifting him from the floor. Ti's cheeks blushed slightly as he was overcome by embarrassment. He felt slightly ashamed that he couldn't have made his own way, yet who was he to refuse an immortal. In some ways he thought it would more disrespectful to refuse her help so he stayed still and allowed her to carry him. She proceeded to tell him that he needed to close his eyes and so he did. He wondered what could possibly be so bad about her running fast it was something he had never really considered.

With a gust of wind hitting his cheeks he suddenly felt the lurch forward as Moseke began to sprint off. Ti knew he shouldn't open his eyes but he couldn't resist his curiosity. Surely a peek could not be that bad, Ti opened his eye just a little and watched the trees passing by. The whole forest was a blur the trees whizzed by, the ground passed under Moseke's feet faster than Ti could register and her legs moved faster than was humanly possible. Ti quickly closed his eyes as he began to feel nauseous, he could feel his stomach convulsing but he managed to calm it. He relaxed and his stomach got better.

They had soon reached Ti's home clearing where Moseke had placed him down just outside of the lean to. Ti took a moment to find his footing as he took in his surroundings. The amount of time it had taken for them to reach the glade was incredible, Ti had never believed it possible to cover such a distance in so little time. For a brief moment he thought maybe he was dreaming as everything was so unbelievable, he had fought a dark shadow monster, he had met Moseke and now he had been carried by an immortal at incredible speed. Ti looked to Moseke who seemed to be willing him to the lean to, he assumed to rest his weary body.

"Ofïïsï ke’u, ke’u jasi saved eo ar sev aji lẹẹkan kọv ke’ua lakabin." Ti said as he sat down into his bed and leaned against the trunk of the tree his body suddenly feeling better. The stress of standing was much more than usual with his weakness, he already felt himself getting sleepy. He looked up at Moseke and smiled showing his gratitude to the immortal standing over him. Ti relaxed in the bed pulling the blanket up over his body as he waited to see what would happen next.

"Dẹọdọ comes swotu?" Ti asked curious if Moseke knew what she was going to do about the creatures. Ti was already wondering whether he would see these creatures again and whether Desnind would call men to arms to fight the beasts. He, feeling somewhat the most experienced, felt his skills could be rather useful if this were to happen. He was ready to help in any way he could and he wanted to make sure it was possible for his people to stay safe through the possible ordeals that may soon occur.

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Wed Nov 02, 2016 2:48 pm

Moseke dashed through the forest at what seemed like an incredible speed. To an Immortal, her speed was equivalent to that of a normal human being. Her legs would not appear blurred like they were to human eyes. Then again, she was the daughter of an Original Being. There was no surprise she was unique. She smiled a little when she caught site of the quick peek that Ti’niva took of the world around him. She could only imagine what it felt like as a mortal to be traveling at such speeds.

She began to slow down on the outskirts of his camp, appearing to walk into the camp when they arrived. She approached the lean-to, setting him gently down on his bed so that he might adjust himself for sleep. He spoke of thankfulness and debt. At this, she simply shook her head, adjusting herself to a standing position outside the lean-to. She poked the butt of her staff into the dirt, rolling the shaft of the birch between her fingers. “Pẹlẹv ies syayvi lakabin. Erè ies miu wunu.”

She turned suddenly in a different direction. Something had changed and it seemed to brighten her mood. Moseke could feel him approaching well before any other Immortal could. With similar speed, a half-naked man arrived. His skin was a lighter tan than hers, but he had similar dark hair. His square jaw was lined with neat short beard. His eyes were sky blue and glittering when he set eyes upon Moseke. He wore baggy shorts that were rough and torn at the edges. It was made from a light and soft fabric, probably hand spun from a plant material. His legs were thick with black hair, but the muscles beneath were well cut beneath his skin. His upper body was unclothed, as that was how he preferred to walk among men. Unlike Moseke, who went barefoot in the forest, he wore a pair of worn brown sandals. The man approached Moseke in a way that was loving and kind, but there were no physical gestures of love. His gaze was enough.

“Moseke. There is something going on. There is to be a meeting involving many of our cousins. Rumor has it mortals will be joining us,” His baritone voice sported a language Ti’niva probably never heard before. The Ancient Language was melodic and strange to mortal ears.

“Does it pertain to the shadow creatures?”

“You know of them?”

“I had been investigating some disturbances in the Lori. Ti’niva,” Moseke paused, gesturing to her clueless mortal friend, “…encountered one of them. He was on his way to Desnind to warn our people.”

“Bring him with us. That information may prove to be useful.”

“Where will we be going?” Moseke inquired, tapping her fingers impatiently. Ymiden was being vague, as he often was. Conversations with him seemed to take a lot longer than they needed to because she had to ask him so many questions.

“Ne’haer. Have Jesine bring him through Emea. He looks like he could use the sleep. Weakness would be unbecoming for a representative of Desnind.”

Moseke nodded, turning to address Ti’niva. Ymiden simply folded his arms across his broad chest, staring at the man with a blank face. Moseke knelt down next to Ti’niva, smiling. “Sunä tare. Srä hìtua bou'eri itpiñ kọv ke’ua ma’aikata.”

The Immortal stood, joining Ymiden. Unlike him, she placed a light kiss on his cheek in greeting. This seemed to loosen his appearance a little as he unfolded his arms. His only acknowledgement of Ti’niva was a slight nod in goodbye. Then, he was gone, racing off in Desnind’s direction. All that Ti’niva may have noticed would have been a light wind passing him by as he went off in the direction that the Sev’ryn and Immortal had originally come.

“Sev hìtua ïstïnbädï ke’u sẹhẹmu.” With that Moseke was gone, chasing after Ymiden.

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Wed Nov 02, 2016 3:02 pm

Rewards!

Name: Ti'Niva

Knowledge:

Meditation: Praying for Guidance
Endurance: The Limits of the Body
Immortal: Moseke
Immortal: Ymiden
Moseke: Mother of the Sev'ryn
Moseke: Carries a Custom Birch Staff
Moseke: Healer
Moseke: Lover to Ymiden
Ymiden: Lover to Moseke
Moseke: Curious about the Shadow Creatures
Moseke: Unnatural Speed and Agility
Intelligence: Sharing Information with Others
Linguistics: Moseke knows Xanthean

Injuries: The injury sustained from the shadow beast has been completely healed by Moseke. You need to rest to fully regain your strength and you will still be easy to tire while you recuperate from the blood loss. Approximately 7 trials are needed until he returns to 100% function.

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 5/5
Structure: 5/5
Fame: +5 (Meeting Moseke)
Loot: None

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Comments: This was a very fun thread to write. I am extremely grateful that you used the Xanthean translator to have Ti'niva speaking in his native language. That was very well done in response to my use of it. It makes the story more fun to read knowing that there are other languages in use around Idalos. You have continued to improve with your writing, but watch out for run-on sentences as always. Next time I will have to dock you a point and point out some further areas for improvement. Well done and I look forward to our next thread. Thank you for your patience!

If you feel I've missed anything or if you have questions about your review, please don't hesitate to send me a quick PM. Thank you!

• Closed • Beware of the Shadows

14th of Vhalar 716

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