• Open • Remember That You Must Die (Graded)

[Woe]

23rd of Vhalar 719


Woe knelt by the grave of his adopted daughter, Werthom. Around a depressed area before a hillock, topped by a large oak and littered with many small flowers such as forget-me-nots, she was buried. There was no proper stone or marker yet to memorialize her, but he was glad for one thing. Her shade rested easy, and didn't linger in this realm. Unlike many others, who persisted with thoughts of vengeance against the living, Werthom's spirit held no such prejudice. Her death, sudden as it was, had been a freak accident. Once, he had blamed himself countless times for the events leading to her demise. Now, he was past the self-pity phase.

So he continued to kneel, meditating on Werthom and keeping her in his thoughts as he wished her a safe and happy existence in whatever lay Beyond. His hands rested on his knees as he closed his eyes, letting the Mid Vhalar winds blow over him, sweeping the oak leaves to the winds.

He heard or rather felt a presence behind him then. The corner of his mouth twisted. It was Heen.

"Grief doesn't rest well on your shoulders, Woe." She snidely remarked. "Who'd have thought that one who used to sell children into slavery, would pine over one that he only knew for such a short time?"

Woe grit his teeth, unable to resist responding to her, "That was different. I was responsible for her. She went with me because I set her on the path that ended here. I could have made her life better, found some redemption at least. A normal life. Away from the webspinners."

He fought against the tears welling in his eyes. In the end he was successful in swallowing them down, and keeping them under wraps.

"Begone, Shade. Haunt me some other time."

[Juniper]

23rd Trial of Vahlar, Arc 719

Juniper was on Bone's back once again, searching for a spot that they could be safe to get some rest. Somewhere outside of the city to be able to attract less and less attention. She didn't really know where to go though, to be honest, she really needed a place to call home. Someplace she would be able to say she felt safe. But, being surrounded by humanoids was a constant danger. Not only to her but to Bone as well. She found herself lost in thought, letting Bone go where she wanted for a little while. It made things easier for Bone too so that she could fly where it would be easier for her.

After a few trills though, Juniper looked forward and down to a scene she didn't understand. She nudged Bone a little bit to have her start to head down. Words were something that she couldn't hear from this distance. Not that she felt like she wanted to. A chill ran up her bark as she watched one of the forms just disappear. She frowned a little bit. Who was that... thing? Was it a person? A spirit of some sort? Someone that had magic? Whoever or whatever it was Juniper wasn't sure if she wanted to get closer to the man that was kneeling at the tree.

Something told her that she should though. That maybe this man needed someone other than... whatever that was... to talk to? Why did she care about what humanoids needed? She didn't know. All she knew was that Bone was already getting really close to the guy as if Bone had read the Tunawa's mind. Juniper still wondered how Bone did that sometimes. It was like Bone understood more about the world than she did. Which, maybe Bone had access to primal memories that she didn't. Juniper might never know.

They alighted on a low hanging tree branch. Bone's large and strong wings flapping in the air, making the most wonderful sound. The low hanging branch allowed Juniper to be at about the man's height if he were to stand up. Though at the moment she wasn't even sure if he'd noticed her presence. What should she do? Was it really wise for her to confront this man? What if he lashed out and ended up hurting Bone. She clutched the reins a bit and looked at the sky. They could always escape up there. As long as he didn't have a bow and arrow, though if they used the tree to cover their escape, luck would hopefully be on their side.

Looking over the man once more he looked, sad? She looked to the ground he knelt before. Her head tilting to the side a bit as she lifted herself out of the saddle and climbed onto the branch as steadily as she could. Unfortunately for her, a strong gust rushed in through the foliage and tossed her down from the branch. This caused her to be launched toward the man, her lightweight thwacking against his chest. She groaned in disorientation as she fell to the ground at his knees. Now looking up at the large figure she scrambled backward with a bit of fear. Of COURSE, she'd have to get into some ridiculous situation. Every time she met someone knew of her own accord it always happened that something wild happened. Did she just have no luck? Or just the strangest luck. Bone shrieked and prepped to save Juniper but she put a hand up to her Hen Harrier. She was going to try to have a conversation with this man if he had even noticed her bumping into him. She cleared her throat and looked up at the man who looked so sad now that she was closer.

"I.. I don't normally just... I.. I'm sorry... Juniper here... Uhm.. Big humanoid uhm.. you're sad? Did I di.. disturb you? Shall I leave?"

[Woe]

The day was filled with the activities of wildlife, and falling leaves of the trees in oranges, reds, yellows and sometimes even purple hues. It seemed, after the war, life just went on. It was a fairly depressing prospect, that everyone would end up forgotten one day, and all of this remembrance would be for nothing. Civilization built edifices to record the passage of those who sought to defy nature. Nature buried them all in the end.

The shade disappeared, but entered into Woe's mind, possessing him symbiotically as was her habit. He allowed it, had no reason to fear her, given that she was reliant on his continued existence in order to evade the hell that awited her in the Beyond. Woe felt a sudden chill, as he heard a bird screeching overhead. Then a bit of flapping of wings.

Woe was almost shocked when the small figure smacked against his chest, and then fell sprawled out on the grave of his adopted daughter. He stood stunned for a few moments, then he took a look at what it was that had hit him. Then, oddly, it began speaking... in common.

The voice was odd, melodic, and had a strange quality to it. Woe tried to attune to the person it belonged to, but came up with nothing. Strange that. Was it possible he wasn't skilled enough to attune to every individual he tried? He certainly thought so, as he'd failed many times in his arcane manipulations. Yet there was something different about this. It was as if attunement simply didn't see her there.

So he blinked, to confirm that he wasn't going mad. There in front of him he saw what could only be described as a small plant-person. The Tunawa stood, sheepishly looking up at him, asking if he was sad. "No more than usual. This place has always brought me peace, though, apart from the city."

"You didn't disturb me, only came as a surprise. What... who are you? And what are you? I've never seen one of your kind before." Woe looked at her, reaching out to detect the shape and color of her tangle, but came back with nothing once again. Remarkable. Was she even a person, he wondered? Did she have a soul or was she one of those spirit beings he heard about occasionally.

His familiar, a wolf spider, crawled from behind his neck and onto his shoulder, giving her a good look. Woe looked to the spider and then back at the tunawa, "Don't worry, he means well. He's no threat."

"What brings you here?"

[Juniper]

23rd Trial of Vahlar, Arc 719

Juniper suddenly had this feeling that she was invading on this man's space. She frowned at that. Every being needed time alone, and here she was probably intruding on this man's need to be in solitude. When he said that he wasn't any more sad than normal, she wondered what had happened to make him feel so sad or even not feel at all. She'd seen some of her own not able to cope with their emotions and push them aside, it was never pretty when they finally got overwhelmed. Though with a quick look over the man, she determined that he hadn't completely closed himself off yet.

In fact, he was surprised by her appearance. Surprise was an emotion no? Well no matter, she listened to his words, trying to get a bearing on what he was thinking. She was actually about to respond to his words even when she saw it. The arachnid. For a moment she paused, flashbacks of nightmares flittering in her head before she shook it off and smiled a bit, reaching up a bit to indicate to the spider that it was okay for it to get closer.

"I don't mind him. He's cute, to be honest."

Her smile was soft, gentle, almost a harsh comparison to her wooden being. She smoothed her leaves down which seemed to be wilting a bit, a sign of the seasons, and maybe not enough sustenance. All Woe might be able to make out was that she seemed to match the dying plants as she seemed wilted and maybe a little tired. She tilted her head a bit as she processed his questions. If the spider came up to her she would pet it just above its eyes very carefully, in almost a greeting.

"I'm a Tunawa silly, there are still beings that don't know of us? I guess we are quite small. Our size lends us to many... sufferings. Anyways. I am Juniper. Bone and I have been stranded here for a time as we don't know where else to go. I do apologize for just dropping in, but we tend to just wander till we either find food or shelter. We try not to stay in the same place too much."

She looked up at the man and smiled a bit more, almost seeming to laugh a bit.

"Do you come here often? It does seem to be a peaceful place for certain.

She looks to the stone that Bone was perched on. It really did look like a grave. She moved to step off the mound so that she wasn't being disrespectful, which meant that she was keeping her hands to herself once more unless the wolf spider followed her or tried to get her to touch it again. In all reality, Juniper was still really young. Ready to have some fun for once, be able to relax for real for once. Nothing seemed to lend itself to her actually being a kid. She'd had to grow up fast on that ship here. Her eyes burned for a moment. She would never trust them again, those damned sea rats. It was so close that she didn't want to trust humans at all. But at this time, it wasn't really something she could easily avoid. At least, the interacting with humans part.

[Woe]

The spirit being... this tunawa as she called herself, was certainly an interesting creature. Woe felt his mood uplifted ever so slightly by the presence of the tiny tree person. He couldn't place just why that was. Perhaps it had something to do with them being inaccessible to the magics of Woe's sparks.

It's as if she has no tangle. Very interesting. He lifted his hand to his mouth, to cover his smirk in a fit of self-consciousness. He really wasn't the type to smile.

His spider crawled down his arm carefully. The wolf spider apparently wanted a closer look at this creature that was having words with its master. Once it got to the palm of his hand, it began to move its forelegs, doing a little dance for her. Spiders sometimes did strange things like that, perhaps he thought her a kindred spirit?

"Well, feel free to er... pet him?" Most people were repulsed by spiders, but Woe had always. Even if he hadn't been raised a webspinner, he suspected he'd still enjoy spiders.

"He's a good spider..." Woe went on, "Interesting thing about this type of spider, he doesn't weave webs. Wolf spiders hunt and trap and corner prey, they don't make webs."

"A tunawa, you say? I'm from Rynmere... I don't believe there are many of your kind there. I think I've heard of your kind though, while in Yaralon. There's a small enclave if I remember correctly."

Woe lifted a brow at the name of Bone. "Bone is your bird companion, Juniper?" At her stating that she tended not to stay in one place, he had to chuckle. "Another restless traveler. Well met then. I never seem to settle down myself."

"Yes I come here every few days, since coming back from the wars to the south... My daughter is buried here." Woe nodded somberly. "Don't worry about your bird perching on her grave, I suspect she'd appreciate your animal."

A twinge of sadness reverberated in his tangle, but he suppressed the call to sadness. With the aid of his spark, he denied the descent into dark sorrow.

"So, what of you? Have you lived in these parts long? What can you tell me of Etzos?" Woe asked in genuine interest. "I've only been here a season, and that feels long enough. Yet for all that time I know very little of the people here."

[Doran]

Woe:

Knowledge:
[*]Animal Training: Showing someone your spider familiar.
[*]Animal Training: Letting the spider familiar dance a bit.
[*]Intelligence: Contact: Juniper, a tunawa.
[*]Psychology: Basic thanatology.
[*]Psychology: Mourning at the site of burial can relieve some of the sadness.
[*]Socialization: Basic Introduction

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

Juniper:

Knowledge:
[*]Acrobatics: Taking a tumble.
[*]Mount: Flying: Dive-bombing a mourner.
[*]Mount: Flying: Recovering from a spill.
[*]Socialization: Come here often?
[*]Socialization: Basic Introduction.
[*]Socialization: Being sweet of disposition.

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: -
Points: 15

- - -

Comments: It’s a pity that this thread was abandoned. I wanted to know if Juniper would indeed pet Woe’s spider!

I thought that the first post in which Woe knelt by his daughter’s grave was well-written. I found it interesting that Woe couldn’t detect anything when he examined Juniper’s tangle. Is this what normally happens when you use Attunement on a Tunawa?

Anyway, enjoy your rewards!