1/27/2012 - True Love Waits - Falling Waters Caern (and other places) - Open

The Umbra around Falling Waters tends to be a quiet place. A few spirits flit about on their business and the occasional Garou wanders by. But tonight that silence is disturbed by the sound of drums and marching soldiers coming up from the Heart.

At the head of the column is a man with a deer's head. He is completely naked except for the drum he holds under one arm. He beats rhythmically on the drum with the other.

And behind him they come, marching in perfect time to the spirit's drum beat; spirits of Wisdom and War, Nature spirits, spirits of animals, spirits of emotions, spirits of dreams, they march in a neat column, two by two, and they march in silence. Most are armed, some with guns, some with spears, some with swords. All have a grim expression.

For several minutes they pass, the sound of the drum growing more and more distant, until only the pounding of feet against Umbral stone can be heard. And still they come. How many can there be?

As Works for Food is standing talking in the Umbra with Adom -Ryha, Wishbone, and Ashmore he is quite supprised at the War Party comming out of the Caern.

Wishbone... get to the Maid see if you can find out what is going on alert the Sept I will see where they are going..... Oh... and take this... for now... *hands Wishbone his shoulder bag*

From the rear of the procession comes the blast of a trumpet, followed by a melodic voice,

" Make way, make way. The Queen will pass.
Queen of Ice and Snow, Maid of the Mists.

Make way, make way. The Queen will pass.
Duchess of the Kingdom of Apples, Daughter of Thunder.

Make way, make way, Grandfather will pass. "
Called Hirum, Lord of the Shadows.

Make way, make way. Grandfather will pass.
Lord of Stormcrows, Master of Thunder.

Sees sits watching the procession with a bemused look. His tail thumps the ground to the beat of the spirits drum.

Sewer Pipe takes off after the spirit.... anything that looks like it is going to war interested him, intensely.

Skippy's tongue lolls out as he watches excitedly. He's never seen anything quite like this before! It's so pretty! He restrains his happy bark; you aren't supposed to bark in the house when everyone else is quiet. He sits on his haunches on the sidelines and waits.

At the Front of the Line:

Sewer Pipe and Works for Food head for the front of the procession. The drummer in front does not acknowledge them, and as the two Garou arrive, the group steps out of the Bawn and into the night sky. An unseen highway seems to extend under the group (including the Garou if they choose to continue along), and the column marches off into the night sky.

Given the chant, it's a pretty safe bet that the Maid already knows about this. Wishbone instead accompanies his packmates; this is something he wants to see in person.

*Coming upon the procession, going over to Sees.*

"Any idea what this is all about?"

Sees crane's his neck scenting the wind for the proclaimed individuals as he speaks to Ashmoore.

"Its a line of not humans. They're howling the coming of two or four. Maid of the Mists, Daughter of Thunder, Lord of the Shadows and Master of Thunder. Big names, and big line; must mean big spirits. If you're feeling lucky run along the sky-way with them. I wait for those foretold."

Sees in Darkness and Adom stand transfixed by the spectacle of it all. After some time, the crowd changes from random spirits to tall men with the faces and wings of crows. These men all carry ornate wooden staves with blunded ends over their right shoulders. Their features are cold and their expression fixed.

As they pass the procession ends. Now only two more shapes remain to emerge out of the darkness.

The first is an old red-skinned man, his grey hair in a topknot that streams several feet behind him. He needs no cane to walk, but carries a bound iron rod in his right hand. The rod seems alive with energy, crackling static electricity jumps and echos across the room as he passes.

Behind him, carried on a litter by four ice elementals, is a creature that must be the Maid. But this is not her normal appearance. Her skin is powered white, she wears a jagged crown of blue ice and white crystal across her brow. She wears a blue robe that streams around and behind her frozen throne. A ivory bow and a quiver of ornate arrows lie across her lap.

The two pass as stately and as formal as the rest of the procession, the line pausing only as the Maid is about to depart the Bawn. The rest of the group already stretches off into the night sky of the Umbra. Stretches off as far as the eye can see.

THE WILD HUNT MARCHES ACROSS THE LAND ONCE MORE. ANY WARRIORS BRAVE AND TRUE MAY JOIN US.

Wishbone's face doesn't show awe well; it's too ugly. There's an expression of awe there now, though. He bows his head with profound respect.

<< Hail, Lelawala, Maid of the Mists and Queen of the Waters. We sing your return. Hail, Hirum, Thunder-Lord, Shadow-Walker. We honor your guidance and your power. >>

He keeps his head bowed until the two principals have passed.

(OOC Note: I will give 24 hours (Until 7pm on 2/2) for anybody interested in joining the Hunt to indicate they're joining the procession. Please post if you are joining up, a private thread will be formed for those coming along. Feel free to post reactions and discussion about this odd event in this thread in the meantime, there's time enough for some discussion before the Hunt departs.)

Current characters:
Wishbone
Ashmoore
Works for Food
Skippy
Aisling
John Duval
Joshua Davis

*Ashmoore is there, snuffs out his smokes, and joins in.*

Skippy seems inexorably drawn in. His head darts left and right to take in all the sights and sounds and smells. "It's so..." He gets distracted before he can finish. He runs along the procession as it passes. As the announcement rings out he says "Brave? True? That's me!" happily but quietly, so as not to disrespect the parade's gravity as he joins it, marching along proudly.

Wishbone goes nowhere alone
Works for Food is In

Adom approaches the Maid as she waits to depart.

"My lady, if this one might be so bold. Can he inquire as to the objective of this Hunt?"

Both the Lady and Hirum/Grandfather Thunder turn to face the elder. The old spirit raises his iron rod and points it towards Adom, but the Maid raises her right hand. Her voice echoes through the Bawn, though her mouth does not move.

You have done us a disservice, Adom Rhya. You are haughty and arrogant. You have earned our extreme displeasure.

Adom is aghast, " This one begs pardon, can he ask as to the nature of his slight? "

You do not understand what you have done. After you purged that spirit, you spoke a few words to her and left her to her own devices. Now that she is purged, she will remember who she was. The Enemy cannot be allowed to have her.

Hirum nods, lowering his weapon. There is not much time. The Dancers already have her. They cannot be allowed to bring her to Scar. I will not tolerate the Garou losing this Caern again.

Adom falls to one knee, his head bowed. He does not rise.

At grandfather thunder's word, Aisling is at attention and poised to follow. "I will help in this endeavor." She states, surprisingly solemn for her usual trickster nature."

*Joshua grabs his quarter staff and follows the procession.*

Stbrian wrote:Adom falls to one knee, his head bowed. He does not rise.

*As Ashmoore passes, he places a hand on Adom's shoulder.

"Let's go; at least we get a chance to set it right."

A short while after an impatient-sounding howl is answered by the warders ((Brian: I assume John has no problem approaching the Caern.)), a large, black wolf comes running up. It stops dead at the sight of the Maid and of Thunder, beholding both for the first time. He bows his head a bit, his confidence still about him but a degree of measured caution and control apparent as well. He stands beside Aisling.

A garou murmur, quiet yet stern, like a distant gathering storm, escapes his mouth, "Hail to Thunder..."

It's tough for a Garou in Crinos to pale; all that fur. Wishbone does look sick at the prospect voiced by the Maid and Grandfather Thunder. He straightens up, despite his injuries. So much of wolf communication is posture, and though he doesn't speak, his stance speaks volumes: this is something he will see through to the end, or die in the process.

As the group rises off into the sky, Adom slowly rises to his feet. He salutes the departing group with a crisp British style salute, then he walks slowly back into the Caern, slowly clenching and unclenching his left hand as he does.

{Thread Locked}
/Everybody on the list should have access to the event board. If you don't, PM me, yo.