Pagan Gods: Of Brotherhood and War

00:42 Ceadda_TheWarrior: Nods to the @minotaur21560 my journey here begins
00:44 minotaur21560: "well met, warrior, what brings you here?"
00:52 Ceadda_TheWarrior: Looks around..hands steady…”I am looking for the one who will bring peace and healing to my lands.”
00:55 minotaur21560: "There are powerful spirits here, but I don't know of one who would serve. What is it that plagues your land?"
00:57 Ceadda_TheWarrior: I turn meeting eyes with this my fellow warrior… “the dark power known as chaos…it has taken many…i bested with my wolf mate, sadly it took his life…but chaos has returned and with a vengeance.”
00:59 minotaur21560: "what form or forms does the chaos take, warrior?"
01:01 Ceadda_TheWarrior: “Many…from human to knights, to monsters…whatever it wants to take life”
01:02 minotaur21560: "These woods so far are still peaceful, though we also feel shadows gathering. Your land, how far is it from here?"
01:03 Ceadda_TheWarrior: “Far…it took weeks and battles to arrive at the legendary pagan woods”
01:10 minotaur21560: "Speaking selfishly, that is good, that the evil in your land would need to travel far to reach this place."
01:22 Ceadda_TheWarrior: “You land is safe…mine is falling…therefore the goddess said here I would find the one.”
01:23 minotaur21560: "That is good, you are welcome here. Come into the lodge house, shed your armor, rest and eat."
01:25 Ceadda_TheWarrior: “I can not rest while my land suffers…I must complete my quest.”
01:26 minotaur21560: "Yes, but the body must be replenished and taken care of, else all quests will fail.
01:27 Ceadda_TheWarrior: I am hesitant but I nod and agree
01:30 minotaur21560: I am the Dark General as you see from the double red cord of my rank. There is good food and drink here. Also we are near hot springs, so you may wash yourself in restorative waters piped here from them."
01:33 Garras: At a table, a hunkered ebonfurred beast is in the middle of revealing fangs that scythe down and wrench free a hunk of venison, his grizzled ursine muzzle lifting up to lool at the general and a stranger, his nose twitching as he gets the scent. "Hail." The guttural growling voice a little muffled by his meal.
01:34 minotaur21560: "Lord Bear, this traveler comes from a far off realm, one sore afflicted by plague and ill-wind. I wondered if this his tales might help us better prepare for the trials sure to come our way."
01:38 Madison_Jones: "Another traveler has appeared?" I come walking up with my quarterstaff.
01:40 Ceadda_TheWarrior: I follow the Minotaur and see a great bear…my heart leaps as memories of my bear come to mind…”Lord Bear it is an horror” i bow.
01:40 Ceadda_TheWarrior: I see a man approach. “Good day, I am here on the quest, the goddess sent me to find the one”
01:41 Madison_Jones: "Good day. I'm Madison, nice too meet you. Which goddess may I ask?"
01:41 minotaur21560: "This is a good question. Not all of them are good..."
01:43 Ceadda_TheWarrior: I look at Madison…”it is good to meet you…but in my land there is only one goddess…we only seek her the mighty Oracle of light…the keeper of sun and moon…the goddess of light, she is mother bear, leader of pack, and she-cat of the southern tribes.”
01:46 minotaur21560: The light seems to have been afflicted by darkness of late
01:46 Ceadda_TheWarrior: “We have darkness there…the one I seek will help me vanquish the great deceiver Chaos..”
01:46 Garras: The bear finds his stormy white brows rising at the sense of recognition in the warrior's eyes and there's a kind of wonder in his dark brown oak but, nods, havinglet the conversation take its course.
01:47 Madison_Jones: "The great deceiver Chaos...."
01:48 Ceadda_TheWarrior: “Yes we battled him for months, my wolf and I lead the armies of the west…we bested him…but it took the life of my wolf mate.”
01:50 minotaur21560: I put a hand on the bear's thick coat and say to him "We should ally ourselves with this one - it is clear that his experience will be useful here. Likely his enemies may become our own."
01:53 Garras: The bear snorts softly and looks down at his meal. "When it was but one man, I was right to be concerned there would be those that would follow. I can admit having been overzealous and will make my amends in due time. Until then, i am simply fulfilling my role here as forest guardian spirit."
01:53 Ceadda_TheWarrior: “The goddess led me…to edge of our lands…then through vast lands I am unfamiliar with filled with dark being…finally to a gate shrouded in light..the gate led me here”
01:55 Ceadda_TheWarrior: “Great Bear Lord…(I address @Garras)…I mean no ill will and only will pass by your lands to find the promised one…I will leave when my quest is complete…I give you my blade as you need and your have highest respect.”
02:01 Garras: "There have been many ripples spreading across the surface these days." The bear takes his horn and takes a drink of mead, taking a brief moment to savor it. "..i feel soon these ripples will collide as the fade gets thinner. These are trying times but any battle fought against the winding grip of chaos benefits the land. I do not recognize fate, but i recognize a soul doing what he believes is right. The forest thanks you for also availing your services to us."
02:02 Garras: He picks at his meat for a moment with a claw. "But you may also find what you are looking for here."
02:04 Ceadda_TheWarrior: I bow to the bear…my heart leaps as the bear speaks as I miss my bear dearly. I nod to the bear in honor. “My apologies for any ripples I my presence has caused.”
02:06 minotaur21560: I notice the new recruit, a hybrid wolf-man and bid him welcome.
02:07 Garras: The bear smiles a slow private smile towards Ceadda. "One does not begrudge the snow, when the water has been in motion for millennia."
02:08 Ceadda_TheWarrior: “Wise Lord Bear, you speak with the knowledge of the great mother bear.”
02:09 Ceadda_TheWarrior: “My Madison the mighty Minotaur was showing a place to rest.”
02:09 Gruff_the_Wild_One: Not too long after the Bear stopped speaking, another beast would appear in the room. Standing tall and built like a tank as he looked down upon Ceadda. Looking over towards Minot and giving him a smile. "Thank you, General Minot." He wasn't going to interfere unless spoken to by the new person that had entered.
02:10 minotaur21560: Gruff is a soldier, stalwart and strong, and also as a beast of the woods will have knowledge of the natural world which mortal men may not.
02:12 Madison_Jones: "Yeah, as a city boy myself, it's a little tough out here. I used to go camping as a kid with my dad, and often head out camping from time to time... this place is completely untamed though. It's... beautiful."
02:15 Gruff_the_Wild_One: "I have ample knowledge of this land but there is much left I have yet to discover. Welcome, Caedda. Name's Gruff."
02:15 Ceadda_TheWarrior: I nod in honor to @Gruff_the_Wild_One
02:16 Ceadda_TheWarrior: My eyes linger on the mighty beast which reminds me of my noble wolf mate. I try not stare but my heart aches.
02:18 Garras: Catching sight of Caedda from the corner of his eye, the bear smiles warmly a he flicks anear in recognition to Gruff. "You've settled in here very quickly. As is only natural, befitting a beast." The bear drawls with a toothy grin.
02:19 minotaur21560: I show Caedda the place to lay down his armor and wash in the hot mineral spring water piped up from below. I show him how to work the faucet in case he is unfamiliar.
02:19 minotaur21560: and warn him of the high temperature.
02:21 Ceadda_TheWarrior: I follow @minotaur21560
02:21 Carbonel: Returns to the circle of brotherhood
02:22 Ceadda_TheWarrior: I place my armor down…my body is weary…”thank you warrior,” i say addressing the @minotaur21560
02:22 Madison_Jones: I come up to The Shaman for a hug after the grand gathering the other night.
02:23 Gruff_the_Wild_One: That fanged grin would fall upon Gruffs muzzle as Garras took recognition to his brother in arms. "You know me, I can adapt to most anything with the greatest of ease." Giving the fellow beast a nudge with his elbow.
02:24 Madison_Jones: "Now I must return to my land of plastic pollution, excessive greed, and hungry puppies. I shall see you all again sometime." I depart.
02:24 Garras: Retaliates with a healthy groping of his brother's balls. "Aye. I know it to be true." He chuckles before turning and waving Madison off with a loose salute.
02:25 Carbonel: Hugs the Dark MAgician
02:25 Carbonel: and whispers discreetly in his ear
02:26 minotaur21560: I help Ceadda unstrap his armor and am last seen inside the bathroom as the door closes.
02:28 Gruff_the_Wild_One: Salutes to Madison before he heads off despite his junk being jostled. "Careful Garras, you know what happened last time ya did that." While the bear had the front, the hybrid took akin to the bears hindquarters. Placing a finger between those cheeks.
02:29 Carbonel: Sits down next to Garras "Who's the new kid?"
02:31 Carbonel: Cocks an ear to the wind.... I must attend to something, I will return soon brother.
02:35 Garras: The bear chuckles as he leans against Gruffs core. "I met Gruff far and away from here. He was a fierce beast and when we clashed, the earth shook and the air shuddered. It is perhaps only due to Gruff's mercy that I am alive to aid our forest. I know that when you come to know him better, you will see the strength that I once came to know intimately. Make no mistake my forest friends, Gruff is a brother to the very fiber of his being."
02:47 Gruff_the_Wild_One: His paw trails back up, claws tenderly drawing along his brothers spine. That smile growing more as Garras spoke from deep within his heart, that paw trailing up to a stop onto his brothers shoulder and bringing him in. His love for the bear starting to show little by little. "Aye. Don't take away from what a hell of a fight you put up too, Garras. Your strong-willed determination was unmatched by any other creature I had fought before. That was one of many reasons why I showed mercy. But yes.. what Garras said couldn't be any more true. Now that I'm amongst friends and recruited here, I shall see it through that I protect all you and this forest." He brings his glass up full of mead and downs it with relative ease. "S'aye brother.. How's about I show ya a little more.. intimacy eh?" That hybrid would lean in and give his neck a gentle bite with his fangs.
02:52 Carbonel: Apologies Bear, I did not mean Gruff, we were together at the commissioning the other evening. And I look forward to knowing Gruff better.
02:52 Carbonel: I meant the man with whom the General converses
02:55 Garras: The bear smiles at his brother hybrid and gives him a small grin, his eye glinting with a single word: soon. Then he turns to carbonel once more. "Ah. Ceadda.. Yes. He has come seeking a chosen one. His land is shadowed by the cloud of chaos and unrest. But for the meantime, he is in our company.. Seeking. Resting. He seems powerful. It lends credence to his concerns if he is the seeker and not the besought."
02:56 minotaur21560: *the sound of splashing and happy commotion in the bath reaches the main hall
02:57 Carbonel: curls up by the fire, happy to wait for fate to show what is next
03:00 Ceadda_TheWarrior: A growl of man comes from the bath house…a primal growl of pleasure.
03:00 Gruff_the_Wild_One: A wink in turn to that glinting eye, eyes darting over towards Carbonel as he curls up by the fire. "Yes. Even though he does seem powerful, we still need to keep a watchful eye over him. If need be I'll follow close for when he decides to set off. Want to make sure he arrives safely to wherever his travels take him."
03:06 Carbonel: Purring loudly by the fire, the occasional snore breaking through
03:06 Carbonel: dreaming of bears
03:06 Garras: "That is kind of you brother." The bear finishes off the last of his meal and plucks a persimmon from a dish, using his claw to peel it. "But with the ranks of our forces growing, it may not be long before we are running our own drills and training."
03:07 Garras: "Keep the blood coursing like rapids instead of congealing in the cold." He murmurs with a slight grin.
03:09 Ceadda_TheWarrior: Another primal cry echoes from the bathhouse
03:09 Garras: The bear takes a large bite out of his fruit and smiles.
03:15 Carbonel: The panther's right hind leg begins to twitch and kick out, beating a soft tattoo on the ground.
03:18 Ceadda_TheWarrior: At last a passionate man pleasure moan cries out from the bathhouse into the forest.
03:21 Gruff_the_Wild_One: The hybrid shook his head, standing up and heading over to grab another glass of mead. Hearing a pleasure moan coming from the bathhouse. "Keep it up and you'll be screaming when I come in there!" Gruff sticks his head out the door and yells down the hall.
03:22 Carbonel: The panther wakes and looks up in alarm
03:24 Garras: The bear chuckles softly. "If they don't know you only speak truth, they will find out in short order..." The bear drawls with a nostalgic smile. "They are not prepared." The bear chuckles and then gives Carbonel a placating gesture.
03:25 Carbonel: pads over to the where the bear and Gruff are sitting, and curls up again
03:28 Gruff_the_Wild_One: "Heh. They most certainly won't be that's for sure. Like any other man that seeks pleasure from me damn near split in two." A hearty laugh came from the hybrid before sitting back down, giving that mead a good swig before giving Carbonel a couple gentle scratches behind the ear.
03:28 minotaur21560: *sounds in the bath beginning to subside...
03:37 minotaur21560: *the door opens and the general emerges, skin ruddy from the hot water, his hand on the shoulder of the warrior, now clean who remains bare above the waist.
03:39 Ceadda_TheWarrior: I walk out with the general…skin red from the heat…face blushing from the taking…I walk to the fire, finding a spot and sit on haunches quietly a the fire warms.
03:42 Ceadda_TheWarrior: My eyes get heavy…I grin towards the general…I smile fondly at the bear…this place is wonderful…a promise of light like the goddess said. I lay back my chest full and exposed like a proud warrior. I soon fade.
03:43 minotaur21560: I bring a cover and drape it over the warrior, in hopes that he will rest well while in our company.
03:51 Garras: The bear meets those eyes and nods. All well and as it should be. Reprieve in feeling that ephemeral balm of safety, even in the center of dark wintered woods, beneath the greyed skies.
05:18 Bjarg_the_Demigod: Bjarg opens the door to the lodge and steps inside to the aromas of food, mead, and musk.
05:34 Garras: The bear looks up from his spot at the table and smiles warmly. "Thanks be to your Father Bjarg.. This lodge has already become akin to my cave."
05:36 Bjarg_the_Demigod: Yes, a good place to shelter from the cold and wet of the winter.
05:36 minotaur21560: *Drops to one knee to salute the Lord Maintainer
05:38 Bjarg_the_Demigod: And welcome to Kanga who has just joined us!
05:39 Garras: The bear nods as he scrapes his horn with his thumb and then flicks an ear as he hears that name. "It would seem another of my kin has found his way here. A portentious sign for the forest.. To have such wild beasts press pad to forest loam."
05:41 Bjarg_the_Demigod: The pad of the Red Kangaroo is mighty.
05:42 Garras: The bear chuckles softly and nods. "Even mules are forced to bow in deference to the might that dwells within those sturdy haunches."
05:42 Bjarg_the_Demigod: Indeed
05:47 Garras: He shakes his head and then stands, unfurling his thick armspan and then wrenches his neck from side to side in a cacaphony of grisly pops. "Where have you been wandering forest spirit. Do you need ursine accompaniment? My claws itch for a task. Feasting and safety is all well and good, but..." Trailing off.. His grizzled maw wrinkling for a moment before snorting.
05:49 minotaur21560: "I told the Lord Maintainer that the warrior Ceadda had news from his land which to me suggests that the evil we fear may be less diffuse and more specific. It is easier to defend against a foe that is located somewhere rather than everywhere or nowhere, after all..."
05:52 Bjarg_the_Demigod: "Yes, a specific target is always preferable to some spirit without limit, or shape, or scent."
05:53 Garras: "There is truth in this, but knowing more of my brother beasts are about.. I take some measure of confidence that such finely attuned ears and swift paws will give birth to notice."

Published: 2021-11-17, viewed 27 times.