Sepdet murmurs sorta OOCly "So fill me in. We're in the umbra, right, and just destroyed the mill?
Jess says "Do you need a catch-up Q&A period?"
You say "At least a summary, while Cin's getting her notes."
You say "I gather you scared a logger, and then destroyed the mill somehow, if I understand Cindi's offhand comments right. Is the bane yet to be dealt with?"
Jess says "We were in the Umbra, found this 50' tall big ugly bane, went to the Realm, found its counterpart, a big ugly mill. We (I) crashed a skidder into the generator building, then you and I burned down the mill, while Dia went Crinos and scared the loggers away.
Jess says "Got it?"
Walks-In-Malls nods...
Jess says "Does that follow about what you saw as happening, Cindi?"
Sepdet nods. "So we haven't yet had a chance to see what effect this had on the Bane." Walks-In-Malls says "The big bane was feeding on the naturae that were being slaughtered by the milling... Seems that a sacred grove was being munched..."
Sepdet slips back ICly, and looks worriedly at the spot where the monstrosity was lurking.
Jess waits in the shadows, for the other two to gather, then recommends slipping trough to see what this has done in the Umbral.
Sepdet materializes fairly close by, and, when Dia catches up (doubtless grinning ferally) we cautiously find a cleaner patch of the stream to reach through... assuming there is one.
Jess agrees and follows Sepdet, bowing to her expertise in this....
The Bane sways back and forth, the rich food now denied it as the mill ceases 'production'. It seems to shink in on itself, collapsing like a balloon, though it still is huge and terrible indeed.
Jess looks around. Any sign of the smaller banes which were feeding this one?
The smaller banes seem to be fewer in number. A moment and you see why: The Mother reaches out one of her myraid arms and pops a bane into her mouth, feeding on her Child.
Sepdet shudders. ~Accursed thing...~ She crouches down low by the bank beside you, eyes wide and worried. ~It's fading. Think we could... could take it out? At this rate it should dissipate in a week perhaps, even if we don't.~ she guesses.
Jess says "But what if more come to feed it? It must be dealt with..."
Jess sounds more sure of this than she is...
Jess pages: Dia would want to kill it, wouldn't she?
Sepdet's scowl deepens, watching it. ~Yes. But You think they gonna rebuild that in a week?~ She sounds slightly proud, but is now sizing the bane up, trying to get an idea how strong it is before Dia decides to go after it while we're debating.
You paged Jess with 'Hivemind. :)'.
Jess says "It is still huge...."
Filth and ichor flow downthe stream in a renewed gout. Again, the fingerling spirits are consumed by the acids and poison, dying.
You paged Walks-In-Malls with 'Is it still bigger than, say, that crawler thing we fought at the first revel? Sepdet's fought about 5 banes and lotsa smaller icks. Does it look like there's absolutely no way, or are we in the "not sure" area?
Walks-In-Malls pages: Um, its bigger but....you might be able to take it down...
Jess looks at the stream... "Why are they doing that? Shouldn't it be getting better?"
Jess addresses this to Sepdet, whom she obviously thinks of as wiser than she.
Dia snarls, ~Its shitting out stuff still.~
Sepdet growls ~Trying to take out as much of the mother as it can before it goes... you're right Dia, Jess. We gotta try...~
+shift crinos
Sepdet contorts and blurs as she is transformed.
You shift into Crinos form.
Jess contorts and blurs as she is transformed.
Jess shifts into Crinos form.
Jess thinks....
Sepdet's tone is filled with misgiving, but she draws her knife anyway. She looks questioningly at Dia. ~Try to weaken it, not get pinned? Harry it? Let it come to us, draw it way from the stream.~
Jess says "~Is it getting stronger from the little one's it is injesting?"
Jess says "~I don't think it can move... Look, it only grabs the ones that come close enough...."
Small banes hover around, some being absorbed back into the Mother. Other's flee,trying to escape. A few continue their duties, slaying the small spirits that struggle to survive in the Waste. Mother's body continues to diminish, albeit slowly.
Jess says "If we herd them toward it, it will eat them, then we can turn our attention to it... Without having to watch our backs..."
Jess looks at Sepdet for her reaction to the plan...
Sepdet grins ferally. ~Grand idea, Jess. And I have just the thing....~
Sepdet dips her fetish knife in the water experimentally, eyes narrowed at a nearby bane-child.
You paged Walks-In-Malls with 'I'll wager the klaive doesn't smell very good to it. ;)'.
Jess crouches, her eyes flickering from Sepdet to the bane-chylde...
The bane shies away, the small body flicking thorugh the ooze as it moves away from the klave and its aura of Gaia.
Jess smiles... "Wonderful... I wonder if blessed water would do similar?
Walks-In-Malls brb.
Sepdet thinks. ~Jess... the beginnings of Mother's Touch. Don't go into the whole deal but... yes, blessed water might work too!
Walks-In-Malls contorts and blurs as she is transformed.
Walks-In-Malls shifts into Crinos form.
Cindi has disconnected.
Cindi has connected.
Cindi had to go buy another hour of online time
Jess hugs Cindi, thanking her for her sacrifice for their RPing...
Sepdet oys, and will try to make this brief. Thanks Cin.
Jess gets a flask of water, and starts the ritual she uses for Mother's Touch, instead asking for Gaia to bless the water to help rid them of this blight on her Good land...
Sepdet nods at Dia with a small smile to start circling behind the Bane but please not to attack until she's got backup...we're moving as fast as we can.
The banes shy away from the touch, their larval bodies puckering at the touch. The Mother shrieks her rage, her arms lashing out towards you... Banes flee. They have no loyalty, no love for their creator, only fear.... The huge bane rocks, her flesh pulli
Jess waits, hoping to feel the glow she feels when she purifys water for Mother's touch...
Sepdet snarls as the Bane reacts to Jess' ritual and slashes at the arms, tentacles, or whatever dares come near her friends.
Dia launches her own attack.
The Mother shrieks louder as the chant rises. Several banes answer the call and order, rising towards your postion awkwardly...
Jess turns as the first part of the ritual ends, and uses the blessed water to herd the smaller banes toward the mother...
Sepdet laughs at them and joins in the chant, eyes blazing in crinos glee.
Jess pages: I wonder if MT would help the stream?
You paged Jess with 'I bet it would.'.
Lesser banes lash out, some striking blows, others not. Small cuts appear on the garou, ichor stains fur. They fall and fall back, unable to withstand the Rage...
Jess continues to circle the smaller banes in closer and closer to their warped Master... As she circles, she works her way toward the stream, upstream from the big bane...
Sepdet's knife begins to gleam as she calls on her spirit-friend, her father's only gift to her, and echoes Jess' serene song to Gaia even as she whirls, dances, and slashes at any that goes too close, while Dia no doubt tears into them with her own uniqu
Jess watches Sepdet's battle dance and Dia's straightforward tactics with admiration for their effectiveness.
The banes fall back further, under their Mother's protection. Dia darts forward and is struck by a razor edged tentacle that hurls her to one side.
Jess kneels by the stream, and again chanting a plea to Gaia, she begins the ritual, this time slowly pouring the water from the flask which has already been blessed, back into the stream, praying for it to spread it's goodness and purity on, and lessen t
Sepdet's chant shakes slightly with an angry edge as Dia gets sliced, but she catches herself and holds to her Kailindo training, a whirling blade that does not stand still, her insistent healer's chant coming ragged and fast as she struggles to keep her
The pristine water flows down, mingling with the waters of the stream. They flow into a huge, tooth-lined orfice. With an earshattering scream, the Mother Bane begins to burn, the water searing large chunks from it. Here and there, the skin ruptures and f
Jess grins, and dashes away from the big bane in a circle, running for Dia's side to see her injury...
Jess pages: Yeah! It worked!
A pair of tentacles lash out at Sepdet, looking nothing so much as a pair of mechanical graspers brought to life. Bits of rotted naturae stain them as they close. One is deflected by Sepdet's blade, the other grabbing her shoulder and begining to close.
Jess notices that there is stillsome fight left in the big one, and continues to baattle it, tooth and claw.
Sepdet freezes and slashes at it with her left hand gripping the knife tightly, the other clawed hand locks on and she shuts her eyes, throwing herself into the chant.
You paged Cindi with 'Mother's touch on the damn thing, if a)Sepdet has the strength and mobility, depending on how it hit her and b) if she didn't lose her concentration getting hit.'.
The Mother continues to deflate, her eyes burning with hate as she bleeds her life away. The claw around Sepdet's shoulder begins to smoulder, the metal rusting and flaking away. Blood pours from the wound, gleaming on the metal...
Cindi pages: GOOD choice!
You paged Cindi with 'Unlikely, but, well, it's a cool thing to do.:)'.
Cindi pages: The right thing to do. healing a corruption bane is probably the worst thing you can do to it. From its POV.
Sepdet sags but doesn't let go, her hand still clamped on tight. The blade flickers brighter as she continues to sing, low and insistently, a throbbing soothing song at odds with the wasted obscene landscape immediately around her.
Jess dashes in and out at the BigBane... She flickers in, slashes, and dances out again.
Jess's claws and teeth tear at the rubbery flesh. Broken free from her source of strength, the Mother swiftly fails. Her movemetns grow erratic and weaker until she lies still, an empty bag.
Long distance to Jess: Sepdet hugs from afar. Your idea: do mother's touch on the bane. Sepdet's lesson to you from the last revel: dash in and out, harrying the thing instead of fully engaging it. We make a good team. :)
Jess howls, as the big Blight sags and lies quiet... "FOR GAIA!!!!!"
The lesser banes flee, disappearing into the woods and mountains....
Sepdet stumbles, turns her fall--she's not too hurt, but that took a great deal of energy-- into a reach for the earth. She presses her clawed palms to the ground and lifts up her muzzle. ~FOR GAIA!!!~
Dia raises a fist, getting up with a valiant effort and cries, ~FOR GAIAAA!~ She coughs roughly.
Jess hurries to her friends' sides, quickly assessing their damage. Seing the slashes in Dia's side, she assesses whether she has enough energy left for a healing...
The slashes are deep and ragged, running along each side. The white gleam of bone can be seen, flesh and fur torn away.
Sepdet's shoulder is ripped up yet again; seems to be a favorite target of wyrm-creatures. But after a minute she stands and strides over shakily, adrenalin still carrying her for the moment.
You paged Cindi with 'And same thing with the shoulder? Bone showing? ALso the hand's probably singed...'.
Cindi pages: Hand's burned....
Jess starts to concentrates, but almost falls over from exhaustion.
Jess says "~No good, guys, I can't do it again...~""
Sepdet grits her teeth at her burned hand and plunges it into the water Jess has purified as it slips down the river, then cups both to bring the precious liquid to Dia's side.
The fingerlings flit about the creek aimlessly, confused. The Bane's ichors still taint the river, the foul stains slaying the fish when they touch it.
Jess curls up in a shaky ball, trying to gather her strength.
Sepdet bathes Dia's wounds as best she can, wincing at the depth of them. ~I'm sorry sis... can only stop the flow...~ She's still half tranced from the battle, though the shock of cold water has partially jarred her out of it. She tries to at least close
Jess looks around. "I wonder how far from home we are....
The stream flows to the Sea. All around are mountains, pathless and unknowable...
Sepdet shakes her head. ~Many days... or a mere moonbridge away. Doesn't matter now, we've got to finish... clean.. the river and set.. the pole to rights... that's the important thing...~
Sepdet sighs when she's done all she can, and stands. ~Let's... go back and tell grandmother. Hold my hands...~
Jess nods. "Dia isn't going to do anything today... Let's get back to the lodge, rest over night, and clean up in the morning..."
The path widens, almost seeming to rise up beneath your feet as you stagger down hill. Soon you enter the deeper forest, the sea's roar growing louder.
Sepdet nods. But on the way, as we walk down the stream's edge, she sings softly, the chant she uses for Rite of Cleansing blending with Lahela, her sea-lullaby.
Jess concentrates on helping dia walk, carrying as much of her weight as the stubborn ahroun will allow.
Jess thinks for a moment.
Jess says "If she shifts to lupus, I should be able to carry her, in crinos, shouldn't I?"
Sepdet nods wryly... Um, yeah. Good thing one of us is coherent...
Dia protests weakly but soon changes to Lupus and is carried. Still protesting.
Jess encourages Dia to go lupus, resorting to plain out and out manipulation in the way only a child of 15 can, if necessary.
Sepdet continues to sing, perhaps just to keep her feet from realizing they're exhausted, until we can get back to the lodge and collapse.
As you approach the lodge, you see that it has changed and not for the better. The Lodge has collapsed and the totem has shattered clear though to expose a deep rot that has consumed the wood till only a shell is left...
Jess picks up Dia, cradling her comfortably in her arms until they get close to the lodge.
Jess allows Dia to walk, once they are in sight range, to save her silly ahroun pride. (This last bit unsaid, of course.)
Jess says "Holy handgrenades... What happened?"
Sepdet gives a small cry, breaking off. ~Grandmother Salmon! We've stopped the thing that destroyed the trees, was hurting your children... it's gone!~
Jess rushes to the lodge, stopping at the door to peer inside.
Inside the lodge is the withered body of an old woman, her voice still now for all time. Even as you watch, she fades from sight, absorbed back into the Umbra. A soft voice is heard, an old woman's and a child's both. /Yes, my Children, you have. Truly yo
Sepdet reaches out... oh...
Sepdet sits down hard next to Dia.
Jess stands in the doorway, tears running down her Crinos-furred cheeks... "But, we did it, Grandmother....Don't go..."
+shift glabro
Sepdet contorts and blurs as she is transformed.
You shift into Glabro form.
A breeze crumbles the lodge further and you hear, /I must.../ The wind is gentle, caresssing....
The sea breeze dies, everything silent and expectant.
Jess cries out, not certain why she is so upset..."But, why... Was it all for nothing? "
Sepdet shudders and reaches into her pocket, pulling out a small stone to stare at it wistfully. ~Be well, Grandmother...~
The small stone's carving glows a little, the rock grown warmer.
Sepdet cups the stone in her hand, beyond exhaustion. She strokes it. ~Heh... she heard me Jess... look...~
Jess looks at Sepdet, her face wet with tears... "She what?"
From afar, Cindi has to go soon so she'll tell you a bit of advice?
Sepdet's voice is ragged hope and sadness mixed, a wistful tone, as she holds the little pebble out. ~This is her sign... CIndi gave it to me, before we left...~
Long distance to Cindi: Sepdet is getting there. Just get the stone to tug towards the riverbank, and Sepdet will figure it out. ;)
Jess nods. "So, what now, Sepdet? What do we do now? We fought the bad guys, now what?"
The stone seems to jerk in Sepdet's hand, tugging her upstream...
Jess looks to be a child of about 6 stuck in a Crinos body.
Jess jumps. "What..."
Sepdet blinks. ~Grandmothe...~ She stares towards the stream's bank. ~Upstream, Jes... like the salmon that run in the spring!~
Jess nods, smiling at last... "Like a seed? To bring them back next spring?"
The stone's sigil glows with a salmon covered light, drawing the two of you upstream. Behind you, you sense something growing in strength and power. Ancient and wise, it follows you up the valley....
Sepdet stands, moving like a sleepwalker, towards the bank. ~It... it MUST be...~
Sepdet says, ~Gimme a hand...~
Jess nods, following Sepdet's lead.
Sepdet stumbles slightly as she heads for the bank, letting the stone tell her where to plant it. She leans on Jess' arm, glancing back to make certain Dia's peacefully asleep and safe.
Jess gives her friend/heartsister all the strength she can...
Upstream, past the shattered bane. Beyond the Scar and cut to where the forest is still primal and green, cupped in the heart of the mountains. There, you find a gravel bar in the stream's channel. Here, the salmon can spawn and renew themselves...
Sepdet kneels, or falls, after wading across to the gravel, and digs a hole with her fetish knife... ~Here Jess. Child of Gaia. You plant the seed. ~ She smiles tiredly, holding it out.
Jess shys back for a moment, then accepts the stone from Sepdet, whispering a almost-silent prayer, placing it reverently in the hole Sepdet has dug... She asks for Sepdet's help in covering it, wishing aloud for the health of the Salmon to return...
The stone, a simple, round piece of granite, seems incredibly heavy in Jess's grip. The stream laughs and rushes about your legs, the water incredibly cold. As she stops speaking, the seawind starts again and swirls. Dust and leaves dance in a small clear
Sepdet curls her small frame on the rough gravel, ignoring stones digging into cuts and bruises, and watches with weary but bright eyes as Jess plants it. She begins to chant an old, old, song of the Inundation, from when the star "Sepdet" still rose to call the Nile back to life each year.
The fingerlings begin to move once more, slipping upstream purposefully according to their nature. A luminsence forms in the clearing....
A ghostly form colesces, looking like a young girl in the leathers of a Hiada indian. A long braid falls down her back and she says, /...death...renewal...the cycle will take long to regrow...but it will...now...thanks to you.../ Grandmother, for it is she, reborn.
Sepdet smiles, too tired to rise for a moment, but her eyes say what she feels. ~And thank you... Grandmother/daughter.~
Grandmother reaches out and puts a small necklace around Jess's neck. The ornament appears to be a large salmon scale. /Death and Renewal/ Grandmother reaches out and heals your wounds with a tender concern and then says, /I am in your debt. Once may you ask for a favor from Salmon, and it shall be granted./
She reaches out and you all feel yourselves fading....
You all end up at the MoonPool, falling into the water.
From afar, Cindi willowrk out with you what being Salmon's child will do.
Cindi pages: Much to my surprise, I was told that Salmon was/is considered to be the Wheel's 'missing totem'
Long distance to Cindi: Sepdet blinks. Oh.
Cindi pages: *I* had no idea till Aspen told me last night.
Cindi pages: The powers that be are ...amused.