The Beauty of the Willows

Home to the wildest breeds of flora, Ninraih's entangled jungles cover southeastern Khy'eras. Ajteire, city of the Fae, is situated in the middle. Here, an overwhelming amount of magic and unexplained phenomenon has materialized. Read more...
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Nahele Kaapou
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The Beauty of the Willows

Post by Nahele Kaapou »

As the faint breeze blows through the deep forest, moving past and down along the tumbling river Ordinuad - such a strange name for a river; naming a river at all seemed odd, to the old, leathery-skinned man - Nahele hears, for a few fleeting moments, the sad song rumoured of this area. The Lament of the Willow.

He'd long heard from travelers of the area of a location where the willows would sing a sad, mourning song, desperate to stop the small birds who ate their poisonous leaves. He moves along the river, pausing as he hears the lament, and listening carefully to it; the sad, slow notes, and he understood how others might be scared, or unsettled, by its faintly discordant melody.

He begins to attune himself to the nature around him, opening his senses to the magic of the earth, and the trees, and the tiny animals surrounding him, using his hearing to pick out how the river's rumbling bounces off the trees, and how the wind twists and curls around those beautiful, sorrowful willows.

He begins to see the world, in his own way; he'd been navigating by the sounds of the river and a faint awareness of the plants surrounding him. Now, he allowed himself to become fully aware, almost overwhelmingly aware, of the life around him... and the sad, sorrowful death, another part of the circle and natural order of nature, and life; Ixaziel's creations, working in the harmony given by that wondrous Eidolon, even despite that harmony meaning death for the birds.

He smiles, faintly, as he 'sees' the world around him, teeming with life despite the melancholy atmosphere. The song, as he pays closer attention to it, becomes clearer to him; created by the breeze as it passes through an odd grouping of trees, their branches matching in a way that causes intricate, subtle shifting of the winds, shaking and beginning to sing their sad song, the tone sliding to hold with the wind, the air's direction changing its tune and combining into infinite possible melodies.

Many believed the trees sang this song to deter the birds... well, perhaps they were not so wrong. Ixaziel made few mistakes, and this would hardly be one of them. The thin, simple cloth covering the man's eyes does not restrict him in the slightest, as his attunement with Ixaziel's beauty, with the flow of the wind and the magic of the life that fills the deep woods, gives him a measure of sight more powerful and beautiful than any other mortal could possibly imagine - even the poor little birds, in their shallow graves in the roots of the willows, contributed to the wonder of this place, as he simply stands, straightening from his typical lean against his sturdy walking stick, made himself from the wood of a proud fallen hardwood.

For a long time, he loses himself in simply listening to the life, and the beauty, of all that surrounds him, his face towards the wind and the sky as he lowers his hood, freeing his short, well-kept white hair to flow along with it.
Word count: 521
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Harroc Crownegrove
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Disciples of Balance, Defender of the Woods
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Re: The Beauty of the Willows

Post by Harroc Crownegrove »

The Great Wolf Harroc came to a skidding halt, his powerful paws dragging in the wet grass as he used his tail to turn and arrest his sidelong momentum. He was nearing the middle of the day's long roaming rounds, great sweeping arcs taken around the city, and for the first time today he had smelled something odd.

His ears flicked around, his jaws taking in harsh lungfuls of magic-rich air as his heart slowed. Realizing he was near the river, he shoved forward and emerged from the deeper foliage along the sanded banks of the great Ordinuad. Looking out over the deceptively lazy portion of the river, he raised his muzzle to drink deeply of the scents on the wind.

Harroc's keen nose, augmented by his own magical nature, absorbed and cataloged all the usual smells of spring with ease before finally settling on the oddity. There was a traveler near, and for a moment the Druid was surprised he had not noticed them sooner. Then, as the lingering hints of oddness settled, he realized their presence was a faint one and chuffed in interest.

<<Perhaps attuned to the lands>>, he rumbled, having grown used to speaking aloud since meeting Colle. He flicked his tail once at the thought of his mate, ensuring they were settled on his back before he began a slow lope down the riverbank. Soon enough he was ducking in and out of bushes and running along low branches in the joyful bounds of a predator who hunted not for food or territory, but for amusement.

The river's rushing lullaby was only a distant gurgle by the time Harroc halted. The scent of the traveler was plain now, obvious within the lush jungle, even if the heady magic of Ixaziel coated them like moss. Not wishing to force a conflict when none was needed, Harroc halted a fair distance away, his shimmering green eyes peering through the tiniest gaps in the swaying willow branches.

There, within the grove, stood a man in simple clothes, leaning upon a staff that seemed to thrum with the power of the land. Harroc could tell instantly from the sense of peace and rightness that lay upon the man that he was attuned to this place. There was cloth across his eyes, but even at this distance the half-elemental could see the shifting weaves of essence burning brightly like two stars in the man's visage.

Eager from his hunt, and confident in his own strength, Harroc strode forward proudly. His great paws left no trace as he moved through the last of the foliage as though emerging from water. Coming into the open, he raised his head and settled on his haunches, watching the man intently from a respectful distance.
Word count: 464
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Colle Mellifera
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Re: The Beauty of the Willows

Post by Colle Mellifera »

As Harroc finally came to a stop in the grove, Colle pulled themself up to a sitting position and spat bits of leaves from their mouth. “What - phtht - is attuned - pthp - to the lands?” They picked a few twigs from their hair, which had caught quite a bit of foliage. “I’m tempted to ask if you could be attuned to the bushes and maybe not taking me through all of them?” they added in a quieter tone.

Tossing the twigs onto the ground, they looked around the area. Green willow branches danced along the ground, their drooping stature giving a sense of heaviness to the area. Colle frowned, wondering if some tragedy had left its mark on the grove.

Closing their eyes, they reached out, feeling for any signs of spirits. As a fledgling Summoner, they worked on their ability to feel the life-force of spirits; they hadn’t been taught yet how to call and bind any to their will.

The brush of thousands of small bird-spirits skated across their attention from the willows. The spirits felt similar for the most part - which Mage Vernalis said usually meant a similar species for smaller animals.

“There’s a lot of bird spirits here - all dead ones - like they came here to die,” Colle murmured softly to Harroc. “Is that what you’re feeling?” Turning their head, they spotted a shape - a person? - in the center of the grove.

“Who, or what, is that?” They tightened their grip in Harroc’s fur, prepared for him to run or dodge suddenly.
Word count: 269
Nahele Kaapou
Character
Simple traveler
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01
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Class: Druid
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Joined: February 2nd, 2021, 6:10 am

Re: The Beauty of the Willows

Post by Nahele Kaapou »

Hearing the winds shift near the grove, Nahele recognizes the movement as similar to that of a large wolf. He does not turn, instead keeping his ear towards the wolf, and continuing to enjoy this place for a time while listening to the winds for any sign of danger from the wolf.

He considers, for a moment. There was something odd about the wolf, and he had heard... speech? Perhaps... yes, someone rode the wolf. His interest piqued, he slowly - reluctantly - closes his senses somewhat to nature, the beauty and life surrounding him beginning to dull somewhat as he turns, facing the wolf and its companion.

...and then, Nahele notices more. The magic that often surrounded the plants and life, and to a somewhat lesser extent animals - lesser if only due to his relative lack of experience in sensing them - was strong around this wolf, stronger than any normal wolf would have given off. Now quite curious, he begins slowly making his way towards the wolf, noting the magic indicating the companion he'd heard... and that, more powerful than he'd expected as well.

They both seemed linked to the wonder of Ixaziel, and yet somehow each in a different way. Shifting his weight off of his walking stick as he walks, he opens his mouth. His voice is soft, but carries well, seeming almost part of the forest's sounds of life, the river's distant gurgling, the wind shaking the willows; the wolf's position seems to have disturbed the wind from its flow that would create the trees' lament.

"Greetings, friend wolf. You are... close with nature." He speaks a bit slowly; calm and welcoming with a hint of curiosity.
Word count: 283
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Harroc Crownegrove
Character
Disciples of Balance, Defender of the Woods
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Re: The Beauty of the Willows

Post by Harroc Crownegrove »

<<Dismount, Colle. If there is danger I will shield you,>> Harroc rumbled and flicked his ears, speaking in the tongue of wolves again before returning his focus to the man before him. As soon as he was free to move, he strode several steps further forward and called out to the man. <<You are cloaked in the woods as well, but you do not know this form. This tells me much.>>

With a short leap, Harroc shifted in a swirling mass of emerald smoke. When the roiling smoke cleared, the half-elemental stood there a half foot taller than the other man and clad in his leather armor with a gnarled feather-adorned staff. "Well met. I am Harroc, and this is my mate Colle," he offered, his voice filled with strength and a faint wariness. He placed his own staff onto the ground and extended his hand outward away from himself to show the open palm.

"I am on my hunt, have you come across any dangers near or may we rest beside you?" he asked, watching the man intently. It was plain he did not expect violence, but was not so naïve to see any new meeting as truly safe in the wilds.
Word count: 212
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Colle Mellifera
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Re: The Beauty of the Willows

Post by Colle Mellifera »

After sliding off Harroc's back as asked, Colle landed in a slight crouch. The Druid stepped forward without them, although they were still able to hear the soft yips and grumbles as he addressed the figure. 'Maybe the person was another druid,' thought Colle, 'though not one Harroc knew.'

Harroc's form boiled into the green mist Colle had seen many times, and they tensed slightly in case they too needed to shift. Not that being tiny would be helpful in a battle - but it would be easier to hide. So far, nothing had indicated that the stranger was out to cause harm. Colle closed their eyes briefly, trying to feel anything of the presence in front of Harroc.

After a moment's intense concentration, Colle sighed quietly. They couldn't feel much - they could tell there was an intelligent being familiar with the jungle but that was all. Grumbling internally, they resolved to ask for more assistance from their mentor; clearly there was something they could do better.

Harroc introduced himself and Colle, asking about the area. The Fae watched the other person, studying the band across their eyes and the staff they carried. They reined in their curiosity; until Harroc indicated they were safe, they wouldn't move. 'What brought this person into the jungles?' they wondered. 'A hunt, some disturbance, or traveling through the area?'
Word count: 230
Nahele Kaapou
Character
Simple traveler
Level
01
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Race: Shapeshifter
Class: Druid
Posts: 4
Joined: February 2nd, 2021, 6:10 am

Re: The Beauty of the Willows

Post by Nahele Kaapou »

Nahele nods towards the wolf-turned-man, seeing only the odd change in the breeze and the faint smell of... a mix of smells of nature.... and baking? Odd. Perhaps that was from the one behind him... Colle, his mate. The corners of his mouth turn a bit, crinkles forming around his eyes - unseen, under the cloth - in a small smile.

"Well met, then, friends Harroc and Colle." Despite its softness, his voice manages to have a rumbling to it, almost seeming part of the woods and earth around them. "I have not encountered danger. I do not hunt, merely travel, and observe. I enjoy seeing the life of Ixaziel's creations, in all stages of it."

His smile fades slightly. "It is sad, this place. These birds die here, eating the poisonous leaves of the willows. It is said that the willows sing a lament for them, an effort to drive them away. I have heard from the earth and the willows themselves that many efforts have been made to relocate them. Yet they stubbornly return." He shakes his head, as if wondering at a small child that has made some silly mistake and not learned their lesson of it.

As he shakes his head, he pays closer attention to the winds for a moment, clicking his tongue softly in tune with nearby insects to determine that Harroc's hand was outstretched. He steps forward, allowing his life-sensing magic to guide his hand to meet that of the taller man, holding it for a moment with his own lean, firm but gentle grip, in a form of handshake. "You've little to fear of me; you need not place yourself between us." He nods to Colle, releasing Harroc's hand and taking a step back, bowing his head respectfully.
Word count: 296
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Colle Mellifera
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Re: The Beauty of the Willows

Post by Colle Mellifera »

Colle strained to listen to the newcomer’s deep, careful voice as he explained the presence of the dead bird spirits. '“That’s why there’s so many traces of spirits here - but why-”' They frowned, considering what might drive a species to voluntarily poison themselves.

They stepped closer, though no further than just behind Harroc’s shoulder. The man might not say he was dangerous, but Colle deferred to Harroc’s judgement. The woods were unfamiliar to them still and their only other experience in this area had not been pleasant.

'“Are the willows poisonous to everyone or just those birds?”' they asked, tilting their head slightly in Harroc’s direction, but speaking loudly enough that the blindfolded man could also hear. '“So many spirits here. I can’t hear the willows’ song.”'

'"I wonder if-"' Colle added thoughtfully, reaching for the small totem around their neck that they had made recently under their instructor’s guidance. Closing their eyes, they focused on the myriad of avian spirits around them. The swirl and clamor of the departed birds almost overwhelmed them; they chose one to summon to them.

A single bird with a streak of light coloration above its beak approached. Colle opened their eyes and the slight shimmer of a spirit hung in the air. They felt the bird’s spirit eyeing them curiously.
Word count: 235
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Harroc Crownegrove
Character
Disciples of Balance, Defender of the Woods
Level
01
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21 / 21 MP
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Race: Elemental and Shapeshifter
Class: Druid
Posts: 141
Joined: August 5th, 2019, 1:48 am
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Re: The Beauty of the Willows

Post by Harroc Crownegrove »

Even without pushing on his power, Harroc could feel the vast amount of ambient essence in the area; the place almost overflowed with the wellspring of decay and vibrancy alike. He turned his focus to Colle as they spoke, grinning broadly as his love asked useful questions. He was about to answer when they continued and so instead he watched the nascent summoner work their craft.

When a spirit creature came into being, his grin broadened and he reached out an arm to give Colle an encouraging squeeze. "You continue to improve, my Honey," he murmured. He kept his focus intently on the spirit for a breath, his entire form still, as though the bird-spirit might be disturbed otherwise.

"It is the flow of Ixaiel's will, to grow and strengthen. There is an assumption by many that some design guides the path of life in plant and beast alike- this is flawed," he explained, more to Colle than Nahele. "Nature does not always teach the best answer to a problem, and this is even more true when survival is in question."

Harroc considered for a moment, his eyes darting about the grove in thought. "Perhaps they learned this was a place of safety once, and now there is no way to remove the belief," he offered, looking around at the grove with a small shrug. He could hear the sonorous whisper of the wind and see the shifting tides of essence drifting freely.

"This place fills me with an odd sense of urgency. Like I must spend all the life essence drifting here. It is as though standing in a cloud to be claimed with a breath," he added without preamble, blinking himself out of distraction.
Word count: 286
Nahele Kaapou
Character
Simple traveler
Level
01
24 / 24 HP
20 / 20 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Shapeshifter
Class: Druid
Posts: 4
Joined: February 2nd, 2021, 6:10 am

Re: The Beauty of the Willows

Post by Nahele Kaapou »

Feeling the summoning of the bird's spirit - he'd heard of summoners in his travels and before them, but had yet to meet one until now - Nahele's eyebrows raise slightly in a motion similar to a child's eyes widening at some new marvel. He smiles again at the obviously deep love between these two as Harroc mutters his praise for the summoner. Then, he nods at the other druid's words.

"It is true that perhaps a design guiding all life does not exist, however... it would seem as such, at times." He pauses, wondering at the man for just a moment. An elemental, or perhaps half-elemental; the magic seemed to suffuse his body more than even other druids he'd met in his travels, and in a... slightly different manner. "The life in this place... yes, it does almost feel like it wishes to be used. I do not believe I will - perhaps, given time, it will grow to something new of its own, without another shaping it prematurely. We could leave, if you'd like to speak without this urgency."

Leaning still on his walking stick, Nahele thinks of something Harroc had said previously. "Your words earlier, you are... well-known, to those who travel these woods?" He can't help but ask - simple curiosity; wonder at meeting these two in this place, though it had seemed a place where meeting anything but the calm, haunting beauty of nature was impossible; it made it hard to resist the question.
Word count: 249
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