Prologue: A Spirit's Dying Wish

[Aynn Marks]

The sky was a deep green color; the grass a lighter blue, and the trees a sickly black. Strikes The Flint hadn't been here long, but the strain he had been placing on the spirits on the area was making his Alpha happy. It didn't take long for Harries the Bone Gnawers to issue the order to destroy the plant life in the area after they had stepped sideways, and the fact that they had such free reign in the area only meant that their chaos could be spread that much more easily.

Spirits in the area had begun to cry out, requesting some form of help from anyone that would listen, but alas, nobody came. Strikes the Flint was scratching at the trees; his tall Crinos form ripping the gnosis that the spirits held so dear from their bodies. The small pack had already taken down so many trees in the area; their physical manifestations on Earth would be decaying over the coming days as their life force was stolen from their bodies. And still....nobody came.

It took the pack of Black Spiral Dancers a number of days to make the kind of progress they were hoping for. The spirits of the area were beginning to fight back; but due to the rituals and wards that the rest of the pack was putting up in the area, they could only do so much before being torn limb from spiritual limb; the jaws of a Crinos Dancer held no prejudice when it came to what lived and what died. They treasured the spiritual life, but only so far as to know that the Wyrm must inhabit this land, lest they see those treacherous Scott's take their land back and turn this into some kind of verdant landscape that the Weaver and Wyld take for their own. That must not happen.

"Yells For Blood. You she-bitch, what the hell is taking you so long over there?!" Yells For Blood was one of their newest recruits; an ex-black fury that hailed from the southern tip of the British Isles; she earned her deedname by slaying her entire ex pack while they slept; a cowardly act that allowed the Wyrm to enter her heart and turn her to the true face of the Dancers. She had picked up a scent in the Umbra; one of great strength and purity, though what it was that was putting off such a great odor, she could not be sure. "Shut y'er damn trap you mutt. I'ma try'in as-hard-as I can, sumeting is not righ' tho'. Someone be comin' our way!"

****

The pack of wolves had been running for what seemed like an entire month; first a group of hunters had attempted to poach them for their pelts, and now they were running away from what seemed like a large taloned eagle the size of many wolves together. Their small lupine minds had not been able to comprehend much more then a fight or flight reaction, and right now, it was flight. Their pack was large; around 20 in size, and at their lead was their alpha, Kaelyn Alsmitov. They could barely remember her name, but they knew her scent, and as long as she was running in front, their pack would be safe. She had kept them safe so many times before, and this feeling of security was what kept them so close. It was all of a sudden that they seemed to hit some kind of wall. The pack members towards the rear of the group didn't hit this barrier, but Kaelyn and her main running group did. Their lupine bodies crumpled as ripples of energy could be sensed going throughout the area. That's when it hit her.

She turned to the rest of the pack, eyes wide, and realized what would soon be happening. She howled a order of retreat, to go back to their den while she traveled forward; and just as soon as the howl was heard, they were off, leaving her alone in the cold. Her throat changed, uttering a human-like growl, ""The Wyrm is strong here......" her eyes darted back and forth, looking around and wondering what might be going on that would cause such taint to exist in this area, "....how could this be......"

Kaelyn stalked close to the ground, marching forward slowly through the barrier now that she realized what had been happening. Doing such a thing would raise alarms for whoever created this sacred ground, and if she had any sense at all; which she most likely didn't at this time, she should have left and ran to the nearest Caern. But now? It was too late. The trees looked sad; almost like they were in the early stages of dying. It was so early in the season of life, though, and her lupus-form senses told her that the rest of the forest was fine, except what lie in this barrier.

*SNAP*

She whipped her head around at the sound of a branch breaking behind her. Someone was watching her; she was being hunted like some kind of game, and this she knew. The smart thing would be to ignore it; let them make the first move and show themselves while you prepared.....but today, she was not smart, or full of sense. She padded to where the sound came from, sniffing the air for some kind of sign that something might be amiss, but only smelled Wyrm taint. She knew she should perform a rite of cleansing, and began to do so.

Easily shifting to a homid form; her white cloak and leather armor fell around her. She could not be happier that she had the appropriate rites applied to her that allowed her to carry her clothing wherever she may be, as it would be a tough situation to explain, being out here completely naked. Chanting a gutteral ritual, she began what she hoped would be the curing of this grove....


****

Yells For Blood began to hurt, a lot; as did Strikes the Flint as a loud piercing noise came over their ears. Their blood boiled; sending them into a blind rage. Strikes the Flint stepped sideways to the physical realm, looking about, and dashing off in the direction of their Alpha, while Yells for Blood knew immediately what was happening. She stepped sideways and flash shifted to her lupine form; it was her breed form, and most familiar to her, and dashed at full speed towards the originator of the sound; that beacon of silver light that she sensed in the Umbra that had stopped their pollution in it's tracks. When I find you, I'll grind yer bones and pick my fangs with your cartilage, your blood is mine, pup.

****

Kaelyn heard the pounding of the large paws before she actually was able to see the large, black wolf barrelling towards her. Yells For Blood had caught her scent, and now there was no turning back. Kaelyn's wiry silver frame carried her quickly away from the area she had attemped to purify; she was able to rid the grove of only a little of it's Wyrm taint; the one or two trees she was able to save would quickly fall prey to death once more without the proper spiritual treatment.

She ran, as quickly as possible. Running and running and running. The only times she stopped were to ensure that she lost the large black wolf, but only after stopping, seconds later did the wolf catch up once more. It was beginning to get impossible to shake, and the realization that she would have to fight and put her life on the line was becoming more and more rapidly apparent.

The forest was beginning to thin as the blue sky was quickly dimming to darkness, Gaia's sun setting over the countryside as Kaelyn knew her time was running out. That's when she saw it, however, another wolf in the distance. It had the markings of a Fianna; the lithe build of a female, at that. Kaelyn let out a loud howl, requesting assistance with the beast that was tailing her. <"Sister! Help, I'm being chased by a large wolf of unnatural proportions, it does not have the normal scent! It carries the Wyrm!"> The howl echoed, resounding off the remaining trees to the Fianna's ears, hoping to get the assistance she required. The black wolf was still a ways back, but catching up fast.....

[Keira Kelly]

Aoife had been wandering through the woods as she often did. She had yet to settle down anywhere for more than a night, to make any ties to peoples in the area. Something was different in this area though, something that sent a shiver through her. She had noticed not only in the air but even the animals she hunted; many seemed to be avoiding this area and she could feel why. It seemed unnatural here. The birds were silent and not even the insects stirred.

She paused to glance upwards, noting the time and that the light would not last much longer. She'd have to find somewhere to make camp soon but she felt so ill at ease, she felt like jumping out of her own skin. She knew from what her mother had told her that this was probably Wyrm-taint; she had been told about it but hadn't encountered it back in their isolated home in Eire.

She finally decided to get out of this area quickly so she shifted into the form of a wolf for the speed; she could have gone into her crinos form as well but she didn't want to scare anyone if she happened to run across them. She was just about to take off in the opposite direction when she heard something. Bloodcurdling shrieks and snarls, it sounded like angry ones, in the distance.

She started lopping towards the sounds when she saw another wolf running at full speed. The other wolf saw her and howled out a frenzied message full of fear. Behind her was in fact a behemoth wolf as dark as night, slavering in pursuit. Aoife made her decision quickly. She shifted back into her human form, pulling her bow off her shoulder and quickly nocking an arrow, aiming at the black wolf.

Bow Attack
Difficulty : 7
Roll : 8,9,8,10,2,10,10,9 + 6,3,2
Successes : 7

Damage Roll : 4,5,3,6,10,6,5,3
Damage Successes : 3

Soak Roll : 4,4
Successes : 0

3 Lethal Damage

The black wolf took the arrow to the chest and rolled in a tumble. It recovered quickly though, and began trying to chase the original white wolf again but not nearly being able to gain back the speed it had before. It was only able to hobble at half speed and was quickly losing ground. Aoife grabbed for another arrow in the meantime.

[Archon Hamilton]

Lachlan decided that he would leave the Caern in favor for some hunting tonight. He was feeling restless after having to hide from his parents which insisted that their son was being held her against his will. That was his old life, he was now of the Fenrir. He was in his wolf form, Lupus or some such as that, the form he knew real well though and loved it was Crinos! A lot of people referred to his Tribe as barbaric savages but when push came to shove there were few warriors among Gaia's ranks that could match them.

Lachlan found it odd that the animals seemed rather jumpy this evening, almost frightened, and there was something not right in the air. It was strange, unsettling, but he was of Fenrir, he had nothing to fear. Indeed even in his Lupus form it looked more like a normal Garou's their name for themselves Hispo form. He was that big. He remembered the comment about how he must have ate a few packs before going through the first change. Lachlan of course found this funny. His massive size usually inspired fear and he was thought cursed or it inspired awe and people thought him blessed.

Lachlan got closer and closer to this creepy feeling, he did not quite know the word for it. What had his Elders taught him. He ended up losing himself in thought and was brought back to the present by a Howl of Help. He was no sister, but he could help. He immediately bolted off shifting into his massive Crinos form. The first time his pack mates saw it as a whole they were shocked, none in the Caern had seen a Crinos as large as he in many, many, many years. He came crashing through the woods all a fury scraping his claws along the ground and channeling his rage.

He saw the wolf running from the larger Black one and the woman arching the black one, clearly the Black One was the enemy, they did not smell right either. The largest Crinos they more than likely had ever seen went rushing towards the Black one's side and clawed at it with razor sharp claws.

-1 Rage (razor claws)

Claw Strike
Difficulty : 7 (running)
Roll : 7, 8, 1, 10, 10, 2, 2, 2, 2 + 8
Successes : 4

Damage Roll : 6, 2, 7, 3, 9, 3, 3, 9 , 2, 4, 10, 10, 10, 10
Successes : 8

Soak : 2,5
0 soak

Damage : 8 aggravated

With a yelp and a crash to the ground the Black wolf was no more. Lachlan let out a Howl of Victory! His howl was deep and had command to it! He then turned to the women, 11'4 looking down on them. His brilliant auburn fur rustling with a gust of wind. He only had one eye and shifted back to Homid form. He was clearly a Scotsman from the highlands going my stature and Clan embroidery on his Kilt. He looked at the other two with his one green eye.

[Keira Kelly]

Aoife had just been about to loose another arrow at the aggressive creature when a reddish mountain of fur crashed into it with a massive strike that sent the dark form flying. She kept the bow trained on both as a precaution as she tried to sort out what was going on. Being enough of a distance away, she took a chance to glance in the direction the white wolf had gone, seeing her a distance away. Aoife looked back, noting that the black wolf was unmoving and bloody as the giant crinos howled in victory, the voice echoing across the moor.

As the mountain turned towards her, Aoife just barely noticed he lacked one eye, concentrating more on the fact that, despite crinos being large, this faolfear was well over twice her height. As he changed back into a human, Aoife slowly lowered her bow but not replacing the arrow in her quiver quite yet. Not until she was sure there was no more threat.

"Greetings, friend." she said in her lilting Irish accent in Gaelic. "I t'ank you for yer help." she added, glancing in the direction the other two wolves had come from. In the gathering darkness, it was getting harder to see very far. She looked back to the man standing before her, looking into his one paler green eye with both of her own almost unearthly shade of green ones. She didn't know if this one was a threat or not, but if he had been aggressive, she doubted he would have returned to human form.

At least she knew he was Garou though; albeit she suspected of a different tribe. She wondered what tribes there were in this new land. She had insofar only met other Fianna. "I am Aoife inghean Uí Cathail, of Eire and of the Fianna faol." she said.

She stood, waiting for both this male to answer and for the female faol to join them but she didn't much like standing here. The very air seemed foul and still reeked with wyrm-taint, whether she was imagining it or not, she didn't know. She felt a shudder pass through her again though and moved her shoulders further back under her fur cloak as she glanced yet again in the one direction.

[Archon Hamilton]

The man walked closer to her focusing his one eye on her, it was not scarred over just whited out, it was a completely empty socket. "Aye, hello thur. I am Lachlan Macleod, of the Clan Macleod. Somethin's a foul in the moor t'night. Tis vile and unnatural. I've not seen ye at the Caern, be ye new to these lands?" Ask the one eyed mountain still standing as seven feet in his Homid form.

[Keira Kelly]

Aoife gave him a nod and a friendly smile. "Ta, as I said, I am of Eire. I have only recently arrived from home. I have not been to a caern since I left my family." She looked around again, checking what the white wolf was doing. "Ta, something is not right dis night." She indicated the white wolf. "Perhaps she can tell us more."

[Aynn Marks]

Kaelyn shook her head as she looked to the others. They......knew, somehow, what was going on. She looked from the dead, or at least dying black wolf in front of them, the to the two others that stood in front of her. She stayed quiet until one mentioned a Caern, the other acknowliging the word. She stood on two legs, shifting to a more normal Homid form (**Spend 1 gnosis**) . Kaelyns outfit was simple; dark grey leather armor covered by a white cloak, grey and white gloves and boots adornin her body. She stood tall, approx 5'9, whith long, wavy blond hair and a pair of piercing blue eyes.

"I zee you two as my own. I am Kaelyn of the East. Philodox Lupine born Cliath of the Silver Fang tribe. I zee you as eqval, as garou of our var stvetching nation."

She turned to the dying BSD once more, shaking her head. The long hair that fell over her shoulders shaking comically in the wind. "Vat you, vine warrior deed is kill my purzuer, a black spiral dancer. You got lucky it had not been able to take those strikes of yours; had zey been in any ozer form, zey would have struck back and vipped out your zroat...." She went to the large beast of a wolf and spit on it, stomping down on the beasts throat with all of her might, shattering bone and sinew, "Ah vill speak of vat I saw at moot. Vat......who ahh you? Come see me as I see you. I know you are as me, we are sisters and brother alike."

[Keira Kelly]

Aoife gave a quick smile and a nod of greeting. "Pleased ta meet ya both but for the life of me, can ye' tell us what is goin' on?" she asked. The other female said the other faol had been a black spiral dancer; Aoife knew enough that they were servants of the Wyrm, very bad things. "What are they doin' here?" she asked, indicting the dead creature as she walked over to it.

Despite the trauma it had suffered, her arrow was still sticking out of it's chest. She gripped hold of the shaft, putting a foot against its ribcage and pulled the projectile out. She held it daintily, keeping her hand clear of the blood still covering the arrow and stared at it with a grimace, wondering if she should keep it. She'd heard of the wyrm-taint and wondered if she should risk it. With a shrug, she dropped the arrow back onto the body. She'd make more.

She glanced around again. "Were there more out there?" she asked the female, this Kaelyn. Then she looked between the two. "If t'ere are more of t'em, maybe should we maybe be finding us some more Garou as well?"

Aoife decided she would need a good something to drink as soon as they were safe.

[Aynn Marks]

Kaelyn glanced around at the two. The taller man seemed like he was a good fighter, and the woman picked up quickly what it was that this beast had been. She nodded, turning from whence she ran, and raised a single pointed finger, "Zere. I was running vith a pack of volves zhat I azsociate vith, and came acroz a grove; vone that instantly struck me az being a place of importance...." She walked a few paces back through the brush, then turned to face the pair once more, "Zey were attempting to taint zhat grove. Ve cannot allow zis to happen. The Wyrm cannot spread here. If ve must fight; ve fight for Gaia."

Her accent was hard to understand, she knew that much, but she hoped that the point got across at least. "Ve may be able to find out more if we travel by Umbra.....have you been zere vefore?"

[Archon Hamilton]

Lachlan looked at the other woman, the bowless one. "I am Lachlan Macleod of the Clan Macleod at yer' service. I heard o' dem Black Spiral dancers. Glad I took the wee bastard down. I am Ahroun, Fenri, Cliath. If ye have know. But let me rank not fool ya, I'll throat any who would defile Gaia and dishonor Fenrir." He said proudly.

"Ho there lass, maybe ye not seen the size of me, what the f*** do we be needin other Garou fer? If push comes ta shovin I shove a lot harder." He said to Aoife, trying comfort her.