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 Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 10:02 am
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This sandstorm was causing a lot of trouble for the Firekin, the longer it went on the more life-threatening it became. Their only saving grace was that it slowed down often enough to allow brief visits to the Oasis and urgent hunts .. but hunting was getting harder and the Firekin were not the kind of lions you wanted getting trapped in a small space away from their energetic routines.
Agni-pariksha was taking a break from the sandstorm refuge in the council's meeting area. It was protected, though not as well as the refuge, and as frustrating as it was, they really did need a private place to discuss what the hell to do about this.
So the regent paced back and forth, thinking.
On a nearby cliffside, protected from the wind and watching intently as the regent paced, sat a familiar hawk.
RP Notes
Regent Tapana (Kimaria) is currently being treated as an NPC since her player is absent, she won't be participating in this RP.
Magistrates Psyche (Meepfur) and Nawvlee (Ecavi) were out on the foray and are now blocked from the returning to the desert due to the storm. They are at the Outpost in the Bonelands with the bulk of the foray, but the council does not know this.
That leaves Regent Agni-pariksha (Ecavi), Magistrates Na-atesh (Andranis) & Ukame'chaka (nessiaing) and General Mate'moto (SilverLutz) as the only council members who could possibly meet right now.
This is a private ORP for the council. You don't have to participate, but it's important so the council gets first dibs on the info and first crack at responding to it all.
Relevant Background Info: The Motoujamii are currently dealing with some weird s**t thanks to the on-going shop-wide metaplot. A summary of the strange events in the pride can be found here. In brief, they were visited by two impossible beasts (a giant sand shark that picked a fight with a group of hunters & a giant hawk that nearly took it out on their behalf) and now they're in the middle of a sandstorm that won't stop. |
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 11:23 pm
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 Normally, like his parents, he was a spectacularly white lion with his silvery markings just barely visible. Right now, though, Na-atesh was sporting a more... Burnished gold coloration, bordering on cream. It also weighed down on his mane, something he hated, while the grit tried to get in through his nose. He trailed in behind Mate'moto, pausing to shake as much sand out of his coat and mane as he could, though it seemed to do little good. He huffed, snorting sand away from his nose, then found a spot to sit down. "If we could make it to the border before the sandstorm kicked back up, I'd be inclined to agree with that notion, but as it is nobody can. We're stuck in here, and anybody trying to get in or back in is stuck out THERE." He paused, blinking some sand away. "I envy them, really. When will these accursed sands STOP? Do we need to dig out the older dens to try and take refuge in them?" He paused again, "No, that'd be stupid, we would get stuck in there."
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 10:30 am
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Agni-pariksha looked up when two of the council members arrived, and she frowned through gritted teeth at the suggestion of leaving the desert.. and Na-atesh shooting the idea down. They were both right, frustratingly enough.
"If this goes on much longer, we'll have to try getting to the border anyway," she said gruffly, "But it'll only be the Firekin smart enough not to think it's cowardly, and who knows how many that would leave us with."
Agni locked eyes with Mate'moto. Not every soldier learned the value of concession, most of them started as feisty, stubborn fools and took every loss as a slight to be revenged and not a learning experience. Of course, a good army would listen to orders whatever they were.. maybe they could get away with minimal loss.
Amaka listened intently from her perch, mildly amused but mostly impressed that they were thinking so clearly about their best chances at survival. Mortals got so attached to places, and sometimes put feelings above survival.. the Firekin seemed the types who emphasized bravery and loyalty to a point that she hadn't expected them to talk like this. They didn't need her, then, but that didn't mean they wouldn't consider their options.
Giving a hawk-like cry, she jumped up from her perch and fly down to meet the council, growing larger and larger until she hit the ground and took her true form.
Agni looked up in surprise at the sound of the hawk. The storm was too much for most of the bird clan, they already knew that. But she didn't get to finish thinking about that as the hawk grew and grew and.. turned into a lion. The Regent straightened up and narrowed her eyes, but didn't look all that surprised.
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 5:19 pm
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Mat rolled her eyes heavily as Na-atesh added his two cents after his dusty arrival, his normally pristine white coat a dingy off-beige.
"When you say it with an attitude like that of course we wouldn't make it out," she said dryly before spitting out some sand that blew into her mouth while talking. Bleh. Her gaze shifted back to the Regent as Agni-pariksha agreed with her, saying that something needed to be done even if it was as drastic as relocating for a time. Their eyes met and Mat knew there would be those too stubborn to leave, but if that were the case then it was their hides they were sacrificing. Mate'moto would enforce whatever they all decided on doing, whether it was hunkering down, moving further into the desert, or trying to leave. Or maybe even something completely different!
Before anyone could speak further, a hawk cried above them, drawing their attention. Mat's golden eyes squinted against the sand as the hawk descended, perspective making it seem to grow impossibly large as it swooped down towards them. Or...wait...it was actually growing? And changing into a lion? With wings?
Mat stared at the large lioness with wide eyes, her whole body frozen in place, jaw slightly agape. She remained like that for a few moments before snapping her jaw shut and closing her eyes, her rump sinking to the sands below her as she lifted a paw to rub the grit from behind her eyelids.
"Hang on, I'm seeing things now because of all this blasted sand."
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 11:46 pm
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Na-atesh glared at Mate, prepared to retort, when the hawk drew his attention... And really DREW it. His own squint slash glare morphed to outright shock, own mouth gaping, before his forelegs gave out and he flopped over. "s**t me, they weren't bullshitting about the shark and giant bird..." He hadn't particularly believed the hunting party's story about the things they'd seen, chalking it up to the sun's glare. "There's a.... That's a..." He couldn't quite bring himself to blurt out the word, unable to really process what was going on. His mouth moved several times, before he swallowed, "I think that one family is owed an apology from... At least me... For not believing such a thing existed..." He had, after all, grown up in the post-revolution Firekin. He had grown up denouncing the existence of gods, and the need to worship them. Facing one now felt like facing... Well, a god.
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:59 pm
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Ayira was grinning at the myriad of reactions her reveal got from the trio before her. Her usual modus operandi was to keep a low profile and not mess with the natural order of the mortals she got involved with but today she wanted to make an impression.
"We're missing the two I was hoping would be here but you three will-"
Then Ukame'chaka arrived and the goddess perked up. The oldest council member could be one of the tougher nuts to crack but Ayira had spent enough time learning the history and politics of the Motoujamii to know that the former Safi lioness had the greatest potential as an ally. That assessment, of course, ignored personality and opinions.
"No, apparently not," Agni muttered at Na-atesh's remark about the alleged fight between the shark and the hawk. Unlike the rest of the council, though, Agni-pariksha had already known there was a god about. Ayira had revealed herself to Tapana before, and while it was smart to share the information with her fellow regent, they had decided it was not necessary information for the council yet.
"Don't worry about introducing yourselves, I already know who each of you are. Agni-pariksha, Na-atesh, Mate'moto, and Ukama'chaka. The only one we seem to be missing is Tapana," Ayira pressed on, wasting no time indicating that she already knew plenty about them and their pride, and looking directly at each as she named them.
"The name you might know me by is Amaka," she said, introducing herself with a modest but respectful bow of her head, "Though some would know me better as Ayira."
The Hongshan, in particular, would know her. Not the younger generations but some of the older ones. She was glad that Nawvlee was not here.
"I was thinking we might want to talk about this sandstorm."
Agni-pariksha wasn't surprised to see a god or have her list off their names, she knew about this .. and yet it was still extremely unsettling to have a giant lion wearing a crown and with a supernatural presence standing in front of them.
She didn't say anything yet, though.
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 10:09 am
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"Of course," Ayira said, turning her gaze to Mate'moto when she was the only one brave enough to speak, "I was inviting myself into this conversation, I am a god but I do try to be considerate of mortal customs."
She sounded almost sincere, because it was the truth.. but she also knew her versions of consideration and respect were not the same as that of mortals. Her preference not to interfere was not deference.
Agni glanced over at Mat with a look that was clearly torn between approval and disapproval. She didn't know how the hells she was supposed to handle a god and having someone sass it right off was surprisingly helpful.
"OK," she said, "Then talk. Do you have another answer besides waiting it out or flying away?"
Ayira sighed.
"I don't get involved with mortal affairs often. I'm the type to leave life or death situations alone and see how they play out," she said, clearly having already decided she was going to explain herself and not just talk about the problems, "But what's happening lately is not natural, that includes this storm. No normal sandstorm would last this long."
She stood tall and proud, looking at each of them as she spoke. But as she began explaining the nature of the problem that the world was currently facing, she realized there was no apt, concise description. None of the gods knew what was going on. Rather, Ayira did not know and assumed none of the others would know either.. but the Haven being closed to them all was a sign of something disastrous.
"The world is changing," she said ominously, "The shark your hunting party couldn't fend off was a god in disguise, I'm the one who weakened Him. While the problems you face are supernatural, you'll want supernatural help to deal with it. And that is what I am offering to you."
Agni narrowed her eyes. Of course knowing gods were real had influenced her thoughts, facing a god right now she couldn't help but wonder if this god was responsible for the situation they were in. She didn't know what gods were capable of, but starting a sandstorm to convince them to worship you seemed plausible.
"What do you want in return?" she asked, cutting to the chase and ingoring the confirmation that the lights, voices, earthquakes, shark, sandstorm and so much more could be attributed to gods.
"Worshipers, of course."
Ayira smiled, narrowing her eyes back at Agni-pariksha and staying focused on the regent specifically.
"If I can end this sandstorm, I expect to be welcomed as your Patron," she said, "I am not Finar-si, but we are closely related. You could say she was my mother."
It wasn't true in her current life but Change and Evolution were so closely bound, it was almost certainly true of her original life. And it was a coincidence that had kept her here even long before her children finally escaped the Nergui and arrived in the desert.
"As your Patron, you will have me and my powers on your side for as long as you allow my worship," she went on, still looking directly at Agni-pariksha, "I will continue to chase unwelcome gods out of your desert and I will even seek alliances with gods who would be beneficial to you. I will certainly have to, if we want this storm to end."
If I can end this storm...
I will certainly have to...
There was clearly no guarantee in this scenario, and Agni found that rather reassuring. A god that was not pretending to be almighty was better than a god who made grand promises and harsh demands. It could still be a trick, but she was inclined to believe Ayira. For as long as she could remember, too, the Hongshan-blooded Regent had been pondering how the Nergui could possibly have remained a threat to the Motoujamii for so long and the only conclusion she could come to was that they had a god they answered to. As far as the Firekin had been able to find out, nobody had seen the Graos Oma but their belief in serving him clearly motivated them in a way the secular Firekin could barely fend off.
"If you end this storm," she said slowly, pointedly, "We will consider it."
((Sorry for the giant post + lack of space left to interject, it felt more important that Agni actually respond instead of waiting to see what the rest said while she was being directly addressed by a god xD))
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 1:18 pm
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Mat snorted - whether it was at Ayira's comment or because she had dust in her nose remained a mystery - but fell silent as she spoke. The only thing Mat was pretty sure she knew about gods was that they were powerful. Ayira's size alone was enough to give her pause as Firekin were generally the biggest things around. She felt small next to the winged female and that wasn't normal.
Despite having this previously make-believe being thrust into their conversation, it was satisfying to hear from Ayira that this sandstorm wasn't natural. It confirmed their initial worries that something was going on and now perhaps they had an answer. Was it a god causing the chaos? Mat wouldn't doubt it.
But when the deal was put before them Mat let out a bark of laughter, both in honest surprise and disbelief. Worshipers? From the Firekin? Sure, long ago they had believed in a goddess, and that had ended rather badly if she remembered correctly. They'd moved on from that a long, long time ago and to circle around revisit the past...she wasn't sure how many would take the bait. She wasn't sure how many would have tried to brave the storm to leave. Firekin were stubborn and it would take more than a god to change their ways. Mat, however...
"If you end it," she said, echoing Agni. "I'll be the first one to kiss your paws or whatever it is worshiping entails. Sacrifice? Treasure? Firstborn?" She honestly didn't know what Ayira was looking for, whether it was just a 'thanks, Feathers' every morning or something more tangible, but if the sands settled back to the ground and things went back to normal, Mat wasn't going to complain. She was tough, she was blunt, but she was also innovative and didn't mind pushing the envelope. She had been among the first wave of lionesses to find males outside the pride to breed with, finding no qualms in bringing in fresh blood without the male being brought in as well. If Ayira could do as she claimed she might be able to, Mat was willing to give gods a shot again.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 12:18 am
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Na-atesh moved his mouth some, took a deep breath, let it out, then moved his mouth some more. Finally, he closed his mouth and took another breath. And then another... Eventually, as he listened to the goddess, he opted to simply wait and see what was going on for the moment. He weighed everything, considering options and considering what else could happen. Finally, he asked, "And what kind of gods do we have to worry about, out there? Besides one who causes mischief by turning into a shark." Really, that seemed low on the worry list - Whoever that god had been, his entire aim and goal had been to simply have some fun at their expense. Which, granted, was worrying in and of itself, since gods could change size and shape. But where one only wanted some mischief in his... Life? How did life work with gods? There were surely gods more dangerous out there, more worrisome. "And can you keep the dangerous ones out, or should we start looking at other gods besides just you to worship to help keep them away?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 10:36 am
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Ayira was already smiling when Agni tentatively agreed to the terms. She knew that mattered, and the hesitation was natural so she wasn't worried about it. Mortals could be unpredictable and untrustworthy but this gods was pretty sure she had a decent read on this bunch. The other council members had influence and perhaps that would complicate things.. but as she looked to Mate'moto and Na-atesh, as they asked their questions, she was feeling all the more confident.
"You mortals are vulnerable to a lot of things," Ayira said, looking directly at Na-atesh to answer his questions, "The mischievous shark caused a significant disruption, and that appears to have been just a game for a bored deity. It's not just Death, Destruction or Disease to worry about. Any god that is not interested in helping is capable of harm, intentional or not. If there are those willing to help, I will bring them to your attention. If there are those who are not, I will deal with them."
Gods were not invulnerable beings and Ayira was certainly not an especially strong one amongst them all, but she was old and she was stubborn and she was here first. That would matter.
"As for how you worship," she went on, looking back at Mate'moto with amusement, "I'm not fond of living sacrifices, death does not suit me. I am Evolution, change in the name of survival. We'll work something out."
Agni-pariksha listened to the council's questions and concerns, and pondered the responses they got. She quite agreed that any god unwilling to help was not welcome, it was one of the reasons Ayira had been here so long. She didn't help but she actively avoided any interference. Now that she explicitly described her domain, it was obvious why she usually didn't get involved in things. Her motivation became clear, too, in that moment. If they said no, without a doubt some of them would die. If they said yes, they were literally changing their ways in the interest of surviving.
Ayira turned back to Agni-pariksha, locking eyes with her and then nodding.
"I'll go get started, then," she said, turning back into a hawk in a swirl of sand and feathers, and taking to the air. She was barely out of the council chambers' before she disappeared completely from the sky. Obviously, she wasn't going to walk to wherever this job was taking her.
Agni watched her go and then looked back down to the council members around her. She could already feel herself getting a headache just imagining dealing with this.
"Someone go find Tapana," she growled.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 5:07 pm
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:29 am
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Watching the goddess depart, Na-atesh frowned just a bit. He was pleased, for sure, that sacrifice was not needed, but what WOULD she need? He thought, too, on the gods or goddesses she had mentioned, and what all would need to be done to keep them well and out of their lands. Death would surely come regardless of who was in the way, it was as sure as the air they breathed and the sun on their backs and the sand beneath their paws. But Destruction and Disease?
For a moment, his mind went to Singh in the medic wards, though he quickly dismissed the thought, even if the lion did insist on ensuring more than just injury care.
He looked to Ukame, then, frowning at her, "Just how far into the old ways, though?" They wouldn't surely go back to having slaves, would they? They couldn't justify doing away with lions joining, the pride would soon begin to fester from inbreeding. There was a hint of worry in his words, no heat or anger to them, as he thought of some of what the old ways entailed.
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Mate'moto had never felt so gritty in her life. Sure, Firekin were used to being a bit sandy, but this was different. It felt like there was sand between every bit of fur on her and her nose and face felt as though the skin were rubbed raw from all of the flying bits of debris. It was an enemy she couldn't hit and that alone made her want to take out her frustrations on someone else. 
