2019 03 02: Wazi's Tale

Wazi's Tale
A snippet of a larger scene in the Smoke and Barley; Waziyata tells an abbreviated tale of the Hounds of the Antlered One to Hjalmar and Journey.
IC Date	March 3rd, 2019
Players	Hjalmar, Journey, and Waziyata
Location	The Smoke and Barley
Spheres	Gaian Garou

Hjalmar has arrives just a few minutes later. A thirsty look in his eyes.. He veers off into the direction of the bar at hitting the bottom of the steps and orders a mug of beer.

Ansel's at a table with Cristobal, a single, empty or soon to be empty plate of food in front of them. "What kind of martial arts?" he wonders. "I can fight, but in a very, ah, not so artful way." He glances at the door as Wazi and Hjalmar arrive, nodding politely should either of them catch his gaze.

"Well I've never really put a label on it." Cris says, "I just hit people until they cease trying to get up, and I try to do it as fast and as hard as I can."

Wazi eyes Cristobal and Ansel from her place by the staircase landing, still smiling quietly to herself, watching their interaction. Then Hjalmar steps past and her smile becomes a grin. She falls into step behind the man, following him to the bar. But instead of dropping into a nearby seat, she rests a hand on his shoulder and leans in, bringing her face down very close beside his, "You do not say hello, Hjalmar?"

Hjalmar looks at those seated, offering them a nod and smile as well. And with doing so, notices the person behind him. Another thirsty person it seems! And as he orders.. He feels that hand on his shoulder.. A brow quirks up at it.. And upon hearing the voice.. A broad grin shows. He turns around and looks at the woman. "Wazi!" He gives her a hug. "I am sorry.. I did not recognize you... You look different.." He touches her hair and gives a soft tug at her hoodie. "Where have you been? It's been a while." He smiles warmly at her.

She grins when Hjalmar turns to hug her, wrapping her arms around the man in a tight embrace in return. Then she laughs at the remark about her appearance, shaking her head, grinning as she pulls away from him and climbs onto a nearby stool. "I was gone longer than you think," Wazi informs Hjalmar wryly, "Protecting Hounds of the Antlered One from the Ganbataari." She pauses a moment, eyeing him for any sign of recognition to the names before snorting quietly and adding, "Lleutrim went to the Legendary Realm, for his challenge to Adren. It was many months living with his Ancestors, but we are back now."

She glances toward the two men sharing a meal and talking about sparring, eyeing them curiously a moment, before she looks back to Hjalmar and adds, "Soon, I will challenge too, and catch up to you."

Hjalmar releases hee eventually from the hug and nods. Curiosity plain on his face again. "That so? Intruiging.." He shakes his head at the explanation. "It does not ring a bell.. Though I would very much like to learn... If you are willing to teach me?" He sits down next to her and orders two beers now. One for both! He grins at her. "I take it, that things went well then?" A nod. "Good! And I look forward to it Wazi. I have become Adren myself some time as well. Not sure if you heard?"

Wazi nods, grinning again at Hjalmar, "Yes," she agrees, "That is why I will catch you. Soon." She licks her lips, glancing over as the beer is ordered for her and adds, "Bacon wrapped chicken tenders, too. With french fries. And a pulled pork sandwich." She glances at the man beside her and adds, "Are you eating?"

After ordering food is settled, she shifts her weight a little, glancing again to Cristobal and Ansel, head tilting a bit as she notes the first looking back at her and Hjalmar. Then she smiles slightly and answers Hjalmar, "It was not good. It was a very hard journey, but, a very good story. I think. Some of how the Fianna Ancestors came together to be Fianna."

Journey comes out of the bathrooms. He did not go in there. Walking over to the bar he leans over, placing an order, then turns around to look over the place.

Hjalmar chuckles and shakes his head at the offer of food. "I'm good. And I hope you will! Means you're doing well." He follows her gaze around and smiles again at those others, sitting there. He looks back and takes his mug of beer. "I hope to hear and learn it all then." He looks up as Journey comes in as well. And nods to the man. "Shaderunner-Rhya. Good day to you!"

Wazi looks to Journey when Hjalmar calls to the man, head tilting a little to one side before she nods slightly. "Shaderunner'rhya," she addresses the man after Hjalmar's greeting, "Thank you for your help, last ye- last week. Battle Singer's trip to the Legendary Realm was successful. Lights the Darkness says much of his Wisdom was from you, in guiding us there."

She glances back to Hjalmar and adds another grin for the man, "Battle Singer can tell you the story better, I think. But, I will try. Do you know of the legend of Gaul and Goth Peoples being forced west by ancient Mongolians?"

Cody wanders down the stairs, pausing at the bottom. He glances about before heading further in the room. He bows his head respectfully towards Journey first then the rest of hte Garou in succession of their ranks and finally spots Cris. He is careful not to intterupt the Garou talking business.

Journey looks over to Wazi and nods, "I spoke with Dragomir, he seems good. Can't wait to see the rest of the group, glad the directions worked out for you. I can't say I'm too familiar with that set of conflicts, no."

Hjalmar listens to Wazi and smiles. "Just bits and pieces. We used to talk about different sagas, back home.. So please.. Start at the beginning." He downs a big gulp of beer and looks at Wazi with deep interest.. Waiting for her to conclude the greeting with Journey.

Another slight nod from Wazi as she looks from Journey to Hjalmar, before wrinkling her nose, "I will try, then." She pauses, licking her lips again, before shifting her weight and scooting up on her bar stool, her back against the bar. "Once, the Children of Stag were many, many tribes. They lived in all places and took their Kin from strong humans and smart wolves. They each spread to good lands and settled to live there, all with their own Righs. One such tribe is the Hounds of the Antlered One." She pauses, glancing at the other two Garou a moment, eyeing them, before she continues, "Many years they lived and protected land for the Earth Mother. Greatest of their Caerns was for Belinus: the Sept of the Noon Sun."

Hjalmar listens with clear intent to the story Wazi tells.. "Why do you observe us.. Upon saying that tribe's name?" He looks up a moment to smile and nod at Cody. Then back to Wazi. "Belinus? Hmm... Alright."

Wazi pauses, tilting her head a bit at Hjalmar's question. Then she snorts quietly, "Is story," she answers him wryly, "Is how they tell it. Important names or things, you stop and look and see and think: 'What are they feeling?' I am bad at stories, because you do not feel yet." The words are offered plainly, with a slight grin, before she nods slightly and adds, "Belinus is God of Sun, for them. I am not sure, if this is like Helios for us, or other, older Sun Spirit. But, greatest Righ of the Hounds was old, wise Druid called Cunobelinus. Hound of the Sun. Is not his birth name, but is his king name. Many years did he live as Grand Elder, and his son Judoc Knife of Summer was proud Warrior, who hoped to be Righ too. But this is not the story. Story starts with winter."

Hjalmar nods at the explanation and takes a seat as he continues to listen.. Not interrupting her anymore for now!

Journey listens carefully, seeming to have caught onto the general time period and spiritual references, but just listening, sipping his drink.

"Winter is hard time for all, even Garou, but this winter was worse. The Wyrm opened his eye and looked on world, and the cold came too strongly. First, winter was only harsher, worse, killing more trees, making less food. Soon, winter came longer and longer for every year, until it was always winter. People of the Hounds were starving and cold, but the Caern must be protected. They grew strong and hairy, good at living in cold, good at running in snow. With help from Belinus, still they made food and guarded his place. Wyrm was not happy with this, because where free people have life, he is pained and grows hungry for their death."

Wazi pauses to turn and scoop up her beer. She takes a sip, wrinkles her nose a bit, then licks her lips and continues, "For many, many years the Hounds did fight with men who rode big horses from the east. Like Stag's Children, they had many tribes, but greatest of them were called the Ganbataari, whose chief was Nergüi. Man with no name. This was strange, but not bad - until the Wyrm touched him, and gave him powers to refuse the Spirits. He became a great Fomori and he gathered all tribes of horse men into one army, teaching them his ways. Teaching them to feed their names to Eater of Souls, so that Wyrm could twist them into killers that our Gifts and Fetishes could not touch."

Journey sips his drink on his stool, listening to the room, focus moving on Wazi and around, just taking it all in placidly.

Hjalmar's attention is fully on Wazi's story/explanation. He carefully sips his beer, afraid that doing so with less care, would make him miss bits and parts.. And that would not stand!

"Soon, Ganbataari were raiding the Hounds always. Pushing deeper into their lands, stealing territory, killing Warriors and taking kin. Wyrm grew fat from their evil, and he sighed happily, pushing his breath into the world. Winter grew worse, with storms howling from the North for weeks, burying homes of the Hounds in snow and ice. Still, Cunobelinus held to the Caern of Belinus. Many strong packs died, fighting cold and Ganbataari, until they came for the Caern at last."

Wazi grimaces, shaking her head slightly, glancing again over her audience, eyeing Hjalmar, Cody, and Journey seriously in turn. "By now, the Caern was weak. Too many Garou had died to feed it enough Gnosis to stay strong, and Belinus was hurting. The Ganbataari filled sky with arrows, chanted strange things in the fields outside of the Caern, and finally came in with thousands of men - many carrying silver axes or arrows or hammers. More warriors fell, and Cunobelinus feared his people would be lost with his Caern. That the Hounds of the Antlered One would die and Stag would lose one more tribe."

"Battle lasted for three days and nights, before Cunobelinus made choice. He could not stand against Nergüi. Could not beat champion of Eater of Souls. Could not save his Caern. But thought maybe he could save his People." Wazi frowns again, shaking her head slightly, "I asked him, if this was his right choice. If he should have kept whole tribe to die for Caern of Belinus. He told me, there was no right choice. I am not Philodox, and can not judge this thing. But he decided only his Tribe could be maybe saved, and so he led them sneaking away in the forest at night. Once there had been thousands of them, with hundreds of strong warriors and dozens of Garou. Now, only hundreds with dozens of Warriors. Only some few Garou: Cunobelinus's pack, and his son Knife of Winter's pack. All others died to the Nameless Ganbataari and their silver.

"By dawn, the Ganbataari found sleeping Caern, already too weak from years of starving to be good for them, and the Tribe gone. Cunobelinus led his people south and west, sending word to his cousin Righs that they had great need, and came for help. One said to come, Right Cardeyn, and that his Warriors would meet the Hounds."

"But, they did not come. Hounds of the Antlered One were made to walk for many, many miles and days in the snow. Other villages were found, who gave some help or joined them in fleeing the Ganbataari. But, was very hard journey." Wazi pauses then, grimacing a little, before she shakes her head slightly and concludes with: "This is when Battle Singer led me and Twilight's Glimmer, and Eye of the Storm, and Lights the Darkness and Evie Frost to join them. That is his story to tell. To prove he is Adren. I can not say more."

She gives a quiet snort at that, before shaking her head slightly. She begins to turn away from the group that is rapt upon her, looking to the food that was quietly slipped onto the bartop behind her as she spoke.