2023.05.13:AncestorTalk

Ancestor Talk
Ancestors are called and Learned From
IC Date	May 13th, 2023
IC Time	Evening
Players	Branton, Pancake, Irsa, Memo, Rhapsody
Location	Ritual Clearing at the Caern
Prp/Tp	None
Spheres	Gaian Garou
Theme Song	None

Mercy has been here for the first part of the day, spending those obligatory hours preparing, centering, meditating, and other such -ings required for a smooth, super easy summoning of things. She's got her own little patch of the clearing to work, so that she's not in the way of other mystics and visa versa. When she's about ready to do the dew, she sends String to go track down Branton and call him in for the last ingredients for the ritual. Sure, he could have been here the whole time, but let's face it, the previous hours were all the boring parts involving sitting around with one's eyes closed and such, so it's fine if he was somewhere else!

--- --- ---

Branton was off doing stuff and things, being a productive sort but he also comes when called bringing along whatever he's supposed to. He approaches quietly, incase his lady is still meditating or something.

--- --- ---

Mercy's just sort of adjusting some of the stuff in front of her, trying to make a nice display. If you're gonna invite guests over, you tidy up a bit, make snacks, put out all the magazines in an arc on the coffee table or whatever. She's got some candles, a wide basin of water and a littlle platter of Grecian snacks. Not made by her, of course, she cant cook for shit! She's been here for a while prepping for things, and Branton has just arrived, lead by String. For the uninitiated, String looks like a floating piece of multi colored yarn. "Oh good, it found you! I started getting the impression it was getting excited about minnows again and was just starting to get worried that it got side tracked." she tells her hubby while smiling and pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

--- --- ---

Enormous Wolf trots into the clearing with her dark olive pack dangling from her jaws, and several long shards of fresh bone poking out of her mouth. She might have murdered a skeletal porcupine, or just finished up lunch, take your pick. >> What spirit did you wish to consult? << she mumbles at Memo, heading towards another circle quite close to Mercy's own.

--- --- ---

Branton probably made the snacks, possibly with Pink's assistance. Cooking is more his thing. When Iris mentions String and minnows "I was working on finding a good spot to teach some of my City wolf friends how to fish. Which means teasing Minnows. Got String excited. It wants to come to the lesson I think."

--- --- ---

Memo leans over a second to rest on his palms on his knees while he catches his breath. He holds up a finger before straightening up, exhaling one last time before answering the Theurge's question, "I wanted to petition an Ancestor spirit for a gift...". When the Shadow Lord sees String he does a double take, slightly derailing his train of thought.

--- --- ---

"Ooooh okay yeah, that makes total sense." Mercy agrees, giving a smile and a wave when she spots apprentice and friend arriving. String wiggless its way over to Mercy and, right as she's saying, "Can I have some of your blood?", it shapes itself into a 2D representation of rainbow devil's horns on her head. "Just a little bit in the bowl." she asks Branton, offering him her ritual dagger. "This'll take about ten minutes, but uh... I think I did some pretty good prep work!"

--- --- ---

Enormous Wolf drops her things on the ground. She eyes the fresh bone shards at Memo's response and noses them aside. >> What is the ancestor's name? And what do you offer it, in exchange for the Gift you seek?" She flicks back the flap of her pack and noses around inside. >> Good hunting! << she greets Mercy and Branton. >> Who do you call today? << Theurge gossip, best gossip.

--- --- ---

Branton glances over when his lady waves and also waves before taking the dagger and also fishing out a bit of bandage to have ready before he cuts himself. While depositing the blood sample he offers as an answer to Irsa "My Mother at least. Maybe other Ancestors in our line, depends on who's dead at the moment and wants to come."

--- --- ---

Memo strains to tear his attention away from the events unfolding next to them. The Shadow Lord shakes his head and taps the pocket where he sheathed his notebook. "The Ancestor I petition is a wolf born Uktena called, "Black Cloud Follows." tipping his head toward the catacombs. There is a moment where a question crosses the Galliard's face but he keeps it to himself, focusing on the task at hand. "I offer to sing. On the zenith of each face of Luna, until the next Spring Equinox I will offer songs. It is my hope this pleases the spirit enough to warrant the gift of harnassing the scent of mankind.".

--- --- ---

Mercy nods her agreement and adds, "I've never met my mate's mother!" She's so nervous, omg mother-in-law, I hope she likes me! Branton's blood makes patterns in the water basin while Mercy digs out her pan pipes and begins to play, giving the fetish a tickle of gnosis to get it going. She's good at this instrument, and it has a very haunting sort of melody to it that pulls at the soul. But she doesn't play loud, this isn't a stage performance or anything, just a call with a really nice ring tone. This'll take her a few, but she doesn't mind the nearby banter.

--- --- ---

Enormous Wolf grumbles something into her pack, which she's managed to somehow stuff most of her head into. She pulls out several things one at a time: a sharp-edged shiv, a small clay bowl, a canteen, and several black stones with a glassy sheen. She's at another ritual circle not far from Mercy and Branton, and speaks to Memo. >> That is a good offering. Uktena like songs, and their four-legs love them best. <<

--- --- ---

Branton is at a circle with his mate, applying a bandage to his finger as she begins to play her pipes. They might be mates but this isn't band camp and we're not talking about those kinds of pipes. He offers a comment to Irsa and Memo "And a wolf born will have a better awareness of scent signatures than a human born would. Good call."

--- --- ---

Memo beams pridefully before letting his shoulder slump into a more modest stance. The Shadow Lord watches the Enormous Wolf set up seemingly unsure on how the ranking Garou needs him to do, if anything at all. He does a poor job of restraining himself from peeking over at the other ritual taking place while he patiently waits.

--- --- ---

Mercy plays her luring song and does the unseen ritual stuff of reaching out with her soul to contact the Ancestor spirit, while Irsa's doing her own prep for the same thing. After a good bit of playing, Mercy pulls her pan pipes down and looks around, brows crinkling at the distinct lack of an appeared spirit. "Buuuuuut..." she says to herself, "I *felt* her. Didn't I?" Fuck it, take two! Pan pipes go back to her lips and she plays again, quietly still. No need to interrupt other people's work.

--- --- ---

Rhapsody is either late to the party, or early for the next. Either way, she has stepped into the Ritual Clearing with her bag filled with additional herbs to leave here. Her eyes light up seeing so many and smiles and waves as the sees her pack mate, mentor, and more! "Good timing?"

--- --- ---

Enormous Wolf picks up a fallen branch to sweep the ritual area clear. >> Sister! << she barks at the sight of Rhapsody, wagging her tail. >> Come meet the new Galliard, he is consulting the theurges today.<< Tossing the branch aside she asks Memo, >> What Gift are you seeking to learn? << She picks up the black stones in her jaws and lays them out in a compass pattern at the very center of the ritual circle.

--- --- ---

Branton looks to his mate and smiles encouragingly before turning back to Irsa and Memo "From the description I am going to guess 'Smell of Man'? I've been doing research into that because of that situation we dealt with not too long ago." Then waving to Rhapsody "Its Ancestor day apparently. How goes it?"

--- --- ---

Memo dips his head toward Rhapsody by way of greeting before answering the Bone Gnawer, "Smell of Man.". The Galliard's gaze is now pinned on the Theurge helping, his eyes darting back and forth from detail to detail, his fingers anxiously rapping the notebook in his pants pocket. He ruffles and nods toward Branton as if it took a moment for his words to soak in.

--- --- ---

Mercy plaaaaaaays. Take two has a tiny little note of frustration to it, this is not an elder that's used to failing in mystic activities! Maybe she just dialed the number wrong, so to speak, or didn't let it ring long enough. Surely that happens, right? She ends up stopping and staring at the spot where the spirit *should* have shown up. "What the fuck?" Okay, third time's the charm. The song is a bit different, definitely carries a frustrated edge but she's trying to suppress that sound. Still, it's very much a wild stab in the dark now, trying a different number, as it were.

--- --- ---

Rhapsody does not want to interupt, but she says, "Nice choice." She hears the song playing and grins. "Ancestor day. Well then I am in time for seeing something fun." She puts down her bag, opening up to remove the extra herbs that she brought with her to share. "Can I help?"

--- --- ---

Enormous Wolf tilts her head as she watches Mercy work, equally as perplexed as the Elder seems to be. >> Do you need more for the ritual? Perhaps the spirit is busy with something, and cannot hear a single voice. << She chuffs in agreement with Rhapsody. >> Whispers Best Forgotten, take up that stone-tooth to cut your pelt, and place some of your blood in the earth-thing. Set it inside the circle, at the outside edge of the stones, and return to me.<< Clearly this is wolf for 'use that sharp knife' and 'clay bowl'.

--- --- ---

Branton nods at Rhapsody about it being interesting before he looks to his mate holding up his bandaged finger "Do we need more blood? I only put a couple drops in." Though now everyone is trying to help almost so it might be distracting at this point.

--- --- ---

Memo purses his lips for the few moments it takes his baby homid brain to translate the instructions before punctuating with a nod. He steps forward, taking the blade and drawing it across his palm over the clay bowl, squeezing with a slight wince as he dribbles claret. Continuing with his piece, he takes the bowl and sets where he was told, pausing for a moment as if to listen for something whispering from somewhere unseen. After half a second Memo returns to Hammer-Tooth.

--- --- ---

"I don't... Maybe you're right." Mercy replies to Irsa. She shakes her head to Branton, "No, and I don't want you to accidentally chop your finger off." So she tries one. More. Time. Much more quickly this time, there's a small flicker flash of flames as someone FINALLY responds to her summonings. A woman in her prime, mid twenties perhaps, slender and beautiful and dressed in such a way that suggests she was going for 'queen of fire' today when she got dressed. A gown in black, gold and red with what resembles trees made of molten gold on her skirt pannels and accents resembling climbing flames moving up her bodice. Her face, while beautiful, is given a cold, hard look while in such a get up, her dark brown/black hair elaborately coifed just so. Her style is something remeniscent of the end of the Victorian era, when people still wanted to look like their own kings and queens, but also didn't want to wear most of the ruffly shit and bustles their forebearers were so into. "What." she greets Mercy and Branton while crossing her arms in front of her chest. She doesn't sound upset or anything, she more just comes off as someone that has resting bitch voice. It's a very posh, British sounding voice, though.

<OOC> Mercy's Messenger says, "Visual prop! https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/556166137063276555/1098824859603181688/334943759_753516936147256_857183823295232171_n.jpg"

--- --- ---

Rhapsody blinks, and sees this flaming woman. "Wow. I'll never tire of this." She is impressed with this ritual, that is for certain. Keeping back, she is going to watch what is said here and try to glean more as she learns.

--- --- ---

Enormous Wolf growls in surprise at the sight of the Mercy's summoned spirit. That, she was definitely not expecting. Her ears flatten at the Ancestor's tone, reminding herself this is exactly why her own tribe never deals with their own. Abuelitas can be super mean when you bother them. >> Good, now sit near me, so the spirit will see you when it comes, << she tells Memo, prying the top of the flask open with her teeth. >> Picture the spirit in your mind that we will call for you. It does not have to be right,<< she tells him.

--- --- ---

Memo flinches from Mercy's Messengers guest, nodding to Hammer-Tooth. He lowers himself, craddling his wounded hand in his lap before closing his eyes. A breath, a scowl and he peeks around before returning to summoning the image in his minds eye.

--- --- ---

Branton blinks a couple of times at the spirit's manifestation, not at all what he was expecting but he knows her. At least something in him resonates and he says to Rhapsody "Let me introduce you to My mother was Alexandra Oliveras, Rited Tears-of-Dawn, Galiard. Daughter of Evara Oliveras, Rited Scythe-Claw, Philodox. Daughter of Jessica Oliveras, named by deed and trial Firebrand. Daughter of Melissa Oliveras, Named by deed and trial Fire-ribbons. My mother."

--- --- ---

The corner of the spirit's mouth twitches with a smile when she hears a bit of awe and fear over her appearance. Who doesn't love flattery, right? And not every ancestor is getting summoned all the time, so who knows how often she's had the attention of strangers during her afterlife. "Uh.. Hello!" Mercy begins, "Thank you for coming, honored ancestor." There's the slightest hint of a snort from the woman. Her brows pop up at Branton's introduction, and she says, "Oh, no, I'm a maiden, dear. No children. And even if I'd wanted them, I was murdered before I could plan for that sort of thing. You're looking for my... Oh, what. Great great great great great great great grand niece. Or some such. Who can keep track these days. I know her, though. She wont answer, I'm afraid. Too busy wallowing in the labyrinth with all the other mad ones that haven't come to grips with their lot in death. She's much closer to the threshold than others, but not quite ready to step out." With a slight eye roll of someone well aquainted with drama she says, "Oh, pardon. I am Erzabet Alexandria Oliveras, Kinfolk of the Black Furies and mistress of embers. I can see how your summoning got confused. Such a pleasure to meet you." She seems like she means it, even if she doesn't *sound* like she means it. she waggles her emaculately laquored nails at Rhapsody.

--- --- ---

~ I call upon the spirits of the wind to carry my words to the dens of the ancestors. One among us seeks wisdom from one of our brave dead. I call upon Black Cloud Follows, wolf-born of the Uktena, who passed into Spirit long ago. Come, we ask you, to the place you once called home. Come, and receive the praise you have earned from the warriors who still dwell here and honor your memory. ~ A rush of wind fills the clearing, swirling around Hammer-Tooth's ritual circle. The sound of howling approaches, sounding as if from a great distance away. A slate-gray wolf, marked with splashes of white on its chest, paws and face soon takes shape in the ritual circle. ~ I hear, and come to speak-- what is THAT? ~ Black Cloud Follows demands, eyeing the other Ancestor spirit suspiciously. Hammer-Tooth shrugs, as only a dire wolf can. She's not about to offer opinions and mess with Mercy's thing.

--- --- ---

Rhapsody has never seen anything quite like this, and she takes a seat here, bows her head with reverence. She waves back to the spirit she is giving deference too. "It is an honor to meet you." They are calling an ancestor, one much honored.

--- --- ---

Branton blinks a few more times, having been expecting that response even less but he gets it together fairly quickly "If you care to share any wisdom as to how the summoning got confused rather than just failed we would appreciate it. I do have a theory that its related to one of the questions we were going to ask after though, when I went to the Oracles to find out who my mother was they gave me a name that didn't match the rest of the lineage."

--- --- ---

Memo watches quietly, doing a poor job of hiding his piqued interest regarding the Uktena's reaction. He idly smears some blood on the web of his hand, taking some images in smudged scarlet. His eyes narrow a little over hearing Branton but restrains himself from letting his eyes wander.

--- --- ---

The Uktena spirit has noble and personable all over him, but Erzabet has the market cornered on angry dominant nobility vibes. "THAT is a *woman*." she replies to the Uktena spirit, a lick of flame slipping out of her mouth and snipped off with a sassy little air bite and smile at him. She probably had the Gall merit when she was alive. And maybe the Hot Temper flaw as well. Among other flaws, let's face it. Mercy stays out of this, scribling notes in her book while the spirit turns back to Branton. "Couldn't say, I've never performed the rite of summoning before. Possibly due to similar names, though I suspect more likely the error is due to our family's little... affliction muddying the waters. Thanks to THAT little detail, we're not all ourselves. What was the name you heard?"

--- --- ---

The wolf-born Uktena Ancestor curls up his muzzle in a sneer at the other spirit. ~ Crazy Wyrmcomer Kinfolk,~ it growls, turning back to peer at Hammer-Tooth and Memo. ~ Oh, I know you. You are the shaman who is a friend of my grandson. What do you need?~ The spirit's stance shifts, becoming much more friendly and relaxed. Hammer-Tooth rumbles, ~ This one seeks a lesson from you. Can you speak our wolf-tongue, so he can understand you better? He is no shaman.~ The Ancestor wolf bobs it's head. >> Of course. What is your name, young warrior? And what do you need? << Black Cloud Follows asks Memo.

--- --- ---

Branton is way more mellow than he used to be but even he still has his moments. This isn't one of them though he stays focused on his ancestor as he gives the answer "Ut the Blazing, Son of Ahet, Breaker of Mountains. Not one I recognized so I decided to do something considered atypical for my gender and just ask those who'd know."

--- --- ---

Memo looks between the Ancestor spirit and the Theurge mediating. The question seems to balance on the edge of his lips but Memo seems unsure on best to pose it. He looks down at the bloody hand and takes a breath, he jabs a thumb into the open wound then harnesses the Rage evoked to melt into his wolf form. The unassuming homid form melting into a panting black furred, Balkan wolf. The low growl in his throat, like distant thunder offers response to the Ancestor spirit, "I am Whispers Best Forgotten, Black Cloud Follows-rhya. I come seeking the Smell of Man, for which I bring many songs that I will sing at the foot of your grave until the worlds sleeps and wakes again next spring.". His tail flicks and snout swoops from side to the other, his gaze low as to not challenge the spirit wolf.

--- --- ---

Rhapsody cannot say how this whole scene calls to her soul. The Theurge is surrounded by spirits being called, respect and honor given, and she is unsure which way to look at any given time. It's a two ring circus/entertainment that she is blessed to witness!

--- --- ---

"Ut." Erzabet breathes, though not in a way that suggests she hasn't heard of the name before. More like she's ruefully chewing on the name and finds its flavor displeasing. She's quiet for a minute, turning her head to watch the interaction between Memo and the Uktena spirit. Her face is stoney as usual, the antithisis of an approachable and loving ancestor, but it's possible that she looks just a *little* bit envious right now. No one calls on long dead kinfolk for lore or magics, and even now she's only here because of a ritual mistake. She looks back to Branton and says, "There is so much of Ut to know, where to begin? Ut the Blazing? Ut the Deceptive, more like. Ut the Liar, never mind all those northerners from the old world that called her a Hearth goddess." Oh, someone's *so* bitter. "Ut said she'd watched me since before I was born, kept me warm in the womb and she burnt a forest in my honor as a cradlle gift. I don't know how to feel about that, nor if it is even true, only that she said it. Ut promised she'd burn my weakness away and leave nothing but fire hardened steel in my spine. She said she'd protect my family and myself. She told me I could blaze like the sun. Aaaaall I had to do was introduce my brother to a comely young maiden in Londinium under a half full moon."

--- --- ---

Black Cloud Follows looks down at the younger Garou, head tilting to the side as he regards Memo-wolf. >> You have good manners, Whispers Best Forgotten, and you speak well. I accept this bargain, and will teach you the Gift you seek, but know that I will hunt your trail in the Spirit world should you fail your chiminage. Do you find this fair, young warrior? << Hammer-Tooth eyes that Black Fury Ancestor across the way. Damn, that dress is FIRE. She'd be jealous if she was into Disney villians.

--- --- ---

The others can almost hear the clicks when Branton tilts his head and contemplates, offering context confidently "So that would have been around thirteen hundred years ago. At least, maybe as much as around two thousand." then he blinks and shakes his head to clear it "Sorry about that, continue please."

--- --- ---

Memo lets his tail thump into the ground loudly requiring no hesitation to accept the terms added to their deal,"It is not my intention to fail Black Cloud Follows-rhya. We have an accord.". The Galliard seems blind to the neighboring events, so enarmored he appears in the center of his own.

--- --- ---

>> Good! The bargain is struck,<< Black Cloud Follows growls, smacking the ground with a forepaw for emphasis. The Ancestor wolf stretches out his neck and puffs out a breath, a swirling skein of spiritual energy that drifts towards Memo. >> Breathe, and learn. May we meet again in Spirit. Farewell, young warrior and shaman. << The spirit swiftly departs, leaving knowledge of the Gift for Memo behind.

--- --- ---

Rhapsody softly claps, highly approving of the accord that is reached!

--- --- ---

Memo lifts his head and howls, rising to the tips of his toes before that last leaves his lungs. The black furred Galliard yips excitedly toward the Theurge who helped him before swaying back and forth, clearly not especially practiced wearing the wolf skin. This fact is made even clearer when, despite seeming to have further business he wants to bring up his animal instincts overwhelm the young Cliath and spurn him to chase something out the area in an unceremonious exit.

--- --- ---

"Mmmm..." Erzabit does a little math in her head, "Only... A few hundred for me, I'm not entirely sure of the date but I don't suppose it's been an entire millenia since I died. I don't think. I *thought* I was special and had met a kindred spirit, and I *thought* she was telling the truth when she said she gave me my gifts and was my spirit mother. "She didn't, I was born for sorcery but she convinced me it was all her. When our barony was attacked, I defended it with the gifts she gave me and burned down every man that came over the hill and upon my folk until the air was black and choking with smoke and ringing with the screams of usurpers that tried to carve the land away from the Crown. But where was Ut when the people I saved lashed me to the stake? Where was her love for her 'little spark' when they murdered me for saving them?" She's begun to smoke and smolder with anger, but she takes a deeeeeeeep breath and reigns herself in.

"Now that I'm dead, I know much better. Introducing my brother to that girl got him a Phillodox mate, and I believe one of his great grandchildren you named in your introduction earlier. She didn't need me and I was *not* the first. That fickle, flaming elemental bitch has been manipulating events for generations, the thousands of years you just mentioned, playing match maker for a strong, fiery bloodline, and my Black Fury line was one that'd been roped in by her schemes against our tribe. I don't know *when* it started, but I know where. Siberia, in the south west, in the shadow of an old volcano. Something happened, I don't know what, but that is when Ut is first mentioned in the old grimores and legends. That's where she started her... her 'pure breeding' of your line, matching those that would make hot blood and sorcery. She wasn't a she, back then, she was a he, a flaming war god, so they say, eventually tempered to a goddess of home and hearth."

--- --- ---

Branton is paying close attention to the Ancestor's story, considering her words carefully and when she says 'little spark' Branton's eyes narrow. He doesn't interrupt, he waits his turn "I think I've met that spirit actually." As an aside to his mate he says "The elemental in that jungle temple, that let me think it was my Mother? Called me its 'little spark'."

<OOC> Branton says, "and in a comic book style foot note, this refers to events in https://cityofhopemush.net/index.php/2018.10.09:TotemQuest"

--- --- ---

Enormous Wolf growls a wolfish laugh when Memo darts off, and picks up a branch to brush away the spent summoning circle. She collects her ritual things one by one and stuffs them into her pack, picking the fetish up to join the other wolf-blooded folk near Mercy's ritual area. She nudges Rhapsody's shoulder companionably with her snout as she sits down. Branton's words draw a low growl from her. >> I know spirits can be manipulative but this is too much, and too cruel. <<

--- --- ---

Erzabet gets up on her feet and stalks back and forth, just fuming at Branton's revelation. "THAT FLAMING CUNNY!" she shouts furiously and the sound of angry betrayal. Now, this is a woman with a biiiiiiiiig chip on her shoulder, she clearly blames Ut for her untimely demise and considers everything about it to be terrible, as though she were talking about some demon or something. Of course, given some of the things she's said, she's from roughly the 7 hundreds (AD) and if she was as posh as she makes herself seem, human religion would have been as big an influence as Gaian religion, probably. But she hasn't ever denounced it as a Wyrm creature, just a cunt. You can be non-wyrm and still be a cunt, it's in the rules!

She abruptly whirls and grabs Branton, she's not gentle but she's not attempting to hurt him either, she's just grabbing, a hand to either side of his face. Her hands ignite and Branton might feel a surge, like a quick dunk in scalding water as she takes a hold of his *umbral* seeming, his Spirit Heritage, and forces it to the front, until he resembles the pale, smoldering half-elemental that he looks like in the spirit world. "Look at what she's done to us. Do you have children, Descendant Branton? It's what she'll do to them." Her face begins to burn, flesh smoldering and cracking, a very unperfected form of what Branton looks like now. Lower Heritage score. "She will ride them until they burn out. Every few generations she finds one of us, slips her way in and uses us up. Our family doesn't matter, only *hers*."

--- --- ---

Rhapsody's jaw drops, but she picks it back up and scoots back a bit - out of the burn zone. This is FASCINATING (no wonder soap operas have been around so long!), although she is concerned for Branton in this, even knowing he loves fire so much.

--- --- ---

Branton has embraced his fire nature with the guidance of the Garou and his Patron Goddess, developed his powers in ways beyond psionics or a sorcerer's craft. This makes it all but impossible for fire to hurt his flesh. But holy shit he seems *pissed* as Erzabet...explains. Not at the Ancestor, not at anyone here but oh boy he is for sure pissed (and with his spirit nature pulled forward, glowing) in the burn down the whole world sort of way.

For a few moments he can't answer her question or speak at all but eventually he calms enough for words and his hands come up to cover hers where they rest on the sides of his face "No, I don't have any blood descendants. But what I do have is a lot of skills and aptitudes. A lot of very specific skills that by all gods great and small Ut will regret her part in giving me. I've been called Sorcerer-Priest, Klaivesmith, Artificer-Militant...And I think I'm gonna see about what I can do to earn another appellation...God-slayer."

--- --- ---

Telemundo just -wishes- it was this good. Hammer-Tooth boggles at the unfolding events as she whines uncertainly at the others. This is bad spirit magic all the way around.

--- --- ---

In a minute, we're going to discover that Branton's evil twin brother has been in a coma for 10 years, just woke up, and Pink Floyd is his child, AND he's sueing for the estate! Well if the writing was better, then yeah, but sadly there's no evil goatee wearing Branton's running around out there, twirling their mustache. That's actually Iris's TV show!

"Excellent." she hisses like water on a hot griddle. Erzabet's display is... a little extra, blame it on her very hot temper, and maybe there was a bit of 'this is how I died' visual memory in there as well that she didn't have control over. The irony of having died by burning at the stake is not at all lost on her. Fuckin Ut, man. She has to exert her will to calm. the fuck. down. and when she does, her flames die down and puff out in a veil of smoke. "I may be a touch biased." she admits very, very grudgingly with a humorless smile, and steps back. Slower, trying to display the 'I'm not going to kill you all' vibe we all want out of an ancestor. She looks... a little regretful about her behavior, but only a LITTLE. Grudges do be gettin the best of people. "You tell her I said hello when you meet her. But... I should return to my Sisyphian task of tending to the mad dead." Eye roll. "Do something about your mother, would you? One less chore off my plate if she gets out of the maze, and watch out for any cousins you might have. She does her best work on orphans that don't know any better."

--- --- ---

Rhapsody scoots over closer to Hammer-Tooth. This is not a time to be alone! Speaking of grudges and all, it's all hands on deck to protect each other as things light up more.

--- --- ---

As the Ancestor backs away Branton takes a couple of breaths to settle down some more as well, clearly 'calm and collected' is not this bloodline's default state. Eventually finding his words again "I will be sure to tender your regards to /that spirit/ when we meet Honored Ancestor. And as a dutiful son I will of course see what I can do about my Mother's predicament I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. Are there any other members of our like you think we should summon to conference with?"

--- --- ---

Enormous Wolf pokes her packmate with her snout. Reassurance, probably, or looking for some reassurance herself. Maybe both! She's eyeing the Black Fury Ancestor and Branton, obviously taken back at the mad plotting from the fire spirit that's manipulated their line for so very, very long. Throwdown time? Throwdown time!

--- --- ---

Erzabet waves a hand fopishly, "Probably, but I doubt I could summon their names to mind at this point. Every day it's wails and lamentations for the ones they lost where I work, our family seems bred to be lost without their loves, and we in the homeland have so seldomly admitted the lost men of our tribe. Summon me again some time, would you? I don't get many breaks from my labor, apparently I haven't 'learned my lesson' yet. Bring me out of the maze, I'll share my honored wisdom with you." She doesn't even seem to realize she sounds a bit like Ut, and is a bit mad herself. But could you imagine her when she was alive? Definitely a 'power in front of the throne, fuck you I don't stand behind things' type. Probably made peasants quake when she walked past them. Assuming Branton gives the nod of Okay, Mercy will release Erzabet from the summoning, her form flicking out in a puff of flame and smoke.

"....Holy shit." Mercy says after a minute's silence.

--- --- ---

Rhapsody just shakes her head slightly, in her own disbelief and yet cannot take her eyes off of this all. Her packmates nudging gets some attention, but not from her eyes, as she nudges back. Where is that popcorn?

--- --- ---

>> Sacred droppings << Hammer-Tooth agrees with she and Rhapsody's mentor. >> That spirit you spoke of is completely mad, as mad as the mist and snow. <<

--- --- ---

"I AM SO GLAD THAT WASN'T MY MOTHER IN LAW!" Mercy blurts at Branton with HUGE relief that he's basically on the same page as her. Oh m'god HUGE sigh of relief. "She got you fuckin riled up though, damn. I wonder *how* biased her telling is, but even if it's exaggerated, yeah, that's... some crazy weird spirit plan. I don't know why a spirit would give that much of a shit about manipulating blood lines, I'm sure there's some kind of end game plan, but it is definitely a really, really weird thing to do. Damn, man. Um... Well, I mean I think we have some good ideas for next steps though. South west siberia near a volcano, find out what happened there. And fix your mom. I'm guessing by some of the comments your great aunty said that she's probably lost in depression. I don't think you can get Harano when you're dead, but it probably still sucks and maybe she just needs her lost family. And I wanna check and see what happened at that temple that got that spirit stuffed into slumber like that."

--- --- ---

Enormous Wolf growls and nabs her pack. >> If you need help, let me know. I, and others, will gladly help if we can. But now I must go, and see how the lost cub fares. And there is a place for us to howl to, on the island's far-howl-ape-thing. << This is clearly wolf for 'satellite phone'.

--- --- ---

Rhapsody still is thinking about what they experienced. But as Irsa shares, she nods in understanding. "Yes, we will help. Agnes we need to finish helping first."