2019.08.15 Summoning the Past

Summoning the Past
Aaryn, Micah and Hrafn summon a spirit that may have information on Ravenscar's past.
IC Date	8/15/2019
IC Time	Dusk
Players	Aaryn, Micah, Royan
Location	The Longhouse Yard - Umbra
Prp/Tp	Ravenscar
Spheres	Garou, Gaian

In has been a few days since Frostbite and Hrafn have returned home from the Deep Umbra (See: Fury Rd) - long enough for Hrafn to regrow feathers and for the pack to get back to some semblance of normalcy. Before Frostbite can head off on another adventure, Hrafn corners Aaryn and Micah about doing a Spirit Summoning ritual so he can learn more about the history of Ravenscar. They have gathered at Sunset on a night when Aaryn does not have work. The kinfolk work crews, who have the skeleton of the longhouse complete, have all gone home. Together they cross over into the Umbra in a place chosen by Aaryn to perform the spirit summoning. When they get there, Tank, Micah's new spirit familiar, is waiting for them. Surprisingly he is not up to mischief and does not try and bum rush them upon their arrival. Instead he stands sentinel, Micah having warned him that it will be his job to protect them from any spirits who wish to interrupt their plans.

xxxxxBob is here as well, the little spider(!) spider standing up on some elevated surface where he has a nice view of the area. Now that Hrafn no longer has any red dust in his feathers, it would seem the spider spirit has fully forgiven his master and friend. Hrafn, for his part, sits on a rock. He has cast the Rite of the Sun's Bright Rays upon the area, filling the Umbrascape around them in warm sunlight; thinking that if they summon an ancestor spirit of the Corax, it might appease it to feel Helios light upon him once more (or her. Or it). And, him casting a ritual that makes sunlight out of nothing might very well come as a surprise to the Frostbite!

xxxxxMicah is carrying a backpack with an assortment of things they may need for the ritual that Aaryn has dedicated so that they may bring them here. He's also brought a set of bongo drums with an image of an owl painted on them - a gift from Iris at Freya's blot. He arranges everything in the ritual area so that Aaryn has easy access to it. It sets out a place for himself to sit with the drum and places his bow nearby. He lays out 4 bane arrows so they are within easy reach. You can never be too careful! Then he waits for Aaryn's lead.

xxxxxJust before the rite, Aaryn spends some time burning some sage and juniper in the fire pit. After mixing this into a paste, she carries a stone mortar and pestle into the umbra where she sits in meditation for a while before the others arrive. As they file in, she would lift her head to acknowledge them. Her face is painted in a bone-white resemblance of a skull and there is the coral feather ties about her locks. She stands and makes her way to Micah, where she spends some time murmuring over him in German, and finally, with her pointer and pinky fingers, dips them into the bowl and drags two, tusk-like marks down his face. Next, she turns to Hrafn and pauses, to look around in respect at the light he has brought them. She nods to the large, magnificent bird and approaches him with the bowl. She murmurs a few words over him and, with her pointer finger, reaches out to draw one single line from the underside of his beak to his chest feathers.

xxxxxHrafn has certainly witnessed the rite of summoning before. And each time, it always seemed a bit intimidating for him. He was good with some things, but not with spirits. Not in this manner, not yet at least. Certainly not to summon them. For once, the raven remains quiet in respect to the rite, his head dipping lower to the ground as Aaryn comes to initiate him into the ritual.

xxxxxMicah doing a garou ritual is creepy, not because he is creepy necessarily, but because he starts acting SERIOUS, which is weird, so it's creepy. Serious Micah means he thinks something could jump out and attack them at any given moment. Given what happened the last time they did a ritual here - that is entirely possible. Did no one think this through?! That being said, once Aaryn has annointed him, he takes the drums and starts to settle down and begins a very basic beat on the drums. "I need to find the beat of the spirit we're going to summon. To do that, I need a clear idea of the spirit. What kind of spirit are we trying to attract?"

xxxxxHrafn lets both his wings spread slowly, as if testing that they are still working. Or just to show off his magnificent wing-span. Black eyes turns to Aaryn, "I seek a spirit of the past! Something old, something wise. A raven of memory, perhaps, or an ancestor of my kind! Something that can look back and speak a clue of Ravenscar. Of the man and the family that lived here."

xxxxxRyn tips a fingertip onto the top of Bob's head, and Tank's as well. Everyone gets a blessing, it seems. She moves in to settle at the head of the circle she has created and straightens her spine. She looks, expectantly, to Hrafn, and nods at his response. In Garou, she begins a deep chant, almost starting as a hum or rumble deep within her. It begins to mix and pulse with the beat Micah has found.

And thus it continues for one hour.

xxxxxOne hour. And this is when Hrafn shows how patient he can be. Ever seen a raven sit still for an hour before? Well, you have now! He does not move a single bit on that rock; only his feathers rustling a bit each time there is a slight breeze in the umbrascape. The bird keeps quiet, too. He has to. He does not want to upset Aaryns rhythm.

xxxxxMicah searches for the beat as Aaryn begins to chant, eventually his voice joins hers, adding strength to the chant. He concentrates on a spirit of the past, something old, something wise, something that can look back into the past. The drum beats remain firm, solid, rythmic, strong, like a heartbeat.

The hour passes, and at the culmination of the summoning, at Aaryn releases her intent out into the spirit world, the result is immediate. The ground begins to tremble and the rock upon which Hrafn and Bob sit start to raise up out of the ground, grinding and groaning. The rock splits horizontally in the vague shape of a mouth, the sediment of the rock forms lines that look like old wisened eyes that are wrinkled with age. The eyes barely open. ~mmmMmmmMmmmm~ wHo Has suMMoNed Me iNto tHis place?~

xxxxxHrafn does jostle a bit on the rock as things begin to shake and rumble out. He lets out a little -kraaa- to this before he settles down. Those black eyes of his lock on to the mouth that forms in the dirt, "This.. is new." he whispers out, "Is it an Ancestor? Spirit of the land?" he wonders, "What is it?" Curiosity has gotten the better of him, disrupting for a short moment the question asked by the spirit.

xxxxxMicah remains in silent communion with Tank, making sure that he doesn't take the spirit for something to attack. He continues the rythmic drumming, letting Aaryn do the talking.

xxxxxRyn responds. "It is I who have summoned you, ancient one," Aaryn intones. "I am Guides-the-Dead, Junge Godi of the Get of Fenris. We have claimed this land as ours, to protect and honor. We wish to know more of it's history, and of the people who have tread here, before us." She looks to Hrafn

xxxxxThe raven takes flight to this, leaving the rock and coming to a perch on Aaryns shoulder. Both his wings spread wide as he calls out, "I am Swift Wing upon the High Wind, Child of Raven and Son of Helios of the Corax! I ask a boon of you, Great Spirit of the Land! I ask for wisdom and for knowledge. In years times years back, one like me lived on this land. I seek knowledge of clues about those times, about those people."

xxxxxTo some, the sight of a slight blonde woman in a black hood, painted like a skull... With a Raven perched on her shoulder... Might look frightening. But those that are gathered are /GET/, damnit. And they are /impressive/! Ryn translates the message to the rock spirit, for specificity.

The spirit does not respond for some time. It doesn't seem to notice the spider or the bird that rests upon its back. If it does notice, it doesn't seem to be bothered by it. The silence drags on long enough that one might wonder if the spirit has fallen back into slumber like an old man in a rocking chair. Then finally, the spirit speaks again, ~I Have rested Here siNce loNg before you were Here, or garou, or MeN. I kNow MaNy tHiNgs of tHis laNd. You Have cleaNsed tHis place. THis I reMeMber too. I will speak to you of wHat I kNow if you ask tHe rigHt questioNs.~

xxxxxRyn looks over to Hraf, she will translate anything he wishes.

xxxxxHrafn for his part waits for Bob to whisper in his head everything the summoned one says. Most likely, the Spider is interspacing a lot of sighs and comments about the slowness of the creature as well. The raven clicks his beak in the air a bit, "Did one of my kind, did one of Ravens Children live upon this land scores times many years ago?" Because counting is hard.

Again, the spirit contemplates. ~A booN you say? To learN of tHe Garou that oNce lived Here? Or do you MeaN tHe feNrir? No No No you ask for raveN cHildreN? raveNs are creatures of tHe sky Not tHe eartH...~ It trails off and you think there may be nothing more it will say, but no, it just has a long memory and sometimes it takes a long time to look back. Finally, when all hope and patience seems lost, the spirit replies, ~tHere was oNe sucH as you speak of tHat lived Here. He gave it a Name tHat is reMeMbered by tHe eartH. RaveN's Rock. We liked tHis NaMe.~

xxxxxRyn translates this, then pauses, long enough for Hraf to absorb what's been said and to decide what his next course of questions should be.

xxxxxHrafn is all but digging his claws into Aaryns shoulder by now. If he had been sitting on the rock still, he would by now have been scratching it with those claws. Good thing he is not on the rock! It might have offended the earth spirit. He lets out another kraaa, "So many questions." he breathes out, "The right one! Too many questions for the right one!" he complains to the air, "What became of this one that named this place.. Raven's Rock?"

Once Aaryn has translated the question there is silence again, but not as long of a silence as before. Seems now the spirit has narrowed down a time, the memories come back sooner, ~He left tHis place.~

xxxxxAaryn decides to ask, "there was a great storm. That turned this place asunder while this one lived here. What can you tell us of it?" In the span od likely silence that follows, she translates what she has asked.

The spirit contemplates and then answers, "Yes." And then there is another pause. Really? Is it going to be that literal? And then it continues, ~Just before He left tHere was a storm tHat was Not a storm. tHere was ligHtNiNg tHat was Not Made by tHe spirit of storMs. tHe MooN wept aNd tHe ligHtNiNg caMe aNd tHe tree was split asunder. RaveN's Rock was destroyed.~

xxxxxRyn translates this to Hraf, with some amount of sadness in her voice.

xxxxx"A tree for Congress." Hrafn says, almost in reverence, "He left. He must have taken flight to the storm. Chased it.. tried to keep it from killing the family. His family?" The raven has so many questions. He tries a real hard one then, "Did the Child of Raven speak his name of the Sky and to the Earth?" he wonders.

The question is asked and it is translated and the rock contemplates. ~tHe NaMes of Gaia's cHildreN are kNowN aNd spokeN aNd reMeMbered. Helios would kNow tHe NaMe of His cHildreN but wHile His ligHt sHines oN Me I May Here it wHispered.~ The spirit goes quiet, going into silent communion, basking in the sunlight from Hrafn's fetish. Finally he speaks again, ~tHere was No lock tHat could keep HiM out so tHat was tHe NaMe He was giveN. FeatHer Picks tHe Lock~