2014.05.15:Rite of Heritage

Rite of Heritage
Selene performs the Rite of Heritage on Trekome.
IC Date	May 15th, 2014
IC Time	Evening
Players	Selene (wolf), Trekome, Urd
Location	Abilgaard Camp - Campground
Spheres	Gaian Garou

Abilgaard Camp - Campground(#12562RAU)

Hundreds or large oaks reach towards the sky like tiny daggers up to the heavens. There is an area where all of the brush has been cleared back creating a little encampement. There is only a single man-made structure present in the area. A large log cabin about twenty feet wide and a little over sixty feet long with it's entrance pointing Northwards. It has a heavily sloping sod roof with small amounts of grass growing through it. The building is windowless, though there is a rectangular hole in the very center of the roof that often has a small bit of light white smoke billowing out. Behind the building the forest continues onwards and upwards into a hilly area.

A fair bit in front of the building is a wide open area where much of the grass and brush have been completely cleared away so that a large fire pit could be dug out and encircled with large heavy stones. Around the pit are three log benches, perfect for sitting around a lively nightly bonfire. Beyond the fire and further to the right(west) of the camp is the constant sound of running water.

Contents: Selene Obvious Exits: Stream <St> Longhouse <Lo> Out <O>

Its late into the evening when Trekome is sent for by the kinfolk. It might take the poor scout some time to get the message across, but it was a standing invitation to be brought back to the Abilgaard camp to seek out Voice of Fire for the rite she'd promised to perform. The campfire is burning merrily, and the Nordic Get can be found seated in front of it drinking from a skin bag.

Trekome enters the camp with the kinfolk, who leads him over to the fire. He dips his head when he approaches, "Greetings, Voice of Fire-rhya." he says and holds out a couple rabbits he caught along the way. "I bring these as a sign of gratitude for inviting me to your camp and for offering to perform the Rite."

Selene tips her head towards Trekome. "Welcome to our home." She says calmly, and the kinfolk would take the Rabbits before heading inside. "That is Adalita. She is the mate of my youngest brother, Vassal of Flames." Selene explains, "Come, join me at the fire. Have you thought of the questions you wished to ask?"

Trekome joins Selene after the invitation and gives a nod, "I have thought of a few questions, though I'm a bit torn on a couple... I want to ask my father which tribe I come from, and my great grandfather who it became tradition for the males of my house to go into the military or law enforcement... but there are two questions that I want to ask my grandfather, though they may seem mundane." Selene slowly nods her head, "Perhaps we can ask him two." She ventures, "There is no harm in the effort. Though it means we will be unable to ask one of your more distant relatives a question."

Trekome nods a bit and debates that. "My grandfater was like another father to me... and he never refused a question, except with these two things. One was of the pistol he gave me, and the other was of his time in the military. He simply told me 'when I got older', and died in an accident before he ever got a chance. It's rather important to me, and I think it would have been to him... I have the pistol, if you'll allow me to show it."

"May I see it?" Selene asks curiously, holding a hand out as she waits patiently for him to show her the

Urd has arrived.

Trekome is sitting and talking with Selene by a fire. He nods to Selene and reaches behind him to unholster the pistol. He drops the mag and clears the chamber, catching the round in the air. He hands the pistol over, slide locked back so that it's clear the pistol is unloaded. "Grandpa said it was special, and he said it would be mine when I got older. It's one of his most prized possessions, as well as mine."

Urd moves through the wood. The exceedingly hot weather finds her weight a functional 'skirt' that allows her to carry things as pockets tied around her hips and nothing else. Her hair is pulled up off her face in a spiraling braid that ends up in a bun. She's got a clutch of fish and her spear has been rigged for fishing. Nordic women are not meant for heat.

Selene takes the pistol, and examines it. A hand passes over it, as her eyes slip closed as she seems to concentrate on it. "It is special." She says slowly, her eyes opening as she looks forwards at him again. "Do you know what a Fetish is, Trekome?" She asks curiously. "Did your parents or grandfather ever instruct you on those?"

Selene also smiles warmly towards Urd, and gives her a wave of greeting as she returns to the campsite with fish. Ugh. Fish.

You paged Selene with 'Being so brand new, that question hadn't been something I had thought of. However, I would say Eagle since it would fit the family background quite well, and there's enough in the character backstory that the Rite of Preserving the Fetish would have been performed without him knowing.'

Trekome shakes his head, "I've heard of it, and I think George-rhya demonstrated what one is with his blade, but I haven't learned much more than that. Father and grandfather died years before my first change, and it's been in safe keeping until I was old enough to own it myself. Most of the time it was in my unit's armory, and the armorer said it was his favorite pistol. He kept it very well maintained as far as I know." He looks back at Urd and smiles, "I have a couple gifts for you!" He says happily, then clears his throat, attention returning to Selene.

The kin hangs the fish off a low branch before she moves closer towards the fire and Selene and Trekome. She thinks he's talking to Selene though so when the kinfolk gets closer she waves to them both but oes not speak or interupt. She sinks to sit nearby Selene and leans back stretching a little as she does.

Selene smiles faintly. "This is a fetish." She says quietly, "... And while it once was very well tended to and taken care of, and still is, the spirit inside is... not pleased." She sounds almost... amused by this. "Fortunately, it can be placated. Do you know what a fetish is? Would you like me to explain to you?"

Trekome looks a bit surprised when he hears that the pistol is a fetish... "I... had no idea. Please, yes, I would be very greatful if you did." he says. Apparently grandpa /did/ have a lot to tell him. "I wonder if this is the only one that my family had..."

Urd turns her head and she listens shamelessly to the conversation at hand. She's smiling and her head tilts as Trekome says he isn't sure about the fetish. Her eyes then turn towards Selene.

Selene nods her head quietly, "I... will need some time to think of how to properly appease the spirit within. I do not think it will respond well if I treat it as I do our fetishes." She makes wiggly finger motions at the gun, "These things do not do well in cool spring waters, do they?" Selene doesn't in the least seem to mind that Urd has come by and settled in. She even gives her a welcoming smile.

Trekome shakes his head, "Steel and water do not mix very well... Good oil, properly tuning the springs within, making sure it's free of rust, and replacing worn parts are the best way to care for a firearm. I've had armorers make sure that the parts are in excellent condition and have been using good quality components in the ammunition I make... but I don't know what a spirit would want." He smiles at Urd, and for once even looks a little sheephish as he realizes how little he knows about these things.

Urd smiles back to them both though she stays quiet. She stands up after a moment brushing herself off and heads to find something to drink. SHe's still listening though to what the garou are saying even if she's not verbally contributing.

"To be acknowledged." Selene says with a smile, "Although caring for and tending to the vessel it has allowed itself to be sealed within is always a boon as well." She hands the weapon back over to Trekome, gingerly. She didn't entirely know how to handle it.

Trekome takes the pistol and stands, making sure he's pointing it in a safe direction before sliding in the mag and sending the slide forward. He clicks the safety and holsters it before sitting back down. "I'll start doing my best to listen for it and see what I can do to appease it... I guess I could ask what grandpa did to care for it if I can ask him two questions."

"You won't need to worry about using your two questions for that. In the matter of the fetish, I am more then capable of assisting you. I can commune with the spirit inside, and we will make sure the bargain struck is honored. We will also work towards teaching you to attune yourself to it, so that you may feel the spirit within it, and use it to your advantage." Her hands clap slightly, "But first. The rite of heritage. Are you ready?"

Having foraged herself something to drink the kinfolk moves back over to sit back down. "Perhaps a Theurge could also help." The tall kinfolk offers helpfully as she sits back down nearby Selene and takes a drink. She glances at Selene, "I didn't know they could make those into Fetishes."

Trekome reaches back behind him to gently pat the grip of the pistol through his blouse and nods, "I'd happy to have the help... I'm sure the spirit will appreciate it as well." He grins at Urd, "You haven't wondered how some marksmen have done so well and made seemingly impossible shots, or done so well against all odds, like Simo Hayha?" He knows that Hayha isn't Danish, but it's probably a more recognizable name than Carlos Hathcock. "Yes, I think I know which questions I'd like to ask." he says to Selene with a solemn nod.

Urd looks completely lost at Trekome and her eyes flit back to Selene. The tall Nordic kinfolk probably doesn't really but the picture of a modern woman. Tall with unusal old world tattos, strutting around in nothing but a small leather 'sarong' skirt that really acts more like a belt to hold things, and otherwise bare and without any sense of 'decorum' that city folk might have. So much so that the woman is looking at Selene for an explination.

"Then if you know what questions you wish to ask, we can proceed." She looks towards Urd. "While I am not one by auspice, I've filled the role enough to be comfortable with fetishes." She grins, "Any weapon can be a fetish. Spirits exist for all things, if one knows how to coax them." She looks back towards Trekome, and then nods her head. "Take a few deep, stilling breaths. I will start the rite soon."

Trekome nods and looks forward at the fire, just watching it as the flames dance. He takes slow deep breaths, slowing his heart and centering himself, tuning things out around him, just like his family taught him to while hunting. He keeps some attention on Selene, but most other things become lost to him.

Selene is taking long, slow breaths as she waits patiently. After a few moments, she says quietly. "Trekome, lost-cub. Tell me that which you would ask of your father."

Urd leans back to watch and listen now. Her icy blue eyes intent on listening to and watching the rite. She may not be garou but she still considers things like this a learning experience.

Trekome hears Selene and takes a slow breath before responding, "Father, we had lots to talk about but never had a chance to... I hope we get to talk more later, but for now... what tribe am I from?"

"Trekome, lost cub." Selene intones again softly, 'What questions would you wish to ask of your grandfather?" She leaves room for him to ask two questions.

Trekome smiles a bit, clearly quite fond of his grandfather. "Grandpa, you were always happy to talk and teach... but my lessons were cut short, and there are so many questions to ask... I would ask about the pistol, but my new extended family is going to help me learn about that... What did you go through in the Marine Corps that earned you a Silver Star?"

Trekome grins a bit at the chance to ask another question, and thinks he may as well ask while he has the chance. "Grandpa... You always said you don't get a whole lot of second chances, and I got one now, so I'm taking it... can you tell me about the pistol you gave me?" He takes a breath and pauses before continuing. "Great grandpa... I heard stories about you all the time on hunting trips... dad and grandpa told me that you lost your arm during the war, but wanted to wait until they told me how... what happened that you lost your arm?"

Selene shifts from homid to wolf with an ease of flowing water, implying that she definitely is comfortable in her form. She moves to it as naturally as others breathe. Once settled, she lifts her lips as if to howl, but the motion is soundless. It takes her long minutes, constant howling. Her head tilts to the side, and she waits.... nothing. Nothing at all.

Trekome keeps staring forward, despite the howling, though he is listening quite intently. His breathing stays calm and shallow, heartbeat steady and slow, hoping to hear or feel something.

Selene tilts her head one way. Then the next. Her eyes open after a moment, and my god if wolves could frown she'd be frowning. She settles down on her haunches, and seems to... ponder. She has no words for Trekome, though if he understands wolf she does lowly growl to him. << The spirits did not answer me.>>

Trekome sighs softly and nods, eyes shifting to the dirt in front of him. He looks... well, sad. "I guess I have to keep searching on my own for now... Perhaps I'll hear an answer another time?" he asks, looking a little hopeful.

Urd's looking around too since everyone else is. She looks back to Selene and Trekome and offers helpfully. "Maybe if I left?" She stands up and smiles to the two.

Selene shakes her head, and seems to gather herself again. Then, she starts to howl all over, casting her nose upwards as she repeats her query. The good thing about rites, you didn't need to really wait for a cooldown!

It carries, on and on for some time. When her head cants this time, it seems she has the answers. She starts to 'speak' in Lupus, low and soft as she repeats the answers to the questions Trekome had asked.

Trekome blinks when he hears Selene howl again, actually a bit surprised this time. He watches and listens quietly, giving his full attention, and leans in when she starts to speak in Lupus. The saddened expression shifts to a happy one, smiling when his father and grandfather answers him. "Glass Walker... So I was right about how I felt..." he murmurs, looking quite encouraged. The answer his grandfather gives him seems to be a much longer one, and quite the story it seems... his eyes widen and jaw drops a little. His grandfather tells of clearing a series of bunkers on Iwo Jima after his squadmates had all died to machine gun and artillery fire. The bunkers were heavily defended by the occupants and snipers on the hillside above, but he continued to press on, rallying two others with him to clear them. Because of others around him, he wasn't able to shift to his war skin, and had to continue in homid form until he entered the bunker alone. The rest is a gory recounting of slaying the occupants who were gunning down his comrades below, something he seems proud of. Once the bunkers were cleared he collapsed from exhaustion, near frenzy, but alive and proud to have done his duty and helped his brothers.

Selene finishes her story, retelling it efficiently. Then she shifts up to human in the same easy flowing motion. There is no difficult struggle through all her forms to get from one end to the other, it just happens. "There." She says, her head bowing softly. "We did not get both questions for your grandfather, but that I hope has answered some things for you."

Trekome still looks a bit surprised, but does give a nod. "Grandpa just told me he did what he thought needed to be done... I knew he did a lot... but Iwo..." clearly that has some special significance to him, and would to any Marine. He gives Selene a warm smile and dips his head, "Thank you." he says quietly, "I know my tribe, and I understand why my grandfather couldn't answer my question before."

Urd waits since Selene howls again and she sits back down. She listens to Trekome and looks back towards Selene as she shifts back to homid her brows lifting up. Don't mind the Kinfolk while she's in awe.

Selene looks pleased. "Excellent!" She says cheerfully. "I hope armed with this information, you can proceed forwards better. Knowing that your weapon is a fetish, I would suggest you seek out a Glasswalker theurge, or someone more familiar with modern accessories, and see if they know how to assist you with it. I can help, but I am... uncertain as to how much help I'd be."

Trekome nodnods and grins, "I think there's a couple others that may be able to help me... and I know of a few good gunsmiths who'll be able to make sure that it stays in excellent condition. And now I know what tribe I belong to!" Well, he's quite happy now.