Elu's Rites

[Eiada Clearbreeze]

Brother E'lu, I present to you now your rites.

You spoke at the story circle of being in the cold north, a place few of us Earthspear can claim to have traveled. Protecting the ancestral grounds and honoring our elders is but one of our duties, diplomacy is an important part of what we do in the new era. Establishing new friendships and preserving old ones keeps us in good standing with the rest of the Horde and assures that we always have someone to turn to in times of need.

Word reaches my ears of Shu'Halo that live in the north, isolated from the rest of the world and our people. I do not know anything of them other than their name: Taunka. I would task upon you to locate our brothers and sister and lend them whatever aid you can to secure an alliance between our tribes.

I leave it in your hands to decide whether or not they are deserving of our aid and friendship. You are not obligated to compromise your beliefs as a druid or as a Tauren during this trial, do only what you feel necessary.

Winds be at your back, brother.

(( Left this one wide open as well, I wanted to take advantage of the fact that you're the only member of the guild currently in Northrend and I figured this would be a pretty good way to do it. You're free to play it out however you want through roleplay or game mechanics. ))

[E'lu / Pawene]

*the owlkin listens intently to the druidess. Once she is finished, it nods, becomes a Storm Crow, and soars northward.*

A faint word is heard as he flies - Wark!

[E'lu / Pawene]

The Journey North

Eiada’s assignment echoing in his thoughts, the storm crow soars northward on silent wings. Excitement courses through his avian form, lending him speed and strength. He flies high above the rolling plains of Mulgore until he reaches the edge of the grasslands, then he climbs ever higher to swoop between the peaks of Stonetalon. His usual route would have taken him through the Barrens, where he wouldn’t have to fly so dangerously close to the sun, but now he wishes to return to Northrend with all speed. The crow falls into a steady rhythm of strong down-strokes, and quick recovery strokes. Soon enough, he glides out of the serenity of Ashenvale forest into the air above the tainted Felwood Forest. He resists the temptation to flee the corruption of the land, for the fastest route requires it. The druid crosses over top of another mountain range, the land beneath him opening into the tranquil Moonglade. Cenarion druids and flying wildlife immediately stop and greet him, and then allow him to continue flight. E’lu descends on the town of Nighthaven and perches on a roof. There, he will rest for the night.

The crow awakens to the Moonglade as it always remains, tranquil and quiet. He takes off silently from the roof, Eiada’s words still echoing in his thoughts as they had echoed in his dreams. Passing over the ring of mountains surrounding the Moonglade, E’lu contemplates how he will cross the stormy north seas to Northrend. The land below him ends, and is replaced by rolling waves and crashing surf. Without committing any more thought to the crossing, the druid surrenders to those instincts that have never failed him, and become a seal. The ocean rushes up at him as he falls, reaching to take him in, to swallow him. The falling seal repositions itself in the air until it falls vertically, then plunges into the surf with a bark of exhilaration. Below the surface, a completely different world awaits. The druid takes a moment to gather composure before setting off, yet again, northward. For hours upon hours he swims, tirelessly. The only the occasional school of delectable sea-life being snapped up, and trips to the surface for air, break the monotonous pattern of his strokes. Finally, after nearly 12 hours of arduous labor and faith in his own sense of direction, the floor of the ocean becomes visible, indicating that land approaches. Another hour, the seal reaches the rocky shoreline of the Howling Fjord. Exhausted, he pulls himself out of the water, flops onto a nearby rock, and falls into a sound sleep.

As the great seal slumbers on the jutting stone, the wildlife of the area senses that this one is… different. The native sea lions of the Fjord, who would normally have attacked and removed the threat from their territory, curled up beside the druid, warming him with their heat. The seabirds perch nearby, staring at the strange new creature, unsure whether to flee or to stay. The druid sleeps on, unaware.

Camp Winterhoof

The druid awakes with confusion, not knowing where he is. As the memories flood to his brain, the words of his rites echo once again in his mind. His seal form leaps into the air, startling the peaceful sea lions around it, and becomes a majestic storm crow once more. He begins to patrol the skies, looking for some sign of the Taunka. His sharp eyes catch the glint of armor far below. It is a Taunka hunter’s armor; the hunter is stalking his prey. E’lu alights on a tree branch, ready to patiently watch the Taunka until he leads him to the tribe.

Hours later – The Taunka is a patient hunter – The Taunka hurls a spear through a small shoveltusk calf, instantly killing the beast. Lifting the shoveltusk onto his back – The Taunka is a strong hunter – he sets off at a jog. E’lu follows on silent wings.
The young hunter leads E’lu far northward, over hills, across rough hewn wooden bridges, into the snowy mountains of the Fjord. E’lu spots a camp far ahead, with similar buildings to those used by Tauren. Leaving the Taunka, he soars ahead and perches in a tree by the camp, to observe.

After a day of observation, E’lu concludes that the Taunka’s general culture is similar to the Tauren, and he knows how to approach them. The druid swoops down from his tree, and lands directly in front of the apparent leader of the group. Before the guards of the small camp have a chance to attack, he assumes his Owlkin form and kneels before the Taunka leader.

“Wark.” He says to the chieftain. “Wark, ahool whoo.”

The Taunka peers at him curiously, obviously baffled. E’lu then uses a claw to sketch a picture in the dirt. He draws a Taunka, a tauren with a glowing spear stabbed into the ground, and a shining sun above. A small flower, peacebloom, rests between them. The Taunka chieftain immediately understands, and nods.

“You are an emissary from a Tauren tribe, looking to create an alliance? Very well, you will have to prove yourself.”

“Wark.”

“To the point then- To the east, strange stone men are awakening earth giants and inscribing them with runes. These runes seem to control the giants, and force them to march north for some unknown reason… I want you to stop them. Bring me the book of runes that the dwarves use as a guide to animating these giants, and I will consider an alliance.”

“Wark” was E’lu’s response. The Owlkin jumps into the air, and with a spin becomes a storm crow once more and launches himself towards the east.

The Druid soars eastward, scanning the ground. He eventually comes across the dwarven camps. Swooping down to a stone table, E’lu snatches a heavy, leather bound book. Struggling slightly with the weight, he flaps away from the frenzied curses of the iron dwarves. He returns to the Taunka camp.

The Taunka chieftain is surprised by the speed of E’lu’s return. “So quickly? Perhaps your people are good allies after all.” He pauses for thought. “Very well.” He produces a scroll covered with the runic writing of the Shu’halo and ties it to E’lu’s claw. “Take that to your leader. You have earned our friendship.”

((The rest of this will be RP’d ingame.))

[Eiada Clearbreeze]

(( Skyrage completed his rites and was given the rank Kin on 13/2/09. Congrats! ))