09-07-2016, 11:17 AM
YOU CAN STAND ME UP AT THE GATES OF HELL, BUT I WON'T BACK DOWN.
The air is heavy, damp and weighted by sulfur, but there is a gentle breeze that bathes him in its resplendence. The sunlight peeks out from behind a shield of clouds, illuminating the lustrous, vibrant land that lay before him. Long gone is the land of ice and permafrost, permanently etched as a memory that would linger within his heart of hearts, but no longer is it a part of him, seizing his soul with its frigid, crystalline grasp.
Though he pines for its bittersweet, frostbitten caress against his heavy body, which is so thick with sinewy muscle and rigid bone that he is a radiator of heat in and of himself, he has grown used to the burning embers of a stoked flame within him. Though absent now in the wake of the aftermath, the burning had grown stronger and more prevalent as the weary months rolled on and he had grown used to the way it burned him within. A ceaseless reminder of what had been, of the nightmare he had endured, forever marking him a fire-wielder, though his heart yearned for ice.
While warm, the land is nothing short of breathtaking - with dense stalks of greenery, which wave so gently in the breeze, a pristine and untouched spring to provide warmth and atmosphere but potentially too scalding to touch. Far off in the distance, there is a the open mouth of a river branching from the ebb and tide of the sea, filtering away the salt and providing icy nourishment in an otherwise humid land. Surrounded on each end by the salty sea, it is a refuge, a sanctuary in and of itself - breathtaking in the way that the fog carries so low to the ground, shielding the bubbling volcano partially from sight - but oh, what splendor it is.
His limbs grow still, and he can feel the movement of others that follow. His fiery gaze take in the sight before him, his heart full, his mind rampant, his soul ready. At last, he maneuvers the breadth of his body to face those before him, which gather in awe (and perhaps some in disgust; humidity and sulfur can be difficult to acclimate to but the lustrous beauty of it is inspiring), and soon his voice bellows out.
"Brothers, sisters - today, we come together as one, to work towards something better for ourselves and for each other. Our kingdoms have been tainted by war and history, but today we leave our bindings behind us. Today, we unite. Out of the ashes we will emerge, victorious, humbled and wise - this is Tephra; we have been given the opportunity to rebuild, to create what had already previously been forged long before our time. We are its craftsmen, and now we begin. I will not rule alone - I am no King," He bellows out. "let us rule by council - a representative of each."
"Malis, with her strength and resolve, to represent the Chamber," His heart is heavy - how he longs for Killdare, to know where his friend has gone - so many were still missing, he can only imagine how many others feel the same emptiness within at his absence. "Magnus, with his wisdom and understanding, to represent the Gates." A heavy, solemn nod is given to the dappled buckskin. Without him, it would be a fragmented whole. "Eight, with his fierce mind and careful calculation, to represent the Valley." His eyes meet with the dark bay, a warmth lingering between proverbial brothers. "And finally, I am Offspring - to represent the Tundra."
His mind lingers upon Sahm, a trusted friend of both himself and of Magnus, who will be held in high regard, as Nymphetamine, too, would be.
"Together, we will merge our ideals and move towards something daunting and new, but united together, we can accomplish anything. Tell us, what is it you would like to see going forward? Your input is important; this is not only our land - but it is yours, too. Speak now. Let your voice be heard!"
Though he pines for its bittersweet, frostbitten caress against his heavy body, which is so thick with sinewy muscle and rigid bone that he is a radiator of heat in and of himself, he has grown used to the burning embers of a stoked flame within him. Though absent now in the wake of the aftermath, the burning had grown stronger and more prevalent as the weary months rolled on and he had grown used to the way it burned him within. A ceaseless reminder of what had been, of the nightmare he had endured, forever marking him a fire-wielder, though his heart yearned for ice.
While warm, the land is nothing short of breathtaking - with dense stalks of greenery, which wave so gently in the breeze, a pristine and untouched spring to provide warmth and atmosphere but potentially too scalding to touch. Far off in the distance, there is a the open mouth of a river branching from the ebb and tide of the sea, filtering away the salt and providing icy nourishment in an otherwise humid land. Surrounded on each end by the salty sea, it is a refuge, a sanctuary in and of itself - breathtaking in the way that the fog carries so low to the ground, shielding the bubbling volcano partially from sight - but oh, what splendor it is.
His limbs grow still, and he can feel the movement of others that follow. His fiery gaze take in the sight before him, his heart full, his mind rampant, his soul ready. At last, he maneuvers the breadth of his body to face those before him, which gather in awe (and perhaps some in disgust; humidity and sulfur can be difficult to acclimate to but the lustrous beauty of it is inspiring), and soon his voice bellows out.
"Brothers, sisters - today, we come together as one, to work towards something better for ourselves and for each other. Our kingdoms have been tainted by war and history, but today we leave our bindings behind us. Today, we unite. Out of the ashes we will emerge, victorious, humbled and wise - this is Tephra; we have been given the opportunity to rebuild, to create what had already previously been forged long before our time. We are its craftsmen, and now we begin. I will not rule alone - I am no King," He bellows out. "let us rule by council - a representative of each."
"Malis, with her strength and resolve, to represent the Chamber," His heart is heavy - how he longs for Killdare, to know where his friend has gone - so many were still missing, he can only imagine how many others feel the same emptiness within at his absence. "Magnus, with his wisdom and understanding, to represent the Gates." A heavy, solemn nod is given to the dappled buckskin. Without him, it would be a fragmented whole. "Eight, with his fierce mind and careful calculation, to represent the Valley." His eyes meet with the dark bay, a warmth lingering between proverbial brothers. "And finally, I am Offspring - to represent the Tundra."
His mind lingers upon Sahm, a trusted friend of both himself and of Magnus, who will be held in high regard, as Nymphetamine, too, would be.
"Together, we will merge our ideals and move towards something daunting and new, but united together, we can accomplish anything. Tell us, what is it you would like to see going forward? Your input is important; this is not only our land - but it is yours, too. Speak now. Let your voice be heard!"
OFFSPRING
Hi guys!
Tephra will be ruled by a council of four - Offspring, Malis, Magnus and Eight.
Beyond that, we'd like to know what YOU want to see.
Please answer in character, but feel free to add any details of your ideas in an OOC note or PM one of us.
Do we want castes? Do we want tasks? Perhaps a more loosely based sanctuary, with no ranking system?
Do we want diplomacy involved in leadership, i.e. representatives to be elected and voted upon for the council every 2-3 BQ years?
This is a completely new land, with all slates wiped clean - do we want to go back to tradition or try something new?
Tell us your ideas!