Hold me in this wild, wild world: ALL + activity check

[Brennen]

Nearly as soon as the other leaders have dispersed, Brennen moves towards the interior of Ischia and calls to gather his people - all of his people. He’s begun to embrace the idea, mentally, of their half-in half-our residents. He isn’t ready - and he doesn’t believe the other Brothers are ready - to accord them full membership to the Krakens unless they are willing to swear the same oaths of allegiance as the rest of the Brothers, but he still feels the need to protect them and include them; he wants them to join this gathering to discuss the state of the world around them.

He stands quietly and waits as they gather, offering greetings to those he knows and nods to any he does, making note of any new faces who will need his attention later. Brennen has been somewhat preoccupied, but he believes they will understand at least somewhat his state of mind when they know all of what has been happening around them, and to others who call Ischia their home. To others who wish to peaceably call Beqanna their home. His grief is overwhelming, but he has fought it down to continue to lead Ischia forward.

When it seems that most of those who will come have gathered, and they settle around him with the towering jungle trees above them, Brennen begins. “My friends,” he says and then adds with a crooked smile, “and family. Times are dark.” There - his voice is usually solemn, often flat, but there is something that speaks to his fury and the bottomless depths of his despair over the loss of two of their own, his own; “Many of you have seen and spoken to Jesper since his return to us; he brings news of the depths of depravity and evil brewing in Sylva, where he was held hostage and tortured. Our former Keeper Krone, then a resident of Tephra, was murdered in their custody. A stallion has murdered two of my own daughters, residents of Ischia on a jaunt through the common lands, as a way to prove his worthiness to join their evil cause. Khaeli was not even a year old.”

He has to stop - even the Ice King can’t announce the death of two of his daughters, in cold blood, and simply continue on. Honey-brown eyes flicker shut and he stands silent for a moment, the ground beneath him becoming covered in frost and his hooves beginning to freeze as well as his new magic flows through him; he would never have lost control of his old powers but the magic is new and different, and his strong emotions seem to make it harder to control himself. When he opens his eyes again, his gaze seeks each of them in turn, and there is much to be found there. Anger, yes, and the sadness, but also a determination. This will not ruin them, nor will it bring him to his knees. “I have met with the leaders of Tephra, Hyaline, and Nerine and we will not allow this to stand. We will be raiding Sylva soon, and at the very least removing all children from their care and relocating them with foster families in one of our four Kingdoms. I will not force any resident of Ischia to go to war, but I would request that any who are able to do so stand beside our many sisters and brothers and against these people who want nothing more than to rape, and murder, and terrorize.”

Another pause, though his voice has grown stronger. When he can distance himself from the overwhelming grief, he is more himself. It is in the embrace of his mate and his family that he falls apart, especially during the long sleepless nights. “Ischia and it’s residents are safe for a year, no matter what; I was victorious in the Alliance at that comes with protection for the land and her residents along with giving me more magical gifts with which to protect all of you.” He worries, somewhere in the back of his mind, about retaliation against their allies who have no such protection, but they will jump that hurdle when they come to it. “Despite the chaos of the outside world, many of you have gone on to prove yourselves time and again. I will recognize most of you in the days to come when things are more settled, but for now I have one major announcement: for acts above and beyond the expected, I have chosen two amongst the Krakens to stand beside me as my heirs. Belgaer,” he turns to his son first, waiting for the chestnut Appaloosa to come forward to join him if he is not already beside his father, “and Jesper.” Similarly, he waits for Jesper.

“And you, my friends? What are your thoughts, and concerns, and troubles?” He looks to all of them, then; he has served under good Kings and bad Kings and great Kings, and he always strives to be at least the first, if not the third.

---

OOC:
-This is an activity check. Even if you can't respond IC, please make sure you respond that your character is here and what position/caste/tasks they are interested in. More promotions are going to be made, so keep an eye out!
-Please respond at least OOC for the activity check by next Tuesday the 10th
-We're going to war!ish probably sometime soonish so keep an eye out for other stuff about that as well
-I know I owe a majillion posts, I might finally be getting my life together so feel free to gently remind me if I'm supposed to be or you'd like to thread with Brennen, a PM would be best
-PM me if you have any questions or concerns!

[Neo]

Deiti and Kove are inhabitants but not technically members... Kove would maybe he a foal too

Squeezing this edit in here....

Klaudius on exile list XD

[Jesper]

The black and bronze offers a grateful smile and, a respectful bob of his poll to each of their allied leaders, as they depart Ischia, to head home. Once out of sight, his aquamarine gaze shifts to rest upon Brennen. Or, where he had been standing moments before. The winged mahogany stallion is now on the move. Jesper wills his haunches to contract and push him into a steady march as he follows suit. As they travel through the jungle, the ebony male's thoughts drift back to the meeting they had just attended. Of course he knew that the situation in Sylva is grave; however, the news of the two brutal murders, of his aunts, meant that the forces of evil could step outside of the forest's border. It meant that no one was safe from their grasp. They could reach out and affect anyone their heart desired. This stirred emotions of both grief and, anger. It is no wonder that Brennen seemed lost in his thoughts. He had so much on his mind though, he hid it well. His poker face is convincing yet, Jesper could still detect the sorrow etched into his brow and, his concerns carried in the tension of his jawline.

He slides to a halt at Brennen's left flank and listens as the Kraken King summons their fellow brothers. He listens as the twitter of parrots betrays the approach of some while the snapping of jungle brush reveals the path others have chosen. He remains silent as Brennen addresses the gathered. While he listens, he studies the features of their faces and observes as they change from eager to solemn to angered. Jesper also feels the sorrow that follows Brennen's words regarding Khaeli and Alonwy. He extends his whiskered nose to place a comforting nuzzle on his grandfather's hip. He also feels a fury growing within his vessels. He knows his feelings to be justified though, a hot head would not serve Beqanna well in battle. He sighs, in a conscious effort to release the trapped hot air before he tunes in his grandsire's next words. His bronze-tipped lobes prick alertly forward as the conversation turns away from its somber tone. "For acts above and beyond the expected, I have chosen two amongst the Krakens to stand beside me as my heirs. Belgaer" Jesper turns his skull to acknowledge his uncle with a warm smile and, a nod of support.

And then, Brennen's steady voice breaks through his thoughts. "and Jesper". The ebony equine blinks three times, in slight disbelief that he had heard correctly. When his grandsire's honey gaze locks with his, Jesper awakens from his frozen state and steps forward to stand in line with Brennen and Belgaer. The spark of anger which was bubbling just moments ago had dissipated. In its place, Jesper feels proud and honorable. He feels love for Brennen and, his family - both blood and sworn. He feels stronger than he has in a while and, as he stands in the midst of Ischia, with the company of his Brothers, Jesper feels a connection to Beqanna that he has never felt before.

jesper

carnage x bethanie

devin's∇designs

[Leilan]

Leilan

Your beauty is beyond compare -
oh, if I could hear but one song from you
I shall hail thee Queen of Birds...

His little self-appointed mission to Loess has disappeared with the announcement of Wolfbane being Arthas' heir - truly, Leilan didn't actually dislike Arthas, but this must be one of the better things he'd done in his life. Aside from, you know, not recruiting enough Loessians to actually keep an eye on him so that he could escape, and possibly, from no torturing him and whatnot. But there would always be rivalry between him and the dapple grey, so he's glad that he can't accidentally initiate a war.

His return to Ischia had been uneventful in light of other things that had passed. Two girls of Brennen's enormous family had been missing, most notably his youngest daughter Khaeli. Leilan had never met them, but since his strange visions on the day of becoming a brother he had a pretty good idea how the winged bay felt, and he had not interrupted whatever had been set in motion since Jesper's return from the evil kingdom. Instead, he'd waited because he knew something would be up.

If waited was the word; he's been living in Ischia, but he travels the common lands as often as not. But except from a general feel of tension among those he met (at least, those who lived in kingdoms and were aware of such things as politics) he was a lousy intelligence agent, and would rather not be marked as one such. His regular swims to and from the islands and the distances he walked did keep him in shape however, and so he was pretty set on staying on as a warrior. Or maybe a warrior with one or two side-tasks should that be needed. Really, he's not actually stupid after all.

Brennen continues, claiming Ischia should be safe from any attacks. Leilan gives a thoughtful nod as he listens to the rest of the plans. When Belgaer and Jesper are called, he merely dips his head - though he offers a wide grin at Jesper's surprised face. His brother-in-name is special to him, in a way he's more family than any of his sisters. But the shock on his face is something he will definitely remind him of, every now and a while.

His thoughts get interrupted with Brennen's question. He muses a while, then steps forward. "Loess seems available for hire for anyone, which means their loyalties could be bought by one of ours for the duration of this raid. I feel a little concerned about this child-raid however. Those born in Sylva, and knowing their parents, might not come willingly, or come with the intention of ruining us from the inside. We should have them watched all the time, for a long time. Do we have enough horsepower to do so?" he asks. Surely they wouldn't put the refugee children from the allied kingdoms together with the stolen ones?

there's something here that doesn't make sense
let's go and poke it with a stick

Could not resist HP remark, sorry not sorry xD

[Mosrael]

Mosrael is here with Kove and is pregnant with Eifa (xCarnage)

[Kylin]

He calls, they come. Not as sworn member of the brotherhood, but that does not mean she does not want to be part of what happens on the island. Ischia is her home, has always been, and it is Ischia where her loyalties lie. Brennen had never asked her to leave, and up to today he had never disturbed her.

She comes without Kyveli. Her precious purple and lavender daughter would soon be nine months old, old enough to not need her mother around twenty-four hours and seven days a week. Much to Kylin’s dismay, but at least she knows that Ischia is safe. No predators, as the only other living beings are parrots. And neither is she afraid Kyveli would down, as her daughter can walk on top of the water’s surface just like she can herself.

Her hooves brace the surface, and without any effort she crosses the sea separating the smaller island from the main one, where Brennen has them called for a meeting. Kylin does not mingle, rather keeping to herself as she watches him silently, even from afar she cannot miss the sadness in his posture and eyes. He does not have to speak for her feel with him. But when he does, her hazel eyes are unable to hide her own sadness, but it is not until the mention of Krone that a couple of tears spill. “Krone..? They.. she’s dead?” her voice is soft, but clearly audible in the dead silence, and the shock and pain and confusion is so easily readable on her face.

Father, Reilly, Ea and Circinae, and now Krone too? Is it the fate of an Ischian leader to either just disappear into nothing or be brutally killed?

His announcement and introduction of heirs only half interests her. The lavender tobiano mare is trembling, her fins tucked against her sides and distress all over her. How could she have been oblivious to all this pain in Beqanna? But Brennen’s heirs are of importance, as Kylin cannot imagine herself living elsewhere.

“I..” She wants to help, to but she is not a warrior, nor is she part of the brotherhood. Let us not forget to mention that she is painfully aware of her position, or the lack of it. She is tied to Ischia, to her daughter, her unborn child, and Ivar. But that does not make her useless, or that she hopes. “How can I, can we, help?”



OOC:
Kylin is a resident, or probably more a visitor, as she does not want to swear herself to the brotherhood but rather to Ischia. Her daughter, Kyveli (Klaudius x Kylin), is here with her. And she’s expecting another baby: Kypria (Ivar x Kylin).

[Belgaer]

belgaer

The land had been bathed in blood. Losses big and small had influenced the change of tide and had fueled the growing fires of rage within the island. Grief and anger had met Belgaer’s homecoming like a cruel handshake, his sister’s death a betrayal unlike any other. It was impossible for him to remember her as she had been, young and bursting with potential. Much like his other siblings, her adventurous spirit had led to her demise. But it was the sibling who had ordered such a catastrophe that left his mind reeling. Their losses felt numerous and the shattering of his heart refused to calm.
 
It’s Brennen’s voice that broke through the raging of thoughts within his son’s mind. Despite the hurricane of emotions toiling within the chestnut, his father’s tone remained even and measured. A reminder that he too must remain still – even if everything within him demanded to satisfy his lust for revenge. Listening to his King’s words he couldn’t shake the chill of foreboding that lurked above them all, threatening to break its dark promises upon their heads. Standing to Brennen’s right, Belgaer’s eyes searched the faces of those who had gathered. In a way he saw Khaeli in each of their wondering gazes. Near the back of the pack, he spotted his newly returned sister, a near clone of their mother. At her side his niece, now nearly a year old and growing taller by the minute, gazed around with exploding interest. Since learning of Khaeli’s death Belgaer hadn’t been able to bring himself to officially meet the lavender tufted child. He felt a detachment towards her alongside his fear of loss. Watching her he couldn’t help but wonder if she would fall prey to the same evil that had already taken so much from them.
 
The change in Brennen’s tone snapped Belgaer back into reality as his name was announced as heir. The honor of the title hadn’t quite settled in. Serving Ischia had never been for his eventual gain. Always his motivation had lied with his love for the island and her people. Recognition and the reception of titles had never once been things he had considered, and he felt undeserving of holding such an honor as being named openly as his father’s heir. Catching Jesper’s congratulatory smile he returned the gesture – proud to share the honor with his nephew. Together Belgaer was assured that they could accomplish much.
 

dark wings

dark words

[Shelbi]

I know this is an overdue activity check, but Viserion is here and would like to be added to the war caste. He will also declare his loyalty to the brotherhood whenever it is needed. Just let me know when I need to get the declaration post up!

@[Brennen]