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 Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 11:16 am
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Within the deepest, darkest forest in all of Faetasia, a call was heard. It spread out across the land, sonorous and strong. Only those who might dream of forests, nature, magic, druidry, witchcraft, or of paganism of any stripe might hear it.
"Come," the Crone's call simply said."Come and be reborn." From the ancient tree, she called forth those few who might prove worthy of the Lhiannon bloodline. After Grendel's working, she was renewed, and it was time to bring new blood into the fold. With but a thought, she summoned one of her followers, a childe who carried the forest spirit within her veins.
"Choose carefully, my child. But choose. Our numbers are few, and now may be more." With the curse broken, Narcise need not caution them against embracing the worthy into her bloodline. It was time and past time to find more guardians for the forests of Faetasia, wherever they may be.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 11:36 am
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About Lhiannon
Founded by the Crone, an ancient being who was embraced herself by Caine, the Lhiannon are a Clan of witches, druids, pagans, and nature lovers. They practice a particular form of blood magic, known as Ogham. By drawing celtic runes and calling upon their ancestral knowledge, Lhiannon can absorb magic within their own territory. One notable thing about the Lhiannon bloodline is that they are all part forest spirit. The founding of the clan occurred when a forest spirit, angry and afraid of the destruction that might one day be caused by mortals, bound itself with the help of the Crone to one of her childer.
With that connection, the Lhiannon are particularly in tune with spirits, close to the spiritual world in a way that few vampires are. They are, in a sense, a hybrid creature, but only a small piece of the forest spirit lives within each member of the clan. After becoming Grendel's Disciple, Narcise ("the Crone") was freed from the cursed placed upon herself and upon her clan. Therefore, though once before the spirit dwindled with each embrace, it instead thrives and carries its power to each new fledgling.
The Lhiannon are most powerful within their forests and may find significantly greater comfort therein. Although they can travel outside of them, they may find cities and villages disconcerting, and crave the natural world from which their forest spirit comes. They are a matriarchal clan, ultimately ruled by the Crone, with female members seen as closer to their foremother. Due to this association, the majority of Lhiannon are female, though they do accept any sex.
When selecting someone to embrace, the Lhiannon will always seek a witch, druid, wisewoman or man, or some other form of nature lover. For example, they might embrace a woodsman who demonstrated deep respect for trees and the forests. They are particular and rarely embrace. Tending to be solitary, they will break this stance when caring for a new childe. For a few years after the embrace they tend to keep their fledglings near them, watching over them until they are ready to fed for themselves. Then, a Lhiannon sire will send their childe out to find their own haven.
Whitewolf Information about Lhiannon
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 11:44 am
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Rules
To join this embracing thread, please write an intro post in character, as if arriving in the forest. You are answering a strange and mystical call.
Only those who match the above requirements to be a Lhiannon will be accepted and embraced. Grainne will be getting to know your character, and if it's found that she, he, or they do not fit with the Clan, they will not be embraced. The requirements are either: that they have a deep love of nature, or that they are a witch, a pagan, or a druid.
Each RP will be treated as a 1 on 1 RP, no matter how many applicants are in this thread.
Please do not include any OOC remarks. The aim is to get to know your character in a natural way.
VERY importantly, do not have a character apply who has a mate or close family, as this could be a danger to maintaining the Masquerade.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 11:45 am
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Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2023 11:31 am
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 Galanaia couldn't have explained the deep rooted summons that took hold and wouldn't let go. It was inexplicable, but she responded regardless. It felt old and like it was part of a forest much deeper and more primordial than the one where she dwelt. And that intrigued her.
For all her ramblings through the wood, she'd never felt anything like this before. Running one paw along the various trees as she passed by, the baddie wondered what was sending out this odd call. And if she was unwittingly walking into a baddie sized venus flytrap...
The call broke through the calm and quiet of Fibula's grounding ritual. It felt soft, but so insistent. The faefox sat a few moments longer, letting the feeling wash over her, examining it from as many sides as possible. There was a wildness that spoke to her soul. And well, she'd followed odder urges in her life. What was one more? Besides, she thought, she was overdue for a moonlight ramble through the woods.
Muttering under his breath, Tobay was practically nose to dirt, searching for the roots and shrubs that made up the potions that he used to help hone his visions and dreams. He'd learned a good deal from his father, but he preferred the good old earth to work his small magics. His father could keep the stars. All Tobay wanted was the forest and his dreams.
When the call came, he was tamping down the tiny fire that had heated up his latest brew. Once he was sure it was safely out, he turned his head in the direction of the call, nose twitching. He didn't know why, but he wanted to follow. Working swiftly, he bottled the potion and clipped it to his belt. Walking decisively, he realized that he was heading into a section of forest he'd never explored before. Interesting! Maybe there would be new potion ingredients!
When the call came, Melon stood completely still for a moment, flanked and cloaked by the shadows of the trees she called home. Something interesting was out there and to the maenad, it felt like part of the forest. A part she didn't know! Grinning a little, she began to follow where it seemed to lead. And since it felt like it belonged, she wasn't worried. The woods rarely let people get hurt when they belonged. |
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Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2023 11:19 pm
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 "Go," the Crone whispered softly to the childe before her, a childe whose duty would now bear fruit. Her eyes glittered in the darkness, two bright spots to light the way. When she stepped back against the tree, she all but disappeared.
 Wordlessly, Grainne left the Disciple's side, seeking out one who had been called by the Crone. To receive such a sacred calling was surely an honor, and the vampire intended to find out if they were worthy of it. She traveled for a time, until she found the summoning place. There, she caught sight of a green pelted baddie female whose paw was stretched out to touch a nearby tree.
"Greetings," she said, her voice sonorous and low. The vampire seemed almost like a part of the forest itself, and in truth she was. Long ago Narcise had granted the wish of a forest spirit, binding it forever to her bloodline. Grainne was one such vampire. "How come you to the forest?" she said, her manner of speech dated but clear.
*-*-*-*
Grainne's ears swiveled as she sensed the workings of another. A fox, one who possessed some knowledge of the ancient ways. A knowledge that Grainne herself shared... in a deeper part. "Come forward," she called, hearing the footfalls of the other, though she could not yet see her. The Crone's call continued on, and surely the other heard it even now.
*-*-*-*
The smell of fire stung Grainne's nostrils, and she hissed near silently, sensing that another querent approached. But above the smoke and fire, she smelled something much more interesting. Remnants of herbs and oddities clung to a male fox who seemed to be foraging in the Great forest, the smell of what must be some potion or another. This one would prove interesting, she decided, following his trail and crossing it before him.
"You have answered a summons," she said, head cocked slightly to the side. Measuring him. Weighing him. It was a rare male who was drawn to the Lhiannon, but they did number among them. Perhaps this one would prove worthy. Time would tell.
*-*-*-*
All was quiet in the forest for a time, but then a light scampering could be heard. Grainne felt someone approach who seemed quite close to the forest itself. She waited, watching the path as it wound toward the forest's heard. There lay the ancient tree that was Narcise's dwelling. This stranger would not be making it quite to there. Grainne stepped out when the other had come rather near. "Well met," she said, watching the maenad with curious dark eyes.
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2023 7:29 pm
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To say that Galanaia had screamed when suddenly confronted by a darkly clad figure would have been a dirty lie. But she did yelp. Softly. Still, as she bra Ed herself agai st the tree, heart hammering, she wondered how she'd been so neatly snuck up on.
"Well, I live here," she answered. "Well. Not here here. In the forest. I... heard something..."
Since she wasn't sure how to explain what, exactly, she'd heard, she allowed her voice to drift before trying to get a better look at who she was talking to. Then, with a smile and raspy chuckle, the baddie shrugged.
"I think you're the first one to ever managed to sneak up on me in here," she said, waving a clawed hand at the trees. "Any chance I could persuade you into sharing that trick?"
‐----------------------
The call felt stronger the deeper Fibula went into the trees. She heard a low voice beckoning and went willingly, wanting to understand what she was feeling. What little light that could pierce the leaves shadowed and dappled her already dark fur. Fibula decided that she liked the effect. And she very much liked this part of the forest for all she'd never seen it before.
"I'm not sure how much more forward you want me to come," she called out, voice friendly. "I don't want to intrude on anyone's privacy if I can help it."
Not that she could turn and leave. The call drove her on.
------------------
Tobay paused, pressing close to the earth as a tall, dark gowned female came into view. There was something about her that screamed out to him that she was dangerous. Very dangerous, though he didn't know why it was so. She felt part and parcel of the forest and that was equally unnerving.
But when she spoke, it sent an odd shiver down his spine.
"A summons?" he repeated slowly. Yes, that made sense. "And may I ask why? I'm certain I don't know you nor any reason why you'd want to summon me..."
Granted, there had been the birds he'd taken for their bones and bits, but somehow, he didn't think he was in trouble for that. It wasn't as if he'd wasted anything.
-----------
When Melon came face to face with the stranger, she clapped in delight. Whoever this was seemed friendly enough and it was well met.
"Oh hello! Are you the one who's been singing? I can feel it in my teeth and it's lovely!"
There was something about the stranger that should have set off warning bells deep in the maenad's mind, but her joy at finding someone new with the woods was too strong to allow for self preservation.
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:55 pm
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"You are not in the forest that you know," Grainne said calmly, unfazed by the yelp of surprise that the other had given. "What you heard is the call of the forest. Of the great mother." Of the Crone. One whom such as this baddie could not aspire to be. But Grainne... Grainne had once been like this stranger. Many years ago, hundreds of years ago, she had been a mortal as well. Whether this mortal would prove worthy she did not yet know.
She regarded the other, listening to her commentary and request in turn. "I am part of this forest. Moving within it in silence is a simple matter for one such as I." One sensitive to the power that Lhiannon held might have sensed her coming. There was something both otherworldly and yet intrinsically natural about the Lhiannon... which sometimes gave them away.
*-*-*-*
It was a full moon, and in its light the Lhiannon elder was haloed, the edges of her seeming to shimmer just slightly. Ethereal and yet completely present in the moment, the vampire regarded the fox. "But you are not close to me," Grainne said, finding the stranger's reluctance curious. "You are only at the edge of the great forest. Travel further and you will find its heart. Are you ready for what dwells there?" If it was a matter of privacy, perhaps this stranger would not dare to approach.
*-*-*-*
Watching Tobay in silence, the vampire shook her head. "I did not summon you. What you hear is the call of she who guards the great forest. The forest that you are now in. You hear her because something about you is called to nature, to her." The Crone was not nature itself, but she was one of its guardians. This was a holdfast of the great forest, of the forests of the world. Narcise was the one who watched over it. Grainne, a custodian. But now she was the adjudicator of this trial.
*-*-*-*
"No," said Grainne simply. Something akin to surprise briefly flickered over the vampire's otherwise unreadable features. There was another clan that might fit this one... time would tell. "I am not. You hear the Crone's voice. The mother of the forest." Guardian and Disciple of the Lhiannon. The call was lovely, and that in and of itself interested Grainne. That the stranger recognized something within the call for its true nature.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2023 4:57 pm
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The great mother... Something about that turn of phrase thrilled Galanaia's soul.
"Can you tell me more about her?" she asked eagerly even as she took in the stranger's answer about sneaking. As for this not being the forest she knew, well. That was true enough, but if possible, she wouldn't mind changing that.
"The call of the forest," she began before pausing, wanting to be certain of her words. "What does it mean that I could hear it? Would I be in trouble with the forest of the great mother if I explored here? It's so beautiful and frankly, trees are much better company that most people. No offense, of course."
-------------------
Catching sight of the stranger, Fibula smiled and moved closer.
"True enough and I'm sorry," she said cheerfully. "I just like to be certain that I won't be stomping all over someone else's peace and quiet. I've never seen the heart of a forest before, it sounds amazing."
Was she ready for what dwelt there? It seemed an odd sort of question, but one that she wouldn't have to devote some serious thought to later. For now, she was eager to see more.
"My name is Fibula by the way," she said as she drew nearer the stranger. "Thank you for allowing me to see this."
-------------------
Listening carefully, the fox ran a hand over one ear, rumpling it thoughtfully. This was beyond anything that his parents had told him about the world. And certainly the first he'd ever heard of a forest guardian like this. Fascinating.
"I see," he said softly. "So because I prefer the earth and the trees, I can hear her? Am I allowed to meet her? She sounds like someone I could learn a great deal from."
Really, that was what mattered, wasn't it? Learning and improving on one's own craft?
----------------------
"Oh!" Melon frowned slightly as she considered what she'd been told. This was certainly the first that she'd heard that forests had mothers. And what sort of a name was the Crone? It just didn't sound right at all. Crones were old and ugly. Whereas the song. The song was beautiful and made Melon want to dance with the trees under the moonlight. But, forests like this one were old and still beautiful.
She was going to have to think very hard about this.
"Would she mind if I listened to her sing just a bit more?" she asked softly. "Maybe she could teach me the song? It's wonderful. It feels like whispering leaves and little brooks trickling over stone. I could listen to it forever," she murmured, swaying a little in time with the call.
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Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2023 11:11 am
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Grainne regarded the mortal with a curious, owlish gaze. "Ah, but you are not in any forest that you know. Only those welcomed by the great mother may enter her forest." In her thousands of years of life, Grainne had set foot inside a building perhaps a handful of times, with very little relish. Being caged in such a way did not suit the Lhiannon elder. Nor, indeed, most Lhiannon in general. As part forest spirit, they belonged in the forest.
Feeling the dirt beneath her feet was a comfort in and of itself. "Is that so?" she said, examining the other. There was certainly something quite natural about her appearance... but whether her personality matched had yet to be seen. "You tend to the forests, then." It was not a question.
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Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2023 12:30 pm
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Grainne, who was part of the forest itself, was not offended by Galanaia's questions or her remarks. "She is the protector of the forests. This forest and all forests in Faetasia. Not a goddess, but a truly ancient being who is wise beyond your imagining." Also a vampire, embraced and cursed by Caine and newly released from that curse by Grendel. It was Grendel's reversal of the curses upon Narcise and the Lhiannon that had led the elder to meet with mortals such as this one.
"None taken." There was something about the way Grainne moved that was suggestive of branches swaying. The natural motion of the forest. It was subtle, but present. "It means that you have a deep love of forests. Only one who keeps nature in their heart can hear the great mother's call." She raised an eyebrow, contemplating the baddie's request. "Trouble? No. Danger? Perhaps. It is unwise to traverse the great forest without a guide."
*-*-*-*
Waving off the apology, Grainne contemplated what the fox said. "The forest does not belong to me," she said, making a broad gesture with both hands. "It belongs to itself. I am merely a part of it." In a way that this stranger was not. "The great mother called and you answered. The great forest is yours to see... for a time." When that time would be up, who could say? Its secrets guarded themselves well. As did the mistress of the forest.
"The heart is not near where we stand. It's not open to be traveled freely. Only those who are welcomed in may go." Those who were not permitted would simply find themselves on the edge of the forest, no matter how far they tried to go. Each attempt would fail. Of course this did not apply to Gods and some truly powerful beings. Though the forest might begrudge them, it could not deny them.
*-*-*-*
"Yes. That is why you can hear her." Grainne observed the fox, contemplating the essence that made him who he was. "Perhaps. That is why I came here, to see if you might prove a potential student." He was not quite as disconnected from the world as she might like, but his desire to meet and learn from the Crone was to his advantage. None of the others she had met recently had expressed such a feeling.
She pondered the question, weighing it out as would fine silver. "The great mother is part of the forest, as am I. She will want to know what you wish to learn. Seekers have come to her before for the wrong reasons." Some for the right, as Grainne herself. Her own presence was evidence that it was possible to meet Narcise.
*-*-*-*
Both of the Lhiannon's brows raised as Melon's words. No one before had asked if they could listen to the Crone's song. It was a magical call, as powerful as the wind and the sea, but more quiet than a whisper. A hush. A waft of air filled with the scent of green and growing things. But this child wanted to learn it.
Certainly it was a request that Grainne herself could not fulfill. She could make of this maenad a Lhiannon, but she could not promise that Narcise would teach her the deep magic. It was more ancient than even this forest. A truly powerful thing that only one of Narcise's strength and age could perform. "Perhaps. Whether you could learn it... I do not know."
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