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 Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 1:06 pm
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 "Come closer, little one. Don't be afraid. There's nothing to fear in death. We must all meet and embrace our end, when it comes. Here, sit, and let us listen to those who have gone before whisper their tales..."
In the swamp, on the plains... wherever Kimeti and their kin wander, there are celebrations of birth and life, of great deeds done and mischief made, of names claimed and dreams achieved.
But there are also rituals and celebrations and remembrances of those who have been lost, those who have fallen, those who have lived good lives and gone on to what lies beyond.
The ShadowWalkers -- those who walk between the realms of the living and the dead -- are keepers and guardians of those rites and rituals. Some are spirit-touched, some simply enjoy the ceremonies and stories, but all are bound together by the end of one journey and beginning of the next.
Last updated: 7.9.2012 - The story is up, the application form is coded, and the thread is open!
7.7.2012 - Roles have been added. Must add a form and write up the introductory story and we'll be good to go!
7.4.2012 -- Happy 4th of July! The thread is under construction. It'll be open as soon as Sam finds clever things to write. smile |
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:04 pm
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 As time went on and the long-lost, far-flung cousins came back to the swamp, as some among the Kimeti were recognized by the MotherFather and ascended like the legendary kin of ancient stories, as families drew in on themselves and gathered together to form tribes, Leaves-in-Twilight found himself pondering many things. He had not been sleeping well. He had been hearing whispers and murmurs just out of understanding every hour of the sleepless day and too-exciting night. He had a solution, though. To give himself some peace and sort out the busy business in his head, he had gathered the leaves of the Mindsease bush and started a small fire, clacking the rock held between his teeth against another to create a spark. When it caught and after he'd breathed life into the flame, he sat where the smoke would curl toward him and breathed deep... So it was that Twilight Sings came across him the depth of night, still breathing if not moving, hunched beside his little fire. Spiritchaser the owlcat perched on his back and watched her as she first neared, then paused, then started on her way path. She would not disturb a dreamer. But something did. The sound of her breath, the shudder of her light footfall. Something broke through the veil surrounding Leaves-in-Twilight and he lifted his head, taking a sharper, deeper breath. Before his vision even cleared, he began to speak: "there was a time when we, all of the kin, were young and new to the Swamp. The MotherFather blessed us and we grew great in number. We learned, we laughed, we loved. We explored to the edges of the swamp. Some even dared go beyond. We told stories and we sang songs and we carved pictures into the damp earth. "But we were so full of life that none of us dared to die. "Until a doe called Walks-on decided to see how far she could go. She was great of heart and even greater of imagination. She had gone to the highest and lowest places in the Swamp. Found the coldest and warmest and all those in between. She had mated, as had her offspring, and theirs, and theirs beyond. She had heard so many stories and learned so many songs that there was little room in her head, and yet there was one adventure that awaited her: The Great Walk. "She did not say goodbye because she suspected she would one day return. She simply woke as the sun was rising and followed its light. Through the Swamp and to the edge where the earth became harder and grasses grew up to brush her knees and the trees faded away. "She walked across the hills and valleys to a realm where the ground was even drier but it shifted underfoot and she had to learn a new way to walk so she would not always stumble to her knees in the heat. From there, she made her way to the mountains where she learned to climb rocks and stood on the topmost, daring to lean into a wind so strong she almost thought if she fell she might never fall to the earth again. "And on she walked until, it seemed, she came back to the Swamp again. Oh, her heart swelled with joy and she longed to tell the tale of all she had seen and felt and learned and tasted. When she came to the edge of familiar lands, though, a soft fog descended, like early morning on the first days of spring. She would have to walk through the shimmering curtain to cross to the other side and come home. "As she put her first hoof across and felt the cool kiss of silver dewdrops on her hide, a voice filled her head, warm and welcoming and so inviting. It spoke with the voices of buck and doe, young and old at once, and she knew in an instant the MotherFather was speaking. 'Come in,' the voice said. 'Come home, be welcome. You have been long away from home, Walks-on, and you have been dearly missed. But know,' it went on, 'that if you continue on this path, you cross over to a new life. You will leave your body behind. You will know no hunger, you will feel no pain. You may see your loved ones, and watch them grow and change, but they may not see you again until they too follow the trail you have blazed.' "It was a momentous decision. Bigger than the choice to leave in the first place. If she did not finish crossing over, what would happen? Would she be doomed to wander forever, alone? If she did not cross over, she would never know what waited on the other side. She could live in the MotherFather's realm. She would be at the heart of all things. "Three days she debated, half in and half out of the shimmering boundary between worlds. Three days she debated and warred with herself, but on the third day, she knew she had no other choice. She stepped through and the curtain closed behind her. When she looked back, there on the other side lay her body, curled as if sleeping though her sides did not rise and fall." Now his eyes cleared a bit and Leaves-in-Twilight seemed to realize that he had living company, that the doe who listened so attentively was not simply a figment of his mind. He considered her, then climbed to his feet and shook out his hide, taking a half step to one side to catch his balance, but his mind was clearing fast. "This is why we do not fear death," he said, without missing much more than another beat. "This is the message the spirits wish us to provide. If you will help me," he thought to ask, but the doe was already nodding her assent. So it was that Leaves-in-Twilight came to lead the Shadow Walker tribe and to teach others not to fear the spirit world but to be ready when their time must inevitably come. (Note: This is not officially sanctioned world-building. It may simply be a story Leaves-in-Twilight made up in a drug-induced haze, but it is what he believes. If this status changes it will be noted here.) |
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:05 pm
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With the exception of Leaves-in-Twilight, who focused his ordinarily distracted mind just long enough to gather those who know the words and rituals into some sort of cohesive unit, and thereby made himself the head of the tribe, there are no ranks, per se, among the Shadow Walkers. There are elders and there are youths and there are all ages in between, but there is no particular hierarchy.
Yes, there are teachers and students. Yes, there are experienced members of the tribe and there are those new to the whole experience. There are those who join from outside the tribe and there are those born into it who choose to stay.
What matters most is that every kin has a role to play.
Those Who Gift
Giftbringers are kin that choose -- or are chosen -- to find gifts for and bestow gifts to the recently dead or soon to depart. As an example, they often make trips through the swamp to find night-blooming flowers or those that open their petals at the very first, faintest touch of morning light.
These flowers are then sometimes woven (with the help of clever-fingered familiars) into wreaths or simply tucked into bedding around a body. The scent from these flowers is said to bring comfort and ease a soul's passing from one life to the next.
There are many other small trinkets that may be gathered or made.
They may also collect tales of the departed to be woven into songs or stories to be passed on among the kin, as a never-ending gift to said kin's memory. This gift is often reserved for the passing of a Legendary doe or buck, but sometimes those who have not yet ascended have done such great things that they must be remembered.
Giftbringers may also take it upon themselves to watch over the family of the dead or dying kin, if it is deemed that they are in need of such a support. A single doe without a lifemate who loses her foals too early might benefit from someone to hunt with her for a few days or simply to share her den and help her rest and recover her heart.
Those Who Guard
Many of the Shadow Walker tribe are distracted, either by their duties, their own thoughts, or their attentions to the spirit world. They often are less grounded in the dangers of the present, here and now, and more likely than those outside the tribe to find themselves in trouble or hurt themselves accidentally.
This is where the Guardians of the tribe come in. Guardians do not normally find themselves particularly drawn to spirits and whispering between realms. They are usually either kin or mates to members of the tribe, and fall into the role of protectors and providers naturally.
These are the hunters and the warriors, keeping the tribe fed and protected from anyone or anything that might seek to do its members harm. There are bucks and does alike among their number and no bias for or against either. If they are capable and willing, there is something for them to do.
They may or not participate in rituals. They are welcomed but not required to attend.
Those Who Guide
The spooky and the spirit-touched of the tribe, they are called the Guided, and they speak with the spirits.
Most of the tribe's Guided have been spirit-touched in some way from birth, though some have been known to come into their talents later in life. The Touch may have physical man9festations -- glowing eyes, glowing markings -- or it may simply be the voices that they hear in the world around them, whispers that other kin simply never hear or choose to ignore.
The Guided are seers and advisors. They are teachers and mentors. counselors for the troubled and the mourning. They listen the the voices of kin who have gone before and hope for words of wisdom from the MotherFather on matters of great import.
Some outside the tribe call them crazy. Within its ranks, they are sacred.
They are the ones who perform all rituals within the tribe, including but not limited to:
* Cleansing of the Soul: If one of the kin is being troubled by nightmares or night terrors, or feels sick in either body or spirit, the Guided will sit with him or her, breathe the smoke from burning leaves of the Mindsease bush, and guide the afflicted through a vision where they will seek out any corrupting spirits, fight them off if necessary, and find peace within themselves. Call it a faith healing, if you like. There are kin who swear it works!
* Recognition of the Other: When one of the kin is touched, whether as a foal or as an adult, the Guided, as a council, prepare a meal to welcome the newcomer. This is one of the few rites or rituals that is restricted in the tribe. Only one of the Guided may attend.
* The Soul's Fond Farewell: The tribe's best known rite. Again, at the departed kin's request, the Shadow Walkers will hold a celebration of the end of the body's life and the beginning of the soul's adventure. Think of this like a wake. At it's end, one of the Guided will ask the spirits to welcome the soul home before escorting the body to prepared grounds to be reabsorbed by the Swamp.
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:06 pm
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:08 pm
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There are whispers on the wind. Ripples in the water from a hoof fall that went unseen. Is someone watching or is the hair lifting at the nape of your neck a sign of danger? Hard to tell sometimes ...
At some point in the past, Leaves-in-Twilight, distracted as he can sometimes be, spent time with a wandering doe. As a result, his tribe has grown.
This is a contest intended to flesh out the Shadow Walker tribe! Whether you have one kin or twenty, you are welcome to enter. The only stipulation is that, if you win, your new kin must remain a member of the tribe.
Which doesn't mean they can't wander off to go meet and interact with kin and cousins in other places. By all means, explore, learn new customs and bring back stories.
Since stories are important! You'll need a good one for your entry. smile
The contest opens now and will stay open until 8pm PST on July 30th. Have fun!
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Which kin are you trying for? [/b] (buck one, buck two, doe one)
[b]Kimeti name: [/b]
[b]Give us a hint about their personality![/b] (No need to write a novel. Just give me a blurb. :))
[b]Which role has s/he taken?[/b] (Giftbringer, Guardian, Guided)
[b]How have the spirits touched you? Tell us a story![/b] (The meat of the entry: explain how the spirits have touched this kin. Do they talk to spirits like their father? Are they skeptics but determined to protect the tribe? Do they have a ghost story to share? It's all up to you.)
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:13 pm
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:14 pm
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:16 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:30 am
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Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 2:24 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:27 pm
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 2:58 pm
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:30 pm
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