He did not feel like the same noulicorn he'd been when he first approached Grandfather Tree lo those many moons ago. Aldwyn had had expectations of that day. He'd intended to receive his gift, to devote himself to practicing with it, to begin the process of being useful to these lands he called home... He'd wanted to give time to study, to learn the earth and his place in it. His place, his study, his use. These tasks were for him, for his own self fulfillment, something to make him feel noteworthy.
But that was not the path Grandfather Tree had set before him.
Aldwyn hadn't even had a chance to step away from the roots before his planned journey of self fulfillment was derailed, and he instead found himself in the guardianship of another... It was not what Aldwyn had expected. Not what he'd wanted. Not what he'd prepared for.
It had been terrifying, every decision an uncertain one. How was he to find his place, practice his magic, or do his duty with a tiny burden ever around? Where was the time for his plan when there was a foal that needed caring for? In his earliest days, dread had plagued Aldwyn's every waking thought and had chased him in his dreams. He couldn't be what he was supposed to be. Caring for a foal made him useless to the task of healing Vykeli when he couldn't step hoof in the Ruins or the Bog or the Barrens without wondering over the safety of one so small...
When Bryone was tiny, fragile, and barely capable of walking, Aldwyn had feared what being tethered to something so young would do to him.
...But as he watched the foal grow, as Bryone began to emulate his words and actions, Aldwyn started to change as well. He was not an avid user of his gift, nowhere near as skilled in its practice as others of his age and rank, but he had a task just as profound: the rearing of the future was not a job to dismiss or dismay over. Raising Bryone to be confident, to take pride in his development, to work hard in the face of adversity... These were necessary tasks, and despite Aldwyn's temperament being wildly opposed to his foal's, he thought he enjoyed teaching.
He had a great deal to learn himself, still. He wanted to know more and do more, but having someone to pass it all down to felt rewarding in its own right. It wasn't the path he'd planned, but Grandfather Tree had known what was best for him. The white oak and seen him in his temperance, acknowledged the steady processes of his mind, and had gifted him more than magic.
Caring for Bryone- for any foal that needed him- felt like the greatest purpose he could be called to. Aldwyn hadn't worked to garner resistance to sun and wariness that would allow him to last days and weeks while fighting the elements to return Vykeli to what it once was, but he was a calm and gentle buck, a soft spirit to soothe the erratic whims of youngsters.
That was what he was here for.
He'd planned to approach Grandfather Tree again once Bryone was an adult in his own right, as if to seek assurance that he had done what was expected of him. The 'plan' thrummed in his spirit, it made excitement slither through his veins, the thought of approaching Grandfather Tree once more making adrenaline explode in his heart.
Aldwyn cast out from Homewood in the morning, and he galloped as if he was a foal again, feeling warm wind stream through his mane and his hoofs collide with hard earth. Dawn split the sky from the earth, and even the dead, dreamy expanse of the Barrens seemed more welcoming when it was bathed in pink light.
His breath came heavy as he approached the roots, but Aldwyn's eyes were bright with warmth as he dipped his head, lowering his nose to reverently brush against a gnarled root. "Grandfather Tree, my spirit calls for me to give you thanks, and so I have come to stand before you once more..."
Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2020 1:44 pm
Grandfather tree sways toward Aldwyn as they approach, as if in recognition. The ground around its roots hums with ancient power.
Choose one of the following prompts for Aldwyn's dream vision.
Quote:
A group of predators has moved into the Homewood and is picking off stragglers. Everyone is in danger. How do you protect your home?
Quote:
A leader must be able to overcome their fears. Grandfather tree brings you face to face with your worst fear. What is it and how do you cope?
Quote:
Everyone has a place in the community, as the responsibilities of adulthood set in, you must determine what you`ll do with your life. Describe your noulicorn figuring out their place in society and what role they’ve chosen.
A leader must be able to overcome their fears. Grandfather tree brings you face to face with your worst fear. What is it and how do you cope?
They were in Homewood. Aldwyn could tell that much immediately from the abundant green overhead. The leaves danced in the sunbeams, spilling mottled light down onto the forest floor between an abundance of tall trees. The branches wove together here, the trunks grew in clusters. An adult noulicorn needed to pick his steps carefully to be able to successfully weave through all of the flourishing growth here. It smelled like rain. The humming of insect wing and rustle of leaves sang through the air in a chorus. If he was very quiet, there came the delicate twittering of birds.
Despite the apparent clutter, Aldwyn felt at peace here.
His steps were slow over fallen foliage and soft grasses. Whatever sound his hooffalls made were smothered by the forests own sounds: wind, leaves, insects, birds. They felt oddly loud, pulling on the appaloosa buck's focus. He squinted up into the trees and became aware suddenly that despite the buzz of insect wings, there were no bugs. Despite the song of the birds, nothing flew overhead. Despite the rustle of leaves, the air was still.
Everything was still.
Except for the shifting peek of a rust-striped flank from between the trees. His son was small again, as when Aldwyn had found him. The young Bryone regarded Aldwyn with a mischievous quirk of his brow and a quick flash of teeth.
And then he was scampering through the trees, weaving as if in flight. His steps were as silent as Aldwyn's but much quicker, much smoother. When the buck tried to follow, he found that his pace was significantly slowed by the cluttered trees. His steps suddenly felt uncertain as he tried to make his way through them. There was an echo of laughter, high and mirthful as Bryone escaped farther and farther away from him. Aldwyn tried to call for him to wait, to have patience, but his voice felt trapped in his throat.
He dedicated himself more fully to finding a path through the tangled web of branches, brambles, and foliage that sprang up more densely around him.
And echo of something else, low and rolling cut through the other sounds of the forest. It escalated over all else, as if to ensure that Aldwyn would hear and know it: the predatory snarl of a cat beast. Its shadow prowled along the tree branches above Bryone, who either did not hear the warning snarl or paid it no mind. The buck's movements stilled, body alert and eyes blown wide at the sight. The beast's tail twitched, and its focus flicked to a brief instant to Aldwyn, still caged behind woven trunk and matted greens.
A fear gripped him, so tightly as if to strangle him as Aldwyn tried to shout a warning once again. But as before, the sound was smothered, tamped down by a tightness in his chest and throat.
The cat beast's focus moved down to the oblivious foal beneath it. Bryone's pace had slowed to a frolic, small hooves kicking up high with each step. He did not even pretend to be aware of the shadow that loomed over him. The beast lurched from the trees, its heavy body landing with a resounding thud atop a previously ignorant foal. Bryone's high-pitched screech tore through the air, splitting the overwhelming rustle of leaves and birdsong as claws raked at his flank.
Aldwyn cried out as well, but there was nothing save for the sound of Bryone's screams in his ears. He thrashed against the knot of branches that kept them apart. His hooves kicked at and stamped down tangling vines, but the trees reached for him, looping tendrils around his legs and twisting against his chest and neck. 'No, no!' he thought wildly, flailing limbs turning desperate as he could see the cat beast rending strips of hide from his son's sides.
The cat beast was faster and stronger than a young foal, and its teeth and claws were mighty weapons. Scattered drops of red cascaded to the ground, staining Bryone's stark white underbelly a vivid red.
Aldwyn heard no thrashing, none of the beast's snarling, no sound of branches breaking as they tussled. He only heard Bryone's screams of, "Help me! Help me, please!"
Aldwyn could not reach him. No matter how he found against the brambles and vines and branches that tangled him, they grew back a dozen fold, tightening their hold and dragging at his movements. They never covered his face. The leaves in the trees framed a perfect window toward the scene ahead, and Aldwyn watched as his foal's thrashing turned from fearful and wild to weak and desperate. His cries gurgled off to sad sounds drowned by the cat beast's gnashing teeth, and eventually, all was still once more.
The cat beast departed as if engulfed by shadows, and it was only in its absence that Aldwyn could escape the grasp of the branches. His raced to Bryone's body, freed as if nothing had been in his way before.
...But it was much too late. Glazed eyes stared unblinkingly ahead. Pools of thick, bright red blood seeped into the ground, into Bryone's fur, matting it into a dark, muddy brown. His tongue lolled from his mouth, and his flanks were shallow where they'd been gouged, where air no longer filled his legs.
Aldwyn's howl pierced the air, and his trembling legs gave out beneath him as he sank to the ground to mourn.
Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:34 pm
The fizzing power winds up Aldwyn's legs and bursts like sunshine deep inside him/her. He is now adept!
His initial ability is Bark Armor.
the user sprouts thick bark all over their body, protecting them from harm. This lasts for 10 minutes. user is protected from physical damage
ll Grandfather Tree ll Vice Captain
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ll Grandfather Tree ll generated a random number between
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33!
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