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 Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 11:12 am
For this RP, the Flock did not move out of their original home in the mountains yet.
To make things easier, it is presumed that Aviania & Aylin knows the following:
The Flock will be moving in a few days due to deteriorating living conditions up in the mountains
The conditions are so bad that at least a dozen Harpies had died due to starvation
Everyone had pretty much abandoned their posts and joined the hunting party to bring back food for the Flock to eat in order to store enough energy for the move
Some weaker males had been slaughtered for meat, although after the second male had been eaten, the sisters realized that Soquili meat is not as tasty nor nutritious for them and stopped the slaughtering of males for food
Also, this is what Aviania gathered Aylin to talk about in this RP; keep in mind that Aviania is expecting both spiritual answers as well as Aylin's own opinions on the matter:
General concerns on the future of the Flock - if they will reach a safe place, if any more sisters will perish during the move, etc
To ask if the spirits are pleased with their leaving
To see if there are any concerns Aylin might want to highlight (OOCly, we know that Aylin needs to tell Aviania her plans on staying - Aviania for now, is assuming that Aylin will be moving with the rest of the Flock)
If you are unsure about anything, just poke me on AIM/in thread/via PMs and I'll try to reply ASAP!
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 11:42 am
She looked peaceful as she sat in her nest, her limbs folded gracefully under her body and her feathered tail fanning out behind her. However, that peacefulness she carried on her expression was misleading; in fact, the Queen was greatly troubled by the recent happenings. The first signs appeared over a month ago - the few water sources on the mountains begun to dry up and there were constant slight tremors that threatened to dislodge rocks off the cliff and send them tumbling down to destroy their nesting grounds. As water became scarce, so does the herbivores as they quickly died of dehydration or starvation from a lack of vegetation. This created a chain effect that quickly wiped out the carnivores on top of the food chain... Including some of her beloved sisters.
Before long, the tremors became worse and worse. Falling rocks threatened their safety while the lack of food threatened to slowly kill their race through starvation. Praying to the spirits failed to stop their home from slowly becoming inhabitable, especially by such a large herd, forcing Aviania to finally decide that enough was enough... The Flock will have to move. Although initially appalled by the idea, the sisters quickly gave in when they realized that their Queen was right... Now, the preparations are almost complete and they will be making the move in a few days.
She shifted slightly before frowning in mid-meditation. Her expression had changed suddenly and she appeared to clearly be troubled by something... Opening her eyes, Aviania paused, composing herself before singing a song to call for her Oracle, her voice strangely enchanting although there was a hint of anxiousness in it.
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 11:59 am
 Aylin stood at the entrance to her beloved temple looking out over her sisters. Her heart was heavy with the losses they had suffered recently, but the spirits offered no help. She had known that the time would come when her sisters would have to leave there home, but she did not realize that the spirits would allow it to happen in her lifetime. As she stood there in thought, she song of her friend, her Queen filled her ears. Something was amiss. She offered a few 'chirps' in answer and quickly made her way through the grounds towards her Queen's nest. With grace, she bounded up the rocky slope and landed just inside the nest of Aviania. She lowered her head in greetings and waited for instructions before moving any further. "You are troubled, Aviania..." her voice soft and low, though she did not raise her head as she spoke.
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 9:58 pm
She smiled at hearing the Oracle's reply; although she was close to her two Commanders, Aylin must be the only sister who Aviania could fully trust with her problems. A Queen must appear strong to her Flock after all, especially in times of need, but even Queens need some kind of a confident in tough times! Her smile widened as Aylin came into view, and she prepared herself to greet the Oracle.
"Was it so obvious, Aylin?" Aviania chuckled as she stood up, stretching her body to loosen her muscles before approaching the other female, stopping a feet from her. She reached out, touching her sister gently on her talon to acknowledge her bow, something she only does with those closer to her, "Oh, darling... I heard distressed whispers from the spirits when I was meditating... Tell me, are they upset about the planned move?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 5:43 am
"Only to me," Aylin said softly in reply to the queen's question.
Aylin looked up only after her Queen's touch. She offered her softest smile to her friend. "Let's take a rest, Aviania. We have much to talk about."
Aylin had been listening to the spirits over the last few weeks, their messages becoming more and more clear. It was not so much that they were upset about the move, but they were upset that none were staying behind. Aylin had decided to be the one to stay and watch the temple, her heart was heavy, but she knew that she had to keep the favor of the spirits.
She waited for her sister to move to a resting position before continuing.
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 9:20 am
"Yes, I'd imagine so, darling... So much had happened this month, after all," The Queen replied softly, returning Aylin's smile with one of her own before turning and walking back to where she had been meditating just a moment before. Gently, she lowered herself to the floor of the nest, folding her legs under her body again. She shifted a few times to get into a comfortable position before gesturing for the other female to join her with a brief nod.
"Do tell me what the spirits are telling you, darling," Aviania spoke, concern lacing her voice as she frowned lightly, "Should we stay after all? This had been the Flock's home for centuries, after all, a place given to us by the Great Mother and yet... Yet I am the one to have to make the difficult decision of leaving it behind... Tell me, Aylin, am I wrong to have suggested a move?" Although she is normally confident of her decisions, this one not only concerns the future of the Flock but their favor with the spirits as well. It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place - what she needs now, are words of affirmation.
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:03 am
Aylin waited for the Queen to become comfortable before moving to find a spot of her own. Gently she lowered her body before the Queen, shifting her weight to get comfortable as well.
"The times have been hard, and they will only get harder here, Aviania... More sisters will be lost," she knew it was not easy on the Queen to make such a hard decision for their herd. "The spirits..." she drew in a deep breath, "They have not answered my pleas to stop the destruction of our home, but they are not pleased with everyone abandoning our home..." her voice trailed off, her eyes looking to her Queen and dear friend.
"Aviania, with your permission...I wish to stay behind, to guard our temple and keep favor of the spirits and our Great Mother." she fell silent for a moment, but before the Queen could reply she continued, "I will only be a short journey away and will visit often. I will travel with the herd until they are settled in our new home. I can not abandon our temple." her voice was soft, but direct. She knew that the others dare not talk to their Queen in such a manner, but she knew that Aviania would not take offense in her emphasis on the situation at hand.
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:31 am
She paused, listening to what the Oracle had to offer. Her eyes widened slightly at the news, her frown deepened, "So the move will save our sisters but pull us away from our spiritual roots? Why must the spirits torment us so? Why isn't the Great Mother intervening?" She paused, shaking her head, "I cannot allow more of our sisters to die, Aylin! They are all so precious to me... My heart is already aching from the premature deaths of so many! That was why I suggested the move!"
As the Oracle opened her mouth to speak again, Aviania could sense that the atmosphere around them was becoming heavier... She must have something important to announce. However, the Oracle's suggestion caught her off-guard; it would be a solution to their current problem, but leaving the Flock's Oracle behind...? The Queen might act as the spiritual leader of the Flock, but without the Oracle to tune in and act as an interpreter, it is almost like being inflicted with spiritual deafness.
"You mean to stay, Aylin?" She finally spoke after getting over the initial shock, "Must it be you? Perhaps one of our able sisters could do it in your stead, darling? In the Flock's history, there had never been a Queen without an Oracle by her side!"
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:42 am
Aylin sat there in silence as the Queen expressed her displeasure. She did not trust her temple to just anyone, it was her duty to protect it. "Aviania... It became my place to protect this temple on the day of my birth. The spirits and our Great Mother blessed me with this gift from the moment I opened my eyes. I can not disrespect them by abandoning my post." she spoke to her friend, more from her own heart than what she was hearing from the spirits now.
"If we do not move... Soon, more sisters -will- perish. We are having to move out further and further to hunt, the lands will not last much longer. You are making the best decision you can for the Flock. You are saving yourself and our sisters. There is no other option for you, Aviania." she knew her friend was hurting and did not agree with her decision, but Aylin could not take the chance of the spirits taking their anger out on her sisters or her Queen.
"Oh, Aviania...." she felt a small moment of pride when Aviania pleaded for her to come. "I am always at your side, I support what you believe is best for us. You are never without me." She offered a smile to her friend. "You will always know where to find me, and I promise, I will visit often. I will never be too far to hear your call for me. We are bound together by ties that no one else can see..." she had pledged her life to Aviania, she would take whatever actions were needed to save it.
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:59 am
The Queen chuckled, although it sounded a little forced, "I already knew that that would be your reply, darling. You always were dedicated to your post!" She then paused, offering the Oracle a soft, fond smile, "Although it pains me to leave you behind, what you had said did reached me, Aylin... To maintain our favor with the spirits yet ensure our survival... If this is the only way..." Her voice trailed away, but she quickly regained her composure - the composure of a seasoned Queen.
"You have my permission to stay and guard the Great Mother's temple." She continued, hardening her heart as her tone of voice became more serious than before, However, know that if you ever require assistance, I will never hesitate to send a Commander and her troupe down to aid you... And know that you should never hesitate to ask for this aid either. Physically, we might be far apart, but you will always be an irreplaceable part of the Flock!"
She then chuckled genuinely at Aylin's comment, "And for that, I am grateful, darling... I myself will make regular trips home as well, to pay my respects to the Great Mother in the temple and pay you a visit."
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 11:08 am
She smiled and nodded in understandment, "I will not hesitate if it is needed," she flexed her talons in a playful manner, "Others will come to realize that I am not as docile as I seem," she laughed and thought back to the days of her training. She had been a spry and energetic foal once, it had taken her many moons to learn how to come across as calm and composed.
She snapped out of her thoughts and back to the conversation, "I'm afraid I will not be able to protect the rest of our home from the falling rocks, it will all become ruins soon enough. But, I will do my best to keep it clear of debris...at least as much as I can." she knew this wouldn't be required of her, but in her own way, she was saving the memories that her sisters had made here in their home.
She could hear the spirits begin to whisper in her ears, their voices too soft at the moment to understand what they were saying. She had learned long ago not to try to interpret them, that if she listened long enough they would become more clear.
She lowered her head as the Queen gave her permission to stay behind, "I will always be at your side, Aviania. No matter how far I am from the flock." she reiterated to her friend.
"Now," she looked back up to the Queen, "Have you decided on a suitable new home?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:12 am
"That's a lesson most have to learn when facing one of our sisters for the first time," She chuckled, knowing that every female in the Flock had gone through combat training as a filly. She shifted her position slightly, feeling a little more at ease now that the first issue had been dealt with. She then smiled, reassured at the Oracle's words, before acknowledging it with a quick nod. Although she still felt rather sore about the decision of leaving Aylin behind, Aviania did not let it show on her features, determined to address the Flock's many pressing problems first before dealing with her own feelings.
"Unfortunately, no," The brown Harpy replied with a slight frown as she shook her head, "However, if my spiritual sense is right, our new home will be located somewhere in the East... That is where the Flock will be headed." She then paused for a second, looking thoughtful before she spoke again, "Did the spirits tell you anything, darling?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:19 am
Aylin shifted her weight a little as Aviania spoke. Aviania's voice was soon drowned out by those of the spirits, the were whispering not to settle. Aylin remained quite as she continued to listen.
After a few moments she looked over to the Queen, "They are saying not to settle," her head tilted as the whispers continued. "There are hostiles to the east, keep going until you see the sun wake upon the rocks," she repeated the whispers.
She pondered on these words, wondering if it would be a rock formation or another mountain range. Her ears flickered as she tried to understand more of the whispers.
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 10:58 am
"Until I see the sun wake upon the rocks... I'll keep that in mind, darling," Aviania nodded as she repeated what the Oracle had just said. Although the message did not state a specific place, it did give her a vague idea of what to look out for as they move. However, it seems to her that their destiny lies to the East, albeit further than she had previously thought.
"Ah yes, Aylin... We need to get you an animal," She mused out loud, "Perhaps you could use it as a messenger to deliver us urgent messages."
Although animals were used mainly as food, Aviania had heard that they could be tamed and trained to act as pets as well. It had been done generations ago, but the practice had since died out among the sisters as food became more scarce decades ago. Now that the Flock is moving, maybe taming and training an animal or two to be in Aylin's service would benefit the Oracle...
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 12:16 pm
The message rang clear within her mind, she would store it away as the herd began their search for a new home.
She nodded at the Queen's suggestion, "One will be hard to capture without temptaion," she laughed. The only animals they had brought into their home as of late had all become dinner for the sisters. A thought crossed her mind, "I have, however, seen a brightly colored rabbit that seems to have a home not far from here..." she stopped to ponder, "Perhaps a trap would do," she nodded and smiled. It would be of some help, at least, to keep the oracle from becoming so lonely guarding the temple.
She looked over to Aviania, her expression that more of a friend than a follower, "Aviania, how do the sisters feel?" she inquired. Aylin was rarely visited in the temple unless a sister needed advice. Most had remained quiet lipped to her about the upcoming move.
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