dragoncalled | Event Start: Renzu's Flock; Predator or Pray

There's a commotion by the ocean.

At dusk, a strange and unsteadily honored tradition begins to cause unrest within the city. It's nearing the end of a trade season, and the approach of winter brings with it a tenuous and uncomfortable truce of necessity. A small trading group of Beast Hunters dock their ships at Outer Nuren's pier, just within Dragon Bay. They have brought with them hides, trinkets, meat, fish, rare plants, magical items and caged common creatures from the wildlands beyond the city's walls. In turn, they seek fabric, clothing, lumber, weaponry, armor and food from Nuren's harvests. Most of the Beast Hunters have come to trade their goods, while others are there to relax for a week in the seedier Outer Nuren, where the citizens are less likely to bother them and they can pick their fights and conversations with little concern for the preaching of the devout or the judgement of the sheltered citizens in the city proper.

Beast Hunters are fond of tavern brawls and games of chance, though their regard for a scion's dragon, or any magical creatures, is visibly and openly one of disgust and discomfort. Despite this, many of the traveling traders enjoy sharing stories and will pass on tales of the fearsome and dangerous creatures they proudly boast to have killed or survived encounters with. There is open distrust or curiosity toward the scions and their worlds, but in general the Beast Hunters are a far more survivalist group of Remnants with a scattering of Touched. They're grim, rough around the edges and quick to violence and anger, but a bit of gold, flattery, charm or gambling can soothe most tempers.

For a few gold, a scion skilled at games of dice, chance, or drinking competitions might find a profit in Outer Nuren throughout the week, and curious souls could learn more about the world beyond the city walls. Including its dangers and potential treasures, stories of the Wastewalkers or wild magical creatures and lands, and boastful accounts of survival against horrible odds.

The Beast Hunters have a low opinion of the city citizens, calling them soft and worthless creatures who lean too heavily on their faith and security. Likewise, the citizens of Nuren have low opinions of the Beast Hunter's, calling them dangerous cut-throats and warning that they will gladly stab you in the back or poison your drink for a single gold coin or to steal the young and vulnerable dragons from their scions. Open scorn from both sides is apparent while the Beast Hunters linger in Outer Nuren, with fights both physical and magical breaking out. While the citizens may not venture far beyond Nuren's walls, they are practiced magic users and skilled fighters, albeit a bit less prone to fighting dirty.

By the end of the week, the Beast Hunters will have sold their goods, and will pack up their ships and leave, refusing passage to scions and citizens alike. Only Beast Hunters may sail aboard their vessels, and any stowaways will be thrown to the sea serpents and sharks.

Strange magical feats in the streets.

In stark contrast to the rough and rowdy Beast Hunters, another group has grown active in Upper Nuren, becoming very visible during the week. A group of Scholars of Renzu have returned to the city from a trip to Renzu's temple, and bring back with them more of the great Griffin's teachings and knowledge.

Throughout the week, the scholars try to get involved with the Scions. They offer to help the Scions understand and learn what their elemental alignment is, and how to use the ability they and their dragon now share. Several of the scholars hold daily 'classes' in the squares of Upper Nuren. Displays of elemental ability occur in the squares, along with discussions on how the different elements relate to and interact with one another.

In the evenings, the Lorekeepers of the group tell tales to small gatherings of young citizens and any interested Scions, teaching them about Renzu and occasionally delving into tales of Chelba, Benra, Mouros, and Lysheu.

A few scholars with powerful shield and healing magic offer to help Scions practice their magic, so that they can learn how to use their new abilities, and learn what to expect if their dragon decides to use their magic as well.

At the end of the week, when the Beast Hunters have sailed away, the scholars will still be present, but less visibly active away from the smaller temple of Renzu within the city.

And a fine feathered friend around every bend.

Osaaru's sparsely filled streets have begun to fill in with the sounds of life. Excited citizens, exploring scions and intrepid young dragons have to learn to live with one another in the city. The adjustment is easier for some than it is for others. None understand this better than the Great Griffin.

Renzu, the Great Griffin and Guardian of Knowledge, is a prominent and active guardian, revered and respected by a large portion of Nuren's population. The wisdom of the Great Beast is spoken of by any Scholar, Mage or devout citizen who mentions either of the Great Griffin's names. Though largely viewed as a gentle guide and known to be the Observer who watches over the city, there are occasions where the Great Beast takes a more direct approach.

As evening descends, a distant chime begins to fill the air. The darker the sky grows, the more the melody seems to grow, always faint but with new melodies whispering and intertwining their way through the winds that sweep as gentle breezes through the city streets and alleyways. The distant sounds create a melody of wind chimes accompanied by a faint song that seems to resemble the soft music of wind instruments. It fills the air for a week, always faint but present, and all who hear it are likely to feel a calming, peaceful emotion settle over them, that comes and goes over time.

With the winds and music, a flock of Griffins and Grifflings have entered the city, taking perches on buildings and walls. They play with or assist the citizens of Nuren and any scions who do not attempt to attack them. Grifflings race across rooftops in playful games of tag and chase, or engage young dragons in tag or hide and seek to sharpen their hunting skills. Griffins, some larger than lions in size, stroll through the streets, lending their backs to the pulling of wagons, or their wings to the creation of helpful currents.

With some dragons nearing an age of testing their wings, and other young hatchlings beginning to fill the city, Renzu decided to take the young creatures and their scions under wing and give them a first lesson in their new lives. Renzu's flock are there to help the young dragons with their first steps toward flight. Throughout the week they can be seen acrobatically soaring through the skies above Nuren or creating small controlled winds and gusts to lift young dragons and their scions into the air.

Gently approaching a Griffin may even see the creature allowing citizens or scions to ride on their backs, provided the person in question is respectful. Their powerful wings and large forms allow them to carry scions and their young dragons, or up to two people, on their backs. While they may be unable to ferry about larger creatures, they will gladly assist others where possible.

The citizens of Nuren caution against injuring or threatening Renzu's flock. Most will insist they are gentle and harmless creatures as long as no harm is done to them. Injuring or killing a Griffin or Griffling is severely frowned upon by the citizens, though a Beast Hunter or two might be willing to pay a high price for one. Any harm or threat scatters the flock, making them distrustful and even aggressive toward the attacking or threatening party. From then on, the Griffins and Grifflings will not allow the scion in question to approach them or others of the flock.

At the end of the week, Renzu's flock take wing, returning to the mountains they came from and leaving only a few scattered Grifflings playing in buildings and on the streets. With them goes the music, fading away on the gentle winds.

Notes

Please direct all questions to the Q&A on the plotting post.

Additionally there is a post on the OOC community for talking about upcoming wishes in the Tide of Wishes Here.

You are welcome to use this post to toss out open or closed starters and tag around, or to make your own posts within the community. Another post will go up for the Tide of Wishes, soon. In the meantime, there is an OOC post for you to leave your character's wishes, if you so choose, or to discuss them with others.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[A: Bar brawls, take II]

[In many situations, Shun has remarkable self-control. Going through war has made that a necessity for him, and he doesn't rise to petty insults nearly as easily as most people do.

"Petty insults", however, does not cover the situation in this bar right now.

It's been about a day since the Beast Hunters have gotten here, and Shun's been speaking with them during that time, trying to get information about life outside the city. Ultima, as tall as him by now, has been alongside him the whole time, and though the disgust and scorn towards her has been obvious, most of the Beast Hunters he's spoken to have kept their actual remarks to a minimum.

It's only this pair now who have broken the floodgates, and when one of the half-drunk hunters actually swings a bottle at her, Shun steps between them to catch it, fingers clenching on the makeshift weapon.]

Swing something at my dragon again, and I'll make sure you don't swing anything at anyone for the next few months.

[Despite his air of intimidation, Shun's figure isn't that imposing - 5'10" and wiry, with a lot of that muscle currently hidden by armour over his arms. So the response from the Beast Hunters is a short, almost bemused pause before they both break into raucous laughter, slamming the table, and one of them stands up. There's a decent distance between him and Shun, and he dusts off his beard a bit, still chortling, before he speaks.]

Now see here, boy, we're not as forgiving as those soft city folk. But if you gimme the respect I deserve and a proper apology for starting something over that filthy creature, I'll let it go.

[Shun merely watches him, a careful coldness in his eyes, and the hunter gives a long sigh like this is some boring chore for him before shrugging.]

Don't say I didn't--

[The moment he moves forward in the midst of those words, Shun darts forward and gives the guy a spinning kick to the head. As he folds, Shun skids down his back and grabs his torso, landing on his feet and hurling him towards the other hunter like he's weightless.

Unfortunately, he wasn't paying much attention to who might've been behind them, so any other bar-going scions may have two huge bodies hurtling towards them right about now.]

--

[B: Learning from scratch]

[Magic is the one thing Shun hasn't really been able to figure out since getting here, so when the scholars start offering classes and the Beast Hunters wear out what interest he had in them, he seeks out one familiar with fire magic to help him out. Having an open space to practice in is a virtue with such a dangerous element, and he knows it.

But the meditation his scholar is insisting on is really not helping him focus any with how restless he is, and he lets out a sharp, frustrated breath as he drops his arms and opens his eyes.]

I don't think this is--

[It takes him a moment to register the warmth that floods through him as he lets out that breath, and a small circle of fire has burst from him to flicker gently on the cobblestones. Not that he looks surprised for any more than a second about that.]

...There has to be a better way to control it than that.

--

[C: Feathers, feathers everywhere]

[When the griffons and grifflings begin to fill the city, Shun is wary of them at first. They're still unpredictable, even if they are meant to be messengers. But eventually, when Ultima's pining at the ones flying gets too much, he lets her go to try and work her wings with a few of them.

The initial attempts are laughable, because with six wings, Ultima's rhythm in flapping them has to be fairly precise not to accidentally cause conflicting lift. So eventually, the griffons sit down with her on the ground and rhythmically flap their wings, each instance sending a strong draft across the square they're all sitting in. Anyone passing through might get buffeted by it if they have the wrong timing, and Shun, for his part, does not look particularly sorry, barely glancing up before returning most of his focus to his dragon.]

Event Start: Renzu's Flock; Predator or Pray

Shun Kurosaki | OTA