A Dedicant Attuned; Enter The Cub Druid

[Song Druid 1486]

((This is a continuation of an attunement ceremony taking place on the server that was interrupted by its constant crashing and ultimate death.  I'll start from the beginning, however.))

 

 

The tall Elder Elf gestured towards the Dwarven Dedicant, and the dedicant obliged, stepping into the tranquil attunement pool that rested at the heart of the cozy little grove.  The Song Druid regarded the dedicant for a few short moments, perhaps pondering the future of this soul, perhaps simply thinking about a bowl of mushroom soup, but ponderance was clear upon his face nonetheless.

 

Finally, he spake:

 

"Dedicant. Do you swear onto your life to uphold the values and traditions of our Order and the Circle to which you are bound?"

 

The Dedicant shuddered in the chill of the water that pooled at his knees.  "Ah duh," his thick accent sounding even more distorted by the acoustics from the enclosed area.

 

"And will you, to the best of your ability, strive to teach our ways to new seekers, as well as pass our reverence for nature to others, seeking to teach them to respect it eversomore than they do today?"

 

"Ah duh."

 

"Very well.  Give me your staff, Dedicant."  The Song Druid reached out his left hand, outstretching claw-like fingertips that betrayed his age most of all.  The nervous Dwarf quickly handed over his staff, and the Druid gave pause as he felt his mind connect with the being now in his hands.  How often had he whispered words of power to a Dedicant's staff upon Attunement, and how often he wondered if that Dedicant would ever commune with their own staff as others would learn.

 

Shaking the thought from his head he outstretched his arms now, Gildun's staff in his left hand, and the ancient Wilting Staff gripped within his right.  "Relax your mind, for we begin!"

 

 

The Song Druid began to sing in Ancient Elvish, a beautiful melody that swang higher and higher as he began to pull power and channel it around him.  The water in the Attunement pool began to churn as well, gaining more strength the higher and more intense the Elf sang.  The Dedicant's mind began to swim as the ringing in his ears grew....and grew....and suddenly the pool violently thrashed and he found himself falling on his back, and everything went black.

 

Slowly the Dedicant came to.  But the odd Druid was nowhere to be seen.  Indeed, his clothes were dry and he did not stand in a pool.  Where could he be?  He grunted and pushed himself up wordlessly from the ground, taking in his surroundings.

 

 

Unbelievable!  It was Elandriel, the great forest of Asulon!  He'd been there in his youth, so many years ago...

 

The great canopy rose hundreds of feet ahead, and most of the sunlight was blocked out.  However, the lamps lit by the Druids still shone in the branches, and the wildlife itself seemed to shine with a light all its own.  It was peaceful, tranquil, and Gildun couldn't help but feel right at home.  A slight murmuring was in his ear, but he couldn't quite make it out.

 

A frog sat upon a tree stump and let out a loud croak before hopping off, and it was this that jolted Gildun back to reality, or whatever this was.  He began to move throughout the forest, exploring its mysteries.

 

As he passed trees ten times his width he found himself overlooking a great river.  Lurking behind a bush was a faceless hunter, and somehow inexplicably the Dedicant knew that he did not hunt for survival.  This man killed for sport.  He could not help but consider this but a crude visage of the true nature of man.  Following the man's gaze he noticed three shrouded figures near the water's edge: two large and one small. They were bears!

 

By the time he'd swung his vision over to the hunter he was shocked to find him already loosing an arrow, then another in rapid succession.  "NUHH!  STAHP!"  He screamed, rushing towards the hunter.  Startled, the hunter bolted into the forest, disappearing in the growing mist.  The murmuring in his ear was louder now.

 

Shaking, he turned to the scene before him.  Two great beats lay at the water's edge, each felled by a single arrow, but the youngest, the cub, was nowhere to be seen.  Looking bout frantically, he heard a commotion coming from the river itself.  Rushing to the bank, he found the little beast struggling to reach above the water to breathe.  It must have fell in when the hunter shot its parents!  Panicking, the Dedicant began to wade in the river, and saw the beast disappear below the clear waters, sinking below.  The chanting in his ear was deafening now, each step he took seemed to shake his very being.  Finally he made it to the spot where the bear sank, and he saw beneath the surface the bear staring back at him.  He ducked beneath the current to retrieve it but lost sight of the beast.  Coming up for air he searched the waters again, only to find his own reflection staring back.  Confused, he searched about for a moment before the roar of the chanting took hold, and he saw himself once more in the water.

 

 

 

Finally paying attention to the voices, he felt a massive power surging through his body, it was more like epiphany, an understanding that he was being touched by something ancient, wiser than his greatest comprehension, and more powerful than what he could have ever imagined.  The current from the river swept him from his feet, and he thrashed in the water for a few moments, fighting to break back to the surface.  When finally he did, the Druid stood before him, holding out his staff.

 

 

"Rise, Gildun, and claim your totem."

 

Sputtering, and confused, the Druid gripped the length of the staff, breathlessly exclaiming, "Ah claim mah totem as tha Cub!"

 

"Welcome, Cub Druid.  Blessed be!"

 

 

 

 

[Wyvernbane 252]

((Quite a post Arik. I enjoyed reading of ole' potato noses attunement))

[Giga 357]

The Pine Druid steps out from behind a tree, seeing Gildun rise from the pool. A warm smile becomes etched into his face as he looks upon the scene.

"Blessed be." He says, his voice calm as usual. He gives a slight nod to Gildun and Arik from where he stands, before turning and skipping off between the trees.

((This is another incredible attunement post Arik, love it! Wish I could have witnessed it In Game!))

[cmack1028 549]

Thudrin claps from afar.

 

"Bout toime we 'ad another forst dorf druid 'round 'ere."

[Tadmonster 54]

Mith'laku approves of this fine dwarf...welcome to the order!

[Birdwhisperer 1174]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.