Rituals Of The Earth

[marimbamonk 1501]

Rituals of the Earth

A Shamanistic Trial

 

Though Orcish lands are usually full of shifting sands and glorious motion, the strife of Athera has afflicted their people. They no longer sit upon fertile soil and honorable ground. The land they claimed for their clans is rough, and coarse; full of damp caves and dry bones in dark corners.

But the Orcish people are not weak. They are known for their strength, and their determination to find such strength even in hard times is what gives the race its fearful might.

 

It is so that a tribe of Orcs assembled under the hand of an elder shaman, seeking to restore their lands and protect them from dark spirits. In order to enact such protection, they needed to invoke the guidance of an Earth spirit to watch over the land and guard it.

The ritual to summon this Earth spirit was not simple, as it involved several charms from around the land to be used.

The Orcs first ventured deep within a cave below the Rex's palace, in which resided two of their fabled beasts: the Scaddernacks. They had to retrieve a single scale from one of their massive hides.

 

 

After two smart cubs managed to sneak around the beasts while they were distracted, they grabbed a scale, and the Orcs escaped to find the next charm.

They walked outside of Orcish walls to a small lake, where the elder shaman managed to pluck a single hillflower from the peak of an overhang.

 

 

They then found themselves staring up at a massive stone monolith, where they needed a single stone from the peak.

 

 

Even though they managed to quickly retrieve the stone, a slimy oozeling seeped out of a nearby pond and slithered towards the group of orcs.

Realizing they couldn't destroy it with their axes and swords, the elder shaman channeled his elemental power (along with another shaman in the group) and deformed the ooze until it was nothing but a sad, beaten goop.

 

 

Finally, the Orcs made their way to a watered cave, fabled by the shamans for its spiritual potential. There, the elder shaman gathered two rare sapphire stones, but only just before they were nearly mauled by an angered and disturbed shamanic construct, known as a Muyakelg.

 

It was then that the Orcs were ready to summon the Earthen spirit, and protect their land for ages to come.

 

... Or so they thought.

 

 

And with the beating of a mighty drum and the chants of a dozen Orcs, the Earthen spirit rose from the sands, its massive shell rising to reveal its form as a Tortoise.

 

 

There, the elder shaman knelt, and channeled his energy to translate the Black Blah for his brothers.

 

(Listen to the voice of the Elemental by clicking here.)

 

"Lats summ'n me, uruks," the elemental said. "Me tyme here is valuabul, grub'naks. Wut da lats wunt wid da Earth?"

 

A single Orc explained how the land was cursed and haunted by evil spirits, and that the protection of this Earthen spirit was needed for his people.

Through a phase in focus, a remnant of the Elementals true Black Speech echoed in reply.

 

"Ari, duump? Aghahahaha! Dha, dha gagna." (Evil spirits, doom? Aghahahaha! Earth, Earth helper.)

 

The Earth spirit seemed to accept the plea for help; that was, until one of the Orcs made a stupid mistake.

As this Orc stabbed his greatsword into the ground, the Elemental Tortoise croaked, charging straight for him; yet, it was the Orc who spoke earlier who pushed him out of the way, and suffered the Spirit's onslaught.

 

It was within this tempest that the Spirit asked the trapped Orc if he was truly worthy to feel the rage of the elements. "Mundas?!" (Strength?!)

 

Releasing him with a heavy thump, the Spirit shook its head, and snapped its mighty maw once more. "Perhaps... Perhaps if lats sum'n me agein, me will kom. Gib lats unuddah chance. But ya gutta get latself in check befah da szpirits kom to protect."

 

The Spirit seeped back into the sands, and the Orcs sat perplexed. And then they beat themselves up for angering an Earth spirit.

 

[Raptorious 1899]

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