The Squirrel's End

[Wyvernbane 252]

Two days after the Druid of Squirrels departed from the Isles of Vailor, he arrived at the small island he called home. At his arrival, animals of all kinds gathered by him, and aided him in the digging of a grave at the edge of his tree house. He smiles, trading words before moving up into his home. His ferret, Echo, stood on the railing as he spoke

"What a cruel end. Live your entire life as if you had centuries, only to have age fall on your shoulders like an anvil. I'm not unhappy, though, my old friend. My time is up. I can hear Cerridwen now. The time is soon.."

He looks down at the ferret, giving a nod. She ran off, not to be seen again. Veren soon laid down on his mat, falling into a deep sleep quickly.

By the time the sun rose the next morn, the Druid did not breath nor rise.

Thus pass Veren It'shel, Druid of Squirrels.

All of nature would mourn the loss.

May the Aspects bless his soul.

~~~~~

Around a week later, a small army of birds, led by the ferret, Echo, delivers letters to individuals across Vailor.

Taynuel

Brother,

By now, I'm sure all of nature has informed you my time has come. I have never had a better friend, nor brother, nor lover as you. We had fights, and good times. I said most of what I wanted to in person, and I thank you to all ends for your friendship. I would not have survived had it not for you. Care for your family and your Dedicants. My prediction has not changed: you will one day be one of the best Archdruids we have had in many years. In your office, you will find my full collection of carvings, as well as the necklace I gained from the Siren. I'm sure you will have fun with it. I'm sure they will mean much more to you and those who you give them to than they ever meant to me. Do not let this small loss break you. Live your life: not only for yourself, but for me and Uilosdlir.

Love,

Veren It'shel

 

Arinislia

Sister Owl,

Your friendship that you gave me meant more than you could have dreamed. Yet, there is something I never told you that I could not bear to speak in person. Our relationship continued farther than a friendship for me. We both had those who we held as our lovers, so I kept it to myself and let you be happy with Herun. I do not mean this to upset anything, but yes, I did love you. I'm sorry for not telling you in person. I just couldn't bring myself to say it. Thank you for everything you've ever taught me. Take good care of Adrian, and don't let him forget me. He means a lot to me as well. Also, do not curse your life. Use it to fully honor the Aspects and serve nature. You are a great woman who could easy be remembered as one of the greats. I place Echo in your care. She loves you almost as much as me.

Until next time,

Veren It'shel

 

Lillith

Sister Sequoia,

What you meant to me can barely be expressed in words. You were a friend, a superior, and my best adviser. You kept me from making the worst mistake of my life, and not only that, gave me the chance few are given. I may of pledged allegiance to your cause, but now I urge you to work out your differences with the Order immediately. It is my last wish to you. The Order is not effective in its current state, and I understand you wish to fix that, but this is not the way. Do so in an honorable way that will not ruin your reputation. Do not be put in the same group as men like Gavin. Be the caretaker of the Order, from a distance, as I was, and serve the Aspects more and more with your life till the day we have the great chess match with spectators such as Morek. 

Until that day,

Veren It'shel

 

Erin

Sister Gryphon,

In your care I place a creature that will most likely come searching for me. The Gryphon that was in my care is yours to honor should it return. You kept me on my feet as no one has before. Thank you. Never let your playful heart die as I did, and look for the fun in life as long as you may live. And with laughter I say, try to get your Father to see our way, hm? Learn from those older than you, and one day you will be a great Druid, of that I am sure.

In laughter and in love,

Uncle Veren "Vear-bear" It'shel

 

Marcy

Marcy,

Somehow, despite our differences, we found love, even for a short time. I write to you to simply settle the matter. Take care of my daughter and raise her in a way I approve, or I will somehow cross back to Vailor and smack you. Give her the letter on her sixteenth birthday! Not before, nor after! It is important to me that you do so. Don't let my death break you, but instead follow my wish that you may work yourself out of that Ole' Shun List and become a Druid, like you planned. It would be something few have done, and that is why I believe you can do it. Keep a kind spirit, and pass that onto my daughter. My staff was left at your home in Laureh'lin. Give it to Virella with the letter for me.

With love,

Veren It'shel

 

Zelak

My love,

The time has come for me to leave this world and join the Aspects. I'm deeply sorry that we could not speak in person, but I hope this will do. You are a great man, despite what people may say. Do not let the change that occurred in you to go back to the old you. My love for you is great enough that I hope my influence continues past my death. Follow your heart, wherever it may lead, and live your life with happiness, despite my passing. With a sad heart I leave you, and with a greater sadness I worry for your future. Do not let this worry be fortified. I cannot return the necklace of Moons to you, as it was passed to my daughter. I hope you do not resent me for this.

With great love I write,

Veren It'shel

Another letter seems to be enclosed in the envelope to Zelak, addressed to the Boogie Man.

Boogie,

I know that we never knew each other well, but I write to thank you. You stepped away and "died" so that I could meet the real man beneath. You may be a bad person, but I thank you for the one good deed that I can mark you for.

Veren Ibar'ker

 

Cecilia

Cecilia,

You are one of the strongest women I have ever met. Period. You have endured more pain that many could endure, yet you still made it to Attunement. You are incredible, and I admire you greatly. I'm sorry I was never a good father. I didn't pay attention to you. I didn't look out for you like I should have. With guilt I write to apologize. I beg for forgiveness now, when it's too late. Pride fills my heart at what you've become. You were born of two broken people, and rose to a height of character neither me nor your Mother could reach. Thank you for giving your old Dad that. I love you more than any language can express.

Your Father, writing for your Mother as well,

Veren It'shel

 

The Druidic Order

By this point my hand and heart grow tired of writing letters. My final is addressed to all of the Order, Dedicants and Druids, Hierophants and Archdruids, everyone. Thank you for the companionship you gave me now, and in the past. I hope to see all of you again one day, and perhaps we will walk the forests of the Aspects in harmony: something the mortal realm has barely achieved. To those of you against this Split, do not treat it with harshness, but rather with an open heart. And those of you in support of the Split, remember to keep your own heart out of such matters. What is important is the Order- in full, working together to complete the Aspect's duty. It is only in the face of death that I see this. This is my final wish to all of you: to follow the path set before you, wherever it might take you, and to honor eachother- and nature till the end of all days. My blessing lies upon all of you till the world ends.

With a grateful heart, 

Veren Ibar'ker

 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2015 by The Puppet

[Rig 17581]

Freddy the Squirrel feels a disturbance in the cosmos. 

Mithras frowns at the news of more death about the land, his brow furrowing. 

[Jordan1921 373]

Hogarth frowns as he hears the news, climbing one of the snowy peaks of Urguan to reach the shrine to Dungrimm, placing containers filled with incense on either side and lighting them, a small smoke drifting away and into the mountain air. The Dwarf kneels at the altar, his hands pressed together and his eyes closed as he mutters a few words of prayer.

"Farewell friend, while ah meh nae ah known yeh tuh well ah valued yer friendship, yeh were ah koind person tuh meh an' most othah people en yer loife. Fer such yeh shall beh rewarded en teh aftahloife, meh Dungrimm fareh yeh tuh peace an' safeteh en teh 'alls ah yer ancestors. Grond Salez Nir Kraviil Nak." He finishes, sitting there quietly until the incense burns out, sighing as he walks back down the mountain, returning to his daily life. 

[_Jandy_ 3519]

Andwise doesn't get a letter and never learns about Veren's passing, it's probably best this way...

((a good character is gone, thanks for the rp))

[MamaBearJade 2090]

Lilliana frowns and moves to her hidden home. As per her own personal tradition, she took to the tips of the tree and held out some nuts, calling forth the old squirrels that lived near. "In memory of you my old teacher." she says softly. "I should have let you win our chess game."

[Delmodan 855]

Arin slightly lifts her head as she sits upon the large birch wood tree. Her silvery gaze set upon the small ferret in the distance, running across the soft grass towards her tree. Her figure slowly moving to stand before gracefully hopping down from one of the several large roots. Echo moving closer to her now, setting the note before her before tugging upon her clothes to climb up to her shoulder. Her hand extending downward to grasp the note before moving up to read it. Her eyes then widen as she stands there completely frozen. Several tears beginning to form before slowly running down her cheeks. Slowly, her silvery gaze shifts towards the nearby trees as she lowers her hands to her side. The note clutched within her right hand. "We will walk together again someday..."

[Sister Sequoia 438]

Lillith reads the note and sits down by the stream running through the moot Circle, letting out a deep sigh as she wipes a few tears from her face.  Glancing over towards the central pedestal, she looks at the chess set still sitting there from a week prior, when Veren paid them a last visit and many of them shared a few last games of chess with him.  She pushes herself up and heads over, picking up the white queen carved of fine birch, walking over towards an empty place in the circle as her good eye glows a gentle emerald hue, the saplings there starting to shift and form together as she takes out a small blade, placing the queen piece upon the saplings as they twine around it tightly.

She smiles gently as the growth forms into a small decorative shrine, taking the blade and carving a message into one of the saplings.

"We will play another game, my dear friend. Rest with the Aspects, Brother Squirrel."

[Eranikus 348]

Taynuel frowns as one of the birds alights on his shoulder, exchanging a few brief words with it as he accepts the note before offering it a worm for its services, watching it fly away before turning his attention to the note. With a soft sigh, he closes his eyes, folding it up and slipping it into his pack before turning his gaze to the clouds.

"May the Aspects guide you to the Eternal Forest, my brother," he says softly, closing his eyes before he returns to the task at hand, his nimble fingers shuffling a decorative set of cards over and over until it almost becomes second nature. "We'll have another race someday, Veren."

[Space 2335]

In another time Aeran may be quite excited at the fact that aging seems to be determined by if you know that you should be aging or not. In fact, he may even propose a ban on talking about aging, for if nobody knew about it, nobody would age, right?

 

But no. Instead, Aeran learns about this somehow, and just reacts in the usual way for these days; Some sadness.

[Tsuyose 3285]

Erin, a druid ever so playful and soft had just been preparing for her trip out, she was to find her Uncle and greet him with news, rather, a present. She wanted to show him how well she had been practicing -- the Ibar'ker that took so much pride in being his dedicant - even if it were for a short amount of time - she loved him ever so dearly, much like one could their father. Alas, she had received the letter, and broke down once more. Time passed and eventually her sobbing ceased, providing a short bob of her head.

"O-... Okay.." She ushers a short sigh, furrowing her brows whilst wiping her eyes with the heel of his right hand. "I promise, Vear Bear.. I've something to show you, too.."

Slowly, but surely, she settles down onto her knees whilst her arms extend to loosely cup a  nearby semi-grown rose, exhaling a short breath her eyes produced an emerald hue whilst a thin tether of mist slithers outward, seeping into the stem of the rose which caused it to bubble outward, sluggishly sprouting into a rose.

"For you, Uncle Veren. Good night."

 

Edited September 2, 2015 by Tsuyose

[Ryn Chirr 224]

The small group of three, two Druids and a Dedicant, walk from the Grotto to the upper lands of the Grove. The two Druids had sensed that something was amiss today, and had agreed meditation was the key to finding out what was going on. As they settle into the grass, Ryn and Muildir instruct the young Dedicant Oliver on how to meditate. After a brief lesson, they begin.

Ryn's eyes glowed a deep cyan for a moment as she focused on the nature around them, closing her eyes to assist her focus.

Muildir followed suit, regulating his breathing as he focused.

Oliver, unable to commune with nature as the Druids can yet, simply spacing out as they meditate.

After some time passes, Ryn's ears slowly begin to droop down as she listens to all of nature mourn. Her eyes reopen and the cyan glow slowly leaves her eyes. As they return to the normal emerald orbs, tears slowly leak down her cheeks. She draws her knees to her chest and silently cries, mourning the loss of her teacher and friend. "V-Veren..."

Muildir would keep his head low, hiding his face, along with a few tears in his eyes. A quiet sob would escape his mouth. "He's in the Eternal Forest now..."

"Y-yes... He is..." Ryn manages quietly.

Oliver looks at Muildir and Ryn, who are crying. He looks to the middle of them, denying who he is actually asking. "...Oi, would you like a hug?"

"Y-yes... Please..." Ryn mutters, her shoulders shaking softly.

Muildir shakes his head slowly, "I'm alright Oliver, thank you."

Oliver would scoot over to Ryn and opens his arms to her. He doesn't outright lean in for a hug, still afraid he is overstepping himself, but the hug is their for her to accept.

Ryn wraps her arms around the boy, hugging him gently...

Later that night... Ryn moves aside the vines in her bedroom. Her children are all asleep as she kneels down next to the small table in there. On the table rests a few small pictures she has drawn. She removes another from her bag, adding Veren to the collection of those she has lost. A match is struck in the silence and flame held to a candle wick. "May the Aspects always guide you... As you have guided so many others Veren. Rest well, my friend."

((Thanks Muildir and Oliver for the RP.

RIP Veren...

Edited September 2, 2015 by Ryn Chirr

[MrJoshy 130]

Cecilia's hands trail over the note, depicting each and every curve of the characters that her father's go over. She takes a deep breath, leaning on her staff slowly, the vines pulsating with each breath; in tandem. They describe to her what the letters are, and the shapes that they give her, but not what it truly says. She can only feel them to herself, taking a series of minutes to trace it over and over, eventually feeling what it says.

 

"Daddy..." she whispers, tears welling in her eyes. The necklace he'd given her nigh a day before breathes with her as well, alongside the plants. "May the Aspects guide your path as they've mine..." 

 

She steps back, sitting in the darkness of her room underneath the tree, deep in thought already. The Veil Druid begins to cry.

[Jygg 330]

Za'Kabar's ears twitch to the nature around him as he walks through the grove. "Someting... Es wronng..." He sits in the grass, crossing his legs. His eyes glow a brighter purple before he closes his eyes. After sometime meditating, he opens his eyes. His ears droop down low. "Vweren.... Nu...."

[The Fact Core 511]

The Zelak retreats into the super secret lair, deep inside the earth. He goes towards a chair as he sits down and sits for an eternity in the same position, staring at the wall in front of him and being a living statue.

[Merkaken 516]

Popo smiles, glad to see one of his friends soon.