A Dedicant Attuned: Enter the Panda Druid

[Song Druid 1486]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V7z3eQvm_w

 

Within the Caliphate Grove of the Oasis, the afternoon begins to gear towards the early reaches of dusk.

 

 

The breeze pulls the long sprouts of grain to and fro in the tended fields of the Druids.

 

 

The Druid of Song stands before his pupil, Riley.  He guides her to the attunement pool, and goes over the rites of Druidism.

 

 

 

 

 "Do you, Riley, agree to uphold the duties and ways of the Druii, to forsake all other commitments for the call of the Aspects?"

 

With a trembling nod, the girl speaks, "I do."

 

"And do you agree to heed the will of the Inner Circle, and serve to better the Order in your endeavors?"

 

"Yes.  I do."

 

"So be it."

 

The Elf begins to sing, a melody that seems to be in a lost language, and closes his eyes outstretching his arms.  As he sings, his voice grows higher and higher, until it becomes an impossibly high shriek, and his eyes open to a blinding white and purple light.  The girl blacks out, slumping backwards into the water.

 

You awake to feel the light warmth of sunlight on your face.  

Yellow beams that slowly come into focus as the haze of your slumber lifts from your head.

Propping yourself up on your hands, you finally gaze about yourself.  You appear to be in a rundown shack.

Nature has reclaimed the once shabby home, dirt replacing the floor, and moss and ivy climbing the walls about you.

As you gaze about you once again you become aware of the sunlight, poking rays through slotted holes in the ceiling.

You can see through the holes, it appears to be a forest, it is filled with trees taller than your vision can reach, or at least what you can see anyways.

It isn't the musty scent of the hut, or the feel of insects squirming beneath your position that jolts you to reality, but the chilling gasp, the sharp intake of breath that only comes from one gravely wounded.

 

Your gaze sweeps about the shack swiftly, but it doesn't take long to zone in on the source of the commotion.  It is your sister, of course it is your sister.  She writhes in pain, blood spilling from her ribs.  It is then that you look down to see yourself covered in blood, and you yourself hold the knife.

You let out an anguishing sob, despair reaching deep into your heart, all the warmth of the sun's rays drawing out of you, leaving behind only a chilling cold.

As difficult it is to think, you burst out of the hut, into the forest.  Searching, frantically, for herbs that could treat the wound.  Surely, such an ancient forest would have something for the pain, something to stop the bleeding....

 

You hear rustling in some bushes to your right, and you follow the sound with frantic eyes.  Most bizarre, a panda bear freezes in its tracks, as if a child caught in the act of doing something particularly naughty.  In its mouth there is a white lotusblossom, a delicate petal sticking from its maw.  After a moment it draws it within as well, chewing quietly, not removing its eyes from you.

White lotusblossom....didn't you once hear Callax talking about its healing powers?  You dart forward, pain overcoming you as you do so, but you ignore it.

You grab a swath of the blossoms and rush back to the hut, where you start mashing it together to make a salve, somehow finding some medical supplies conveniently ready in the decrepit home.

 

You look about to find your sister, but she is nowhere to be found. As you eye the spot where you had seen her lay, you see a clear puddle. You approach it slowly.

As you approach the puddle you begin to hear a whisper, in the back of your mind.  It grows louder the closer you come to the puddle.  You cannot make out what it says, and yet, you know in your heart it is a language older than you can fathom.  You discern the meaning of the chanting, "Welcome, child."  You feel that whatever speaks to you is eons old, echoing of ancient wisdom long lost.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjdi4wFhHvk

 

Fear clutches you as you approach the puddle, and the sound of the voices mounts, louder than it could ever have been.  You see her!  Your sister!  The wound was quite grievous, it appeared to have grown.  You approach, and you see her move in time with you.  Your heart catches in your throat, and you look down to your torso.  Wet blood spills from your side, and your skin is paper white.  Shaking, you fall backwards onto your bottom, reaching with trembling hands for the salve.  Clenching your teeth you begin to apply it to your gut, screaming out in agony as you wrap bandages around yourself.

The effects of the lotusblossom are almost instantaneous.  After a few minutes the pain subsides, and the voices go along with it. You rise to your feet, surprised at how easily you are able to do so.  

 

You make your way outside, and the panda bear catches your eye again.  This time it has the same reaction as before, but instead of gnawing on lotusblossom, it is actually clutching your staff in its arms and trying to eat it through the middle.

Perhaps sensing its wrongdoing, it bashfully approaches, and reaches out with the staff.  You grip the staff in your left hand, and pat the panda with your right.  A river lies to the north, and you look over your body once more, seeing yourself covered in blood and filth.  You venture to the riverside, to wash your face and arms.  As you kneel by the water, the panda playfully shoves you into the water.

For a moment, you lose all sense of direction, but then you see the light of the surface.  You break the surface, and as the world comes into focus, you see the Elder Elf before you with outstretched arms, and your family surrounding you.

 

The Elf grunts, extending her staff.  “Rise, and claim your totem.”

 

Reaching forward breathlessly, she takes the staff, and exclaims, “Panda!”

 

“Welcome Riley, Druid of the Panda!  Blessed be!”

 

 

[Ryn Chirr 224]

(( Great Attunement Arik <3 Thanks for Guiding me

[TeaLulu 1783]

Somewhere in a Grove, Gostabon the Panda gorges himself on oranges.

 

He does not feel a disturbance in the force.

 

He is a panda.

[Elad™ 560]

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