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erasmus [2010/06/06 23:52] – thferasmus [2017/05/27 18:56] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-====== **Erasmus Brokenstripe** ======+====== Erasmus Brokenstripe ======
  
 Agerzam of the Brokenstripe Pride stared at the cluster of claws. Shiny, black, razor-pointed … each hung from a leather cord, and dangled tiredly from the tip of the weathered, cracked cactus wood staff resting across his lap. The staff was a symbol of his power and position in the Pride. Power. Position. Ironic, those, given the catastrophe they now faced. Agerzam of the Brokenstripe Pride stared at the cluster of claws. Shiny, black, razor-pointed … each hung from a leather cord, and dangled tiredly from the tip of the weathered, cracked cactus wood staff resting across his lap. The staff was a symbol of his power and position in the Pride. Power. Position. Ironic, those, given the catastrophe they now faced.
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 His distantly leonine features should have lent his face a certain softness. Instead, the barely-noticeable fur on his cheeks was patched and ragged, and his slightly slanted eyes were yellowed and tight. His distantly leonine features should have lent his face a certain softness. Instead, the barely-noticeable fur on his cheeks was patched and ragged, and his slightly slanted eyes were yellowed and tight.
  
-Agerzam looked across the fire at what was left of the Pride. Lemtuna, his mate, was sitting next to Erasmus, their last surviving son; her hand covered his. She didn't bother murmuring words of false comfort. She knew this wasn't the time. She always knew. They'd lost all three of their other young in the past year. Two to a wolfpack. One to the Clench, the same illness that had taken Thiyya, Erasmus' mate, last night. In the end, every one of her muscles had pulled in with such force, her teeth had shattered. As she broke, so to did Erasmus. His spirit, anyway. She'd mustered enough will to grunt a few words, at the end, so Agerzam could record her final wishes in his shaman's book. "Protect my family." At least, that's what it sounded like to Agerzam. Breaking that promise had hurt terribly.+Agerzam looked across the fire at what was left of the Pride. Lemtuna, his mate, was sitting next to Erasmus, their last surviving son; her hand covered his. She didn't bother murmuring words of false comfort. She knew this wasn't the time. She always knew. They'd lost all three of their other young in the past year. Two to a wolfpack. One to the Clench, the same illness that had taken Thiyya, Erasmus' mate, last night. In the end, every one of her muscles had pulled in with such force, her teeth had shattered. As she broke, so to did Erasmus. His spirit, anyway. She'd mustered enough will to grunt a few words, at the end, so Agerzam could record her final wishes in his shaman's book((Every Pride shaman keeps a battered red leather book, in which he or she records the dying wishes of the Pride members. Sometimes the Shaman would leave the Pride briefly to accomplish the task, though most requests were simple -- delivering a message, paying off a debt, distributing possessions and the like.)). "Protect my family." At least, that's what it sounded like to Agerzam. Breaking that promise had hurt terribly.
  
-Come morning, Brokenstripe Pride was down to a grand total of three members. Thiyya's sister, uncle and father had run off during the night. Agerzam fingered the claws bearing their names, still hanging from the staff. Twelve claws hung there, one for each of the Pride that had started out two years ago when Thiyya's family and a pair of sisters from the northern prides had joined them during The Flowering.+Come morning, Brokenstripe Pride was down to a grand total of three members. Thiyya's sister, uncle and father had run off during the night. Agerzam fingered the claws bearing their names, still hanging from the staff. Twelve claws hung there, one for each of the Pride((Shifters are born with a single vestigial claw on the left wrist. A swirled pattern of darkened ridges on the claw is translated into the newborn's name by selecting the idiogram it most closely resembles, and the claw is carried by the Pride member for the rest of his or her life. The Shaman of the clan keeps the claw on the staff symbol of leadership until the Pride member leaves or dies.)) that had started out two years ago when Thiyya's family and a pair of sisters from the northern prides had joined them during The Flowering.
  
 Two years. Nine lost. Catastrophe wasn't the word. Power and position as Pride Shaman? It didn't seem to have counted for much. The next Flowering was just six months off. Every Pride within a month's walk would gather to trade goods, tales, and to break apart a few Prides and knit them back together. Finding a mate was hard, as they rarely saw other Prides out in the wild, but the Flowering was more than a market for cleverly-carved totems. True, fewer and fewer seemed to gather every other dry season, and none would dare join him now that he'd lost nearly everyone. But Agerzam knew what to do now. Finally. He would give up his staff, his shamanship, and combine Brokenstripe into another Pride. Perhaps the Tufts. They were strong. And kind enough to share directions to one of the few oases still showing signs of life on the eastern edge of the wild. Two years. Nine lost. Catastrophe wasn't the word. Power and position as Pride Shaman? It didn't seem to have counted for much. The next Flowering was just six months off. Every Pride within a month's walk would gather to trade goods, tales, and to break apart a few Prides and knit them back together. Finding a mate was hard, as they rarely saw other Prides out in the wild, but the Flowering was more than a market for cleverly-carved totems. True, fewer and fewer seemed to gather every other dry season, and none would dare join him now that he'd lost nearly everyone. But Agerzam knew what to do now. Finally. He would give up his staff, his shamanship, and combine Brokenstripe into another Pride. Perhaps the Tufts. They were strong. And kind enough to share directions to one of the few oases still showing signs of life on the eastern edge of the wild.
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 Humans, elves and even stranger creatures ... they bonded together without being part of the same Pride. They allied themselves with powerful creatures who could shield them from harm and cure their illnesses. The Prides lacked this strength. Humans, elves and even stranger creatures ... they bonded together without being part of the same Pride. They allied themselves with powerful creatures who could shield them from harm and cure their illnesses. The Prides lacked this strength.
  
-He left the wild behind. Over the next year, Erasmus joined every faith and cult that would have him. He learned their ways, sought their divine solace, and pledged to them his allegiance. He saw no conflict in promising himself to dozens. He would build a new Pride that was strong enough to survive anything and, in time, would seek out his father and mother to return them to the fold.+He left the wild behind. Over the next year, Erasmus joined every faith and cult that would have him((Erathis, Pelor, Melora, Ehlonna, Heironeous, Obad-Hai, St. Cuthbert, Fharlanghn and even Bane)). He learned their ways, sought their divine solace, and pledged to them his allegiance. He saw no conflict in promising himself to dozens. He would build a new Pride that was strong enough to survive anything and, in time, would seek out his father and mother to return them to the fold.
  
 His fierce instinct to protect his new Pride is inbred. After taking tutelage in several religions, he expanded the boundary of his new Pride to include the entire Lost Kingdom and joined the militia. He broke his cactus staff in two and fashioned a proper weapon ... a flail ... from the pieces. His crossbow skills remain sharp. His fierce instinct to protect his new Pride is inbred. After taking tutelage in several religions, he expanded the boundary of his new Pride to include the entire Lost Kingdom and joined the militia. He broke his cactus staff in two and fashioned a proper weapon ... a flail ... from the pieces. His crossbow skills remain sharp.
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 As the game starts, Erasmus Brokenstripe is transferring yet again to a new garrison, in seek of a new group of friends to add to his Pride. As the game starts, Erasmus Brokenstripe is transferring yet again to a new garrison, in seek of a new group of friends to add to his Pride.
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erasmus.1275886369.txt.gz · Last modified: 2017/05/27 18:41 (external edit)