"Anger of the River Spirit"

Log Date:
	7/15/02

Log Cast:
	Wakua, Wayfound (emitted by Vardeus), Vardeus, assorted members of
the Vraeyan crew and camp (emitted by Vardeus)

Log Intro:
	[Note: This RP was done while Wakua was on a trial period for her
character with Blue Mountain, and prior to her being approved for her magic.]
	The camp of elves, Olbar humans, and Vraeyan humans under the command
of Vardeus Alirreus has been moving slowly but steadily eastward, ever since
an assault by magically mutated three-headed dogs upon their ranks on the
beach of the Vastdeep Water. It has been with great caution indeed that the
Vraeyans and their companions have edged past Blue Mountain, for Vardeus has
heard from Sianna of the Hoan g'Tay Sho and Wayfound of Lostholt more than
a little something about the Gliders... and about their menacing Lord,
Winnowill. In fact, from Wayfound's testimony, Winnowill herself seems to be
a strong candidate for the creator of the monsters that killed Nefis and 
Markin of the human crew, not to mention Bearheart and Skyflame who had been
visitors to the elves of Briarholt. 
	And for all that it galls Vardeus to have to sneaking past the lair of 
what might be the very shark that brought about the deaths of some of his 
people, the captain of what's left of the _Windrider_'s crew is not anxious
to risk any of those who remain.
	The humans and elves have, by now, made it past Blue Mountain and
reached a junction of two rivers somewhat to the east -- and none of the
lookouts have spotted flying elves, or the great hawks that Sianna and
Wayfound have relayed that they ride. But as it turns out, they are not yet
out of the range of the notice of the Gliders....

----------
TwoRivers Camp(#845RJ)
This clearing has a small campfire circle and is within hearing of the 
  junction of the Forbidden River to the south and Sweetwater River to the 
  west. Faint trails lead north and east. It just might be possible to cross 
  the rivers here, before they merge into the raging Blue River.
The seven stars of Goodtree's Rest begin to come out as the dimming red light 
  of sunset fills the warm spring skies.
Contents:
Vraeyan Camp(#1655AJae)
Glowing embers(#7914V$)
Obvious exits:
Shelter<SE>  Sweetwater Trail <N>  Blue River <W>  Forbidden River<S>  
  Forbidden River Trail<E>

Wakua has arrived.

Vraeyan Camp(#1655AJae)
This is a sizeable camp of approximately two dozen humans -- impossible to 
  miss from afar, regardless of one's race. There are simply too many of the 
  Tall Ones, and they are too noisy as well, to make stealth much of an 
  option. Obvious, too, are the impromptu shelters and cookfires they have 
  created for themselves in this camping place, and the smells of burned wood 
  and sod and cooked food, along with the general aroma of humankind, override 
  any subtler scents in the area. More astute observers, however, might note 
  that the camp is not occupied by humans alone -- for there are the scents of 
  elves here as well, and their smaller footprints intermingle with the bigger 
  ones of the humans on the ground in and around the campsite. For that 
  matter... perhaps most amazingly... the elves in the camp seem to be 
  dwelling here as equals to the Tall Ones, and not as prisoners.
Carrying:
Shelbor's tent
Coralfire's Tent(#1669AJe)
Yellow
Raven's Tent(#6222Je)

Vardeus(#108PXc2)
        Given his round ears and his five-fingered hands, this is clearly a 
  human man... but a distinctly strange-looking one. He stands taller than 
  many human warriors, with broad shoulders and well-muscled arms in 
  proportion to his sturdy frame, and although his face and form are heavily 
  bronzed by the Daystar, he is paler in shade than many of his kind. His eyes 
  are clear and blue as the Vastdeep Water beneath a summer sky. His hair, a 
  warm golden brown bleached yellow on top by the sun, is most often tied into 
  a small tail at the base of his neck. At the moment he is clean-shaven, the 
  strong line of his jaw and the dent in the curve of his chin unhidden by 
  whiskers. He speaks with a rich husky baritone, and in a rolling accent that 
  marks him as not of any known nearby land.
        He is clad in a motley array of garb that does not generally match 
  what a human might usually be expected to wear. Along with an undyed vest of 
  off-white and black pants which, upon close inspection, might be seen to 
  have been recently altered to fit him, he sports a heavy belt of well-oiled, 
  well-worn, metal-studded leather round his waist and leathern sandals on his 
  feet, with broad straps that wind up his calves just short of his knees over 
  the legs of his pants. On his belt, at either side, ride the matched sheaths 
  of a pair of iron daggers. At his right ear gleams a small golden earring, 
  and around his upper left arm, an armband of beaten gold.
                   (+detail Vardeus for further details)                   

Wakua
        Wakua is a tall lithe glider, standing just over 6 foot tall. Her face 
  has a proud regal bearing. Wakua's skin is as pale as freshly fallen snow 
  and is encircled by a crown of black hair. It looks like it took hours for 
  the humans that braid her hair to do it, but what are hours to her. Her lips 
  are as pale as her skin and of medium fullness, and are often found in an 
  impish smile, but it can change to an icy glare at a moment's notice. Her 
  bosom is medium as her hips are slightly wider then her waist, giving her a 
  slight hourglass figure. Wakua's legs are long and sleek although lacking 
  the muscle that shows any extended use of them.
         Wakua is dressed in a flowing dress that accents her best physical 
  features. It's is a dark blue with silver edges. It hugs her curves tightly 
  and tapers of at her ankles to a tangle of silver strips. The dress is long 
  sleeved and the wrists of the dress are like the bottom. The collar of the 
  dress is lined with white fox fur and is cut low. She has a silver choker 
  with a blood red ruby hanging down from it.

Wakua is floating just below the canopy of the trees as she has gained 
  permission to explore around the Blue Mountain, but she is armed with a 
  spear as she has been informed that the world is even more dangerous then 
  before she slept. Wakua remembers her training with her long dead father and 
  tries to stay at hidden as she can. She is in a modified dress what is form 
  fitting, just like the Chosen would wear, but different.

Who can say how much the lay of the land changes over the passing of millenia? 
  Gliders, perhaps, many of whom have had millenia to live. But not the 
  inhabitants of the sizeable camp currently ensconsed at the junction of 
  these two rivers -- for no human could hope to know of such things, and even 
  the oldest of the elves in the group have but a few hundred years of age to 
  claim, while the youngest is scarcely into her adulthood.
That youngest elf, the Wolfrider Wayfound, is on the edge of the river tonight 
  as the sunset draws nigh, her breeches rolled up and a spear clutched in her 
  slender hands as she scans the waters flowing past her for prey. She is an 
  incongruous companion for the sturdy human man with sunbleached hair, who's 
  watching her fish, and the call and response of their conversation makes for 
  an odd duet of gravelly, rumbling baritone and high solemn soprano.
"Perhaps if we have time, Vardeus, we might acquire the means to carry out 
  some of the alternate forms of fishing you have described?"
"I dinnae know, Wayfound-lass; if we'd thought on't back on the beach, Id'hae 
  maybe said aye, but we're after needin' t' keep movin'. We'll see, when we 
  get t' where Xhosa's people're livin'."

Wakua pauses as she comes on to the camp and looks down with a frown on her 
  face. Short elves and humans. Winnowill had warned her about them, but Wakua 
  is very curious about that. Not knowing how to approach them she gildes over 
  them as silent as a breeze. She looks at them from above and just studies 
  them. Wakua remember being that short once, but it didn't last very long, 
  only about a century or so.

Short elves, indeed -- and more than one of them, if a scan of the immediate 
  area is any indication. The blonde elf in the water is the one in obvious 
  sight, but another one with dark hair can be seen crossing the camp across 
  the way, calling out something in an unintelligible babble that seems to be 
  a language these humans understand. But the vast majority of those in sight, 
  going about their evening tasks, sharing a meal, and in one or two cases 
  singing, are humans. A strange thing indeed -- humans and elves, existing in 
  the same camp, in apparent peace?
Certainly there seems to be no hostility between the Wolfrider and the human 
  man on the riverbank. Wayfound can be seen to incline her head to the human, 
  while she stabs downward with a graceful, lethal strike, and comes up with a 
  flapping fish on the end of her weapon. "Fallberry," she calls out, "here, 
  if you please, and come to wrap this and take it to Arnos!"
/Fallberry come, findaway highting! Fallberry d--eeeee! Looklooklook, is 
  flyhighthing!/
Neither the human nor the elf chance to look up to see the Glider coming -- 
  but the small purple Preserver, a creature of the air, sees Wakua's curious 
  approach, and it is the cry of the Preserver that alerts those below. Two 
  pairs of eyes, ambergreen elfin and ocean-blue human, shoot upward.

Wakua just watches the scene below with curiousity and wonderment, so much 
  activity. Like ants almost. She looks at the bug and tries to shoo it away 
  and puts her finger to her mouth to try to quiet it. Wakua frowns and tries 
  to whap the perserve with the spear as it cries out, "Shut up you horrid 
  little bug!" Wakua never liked perservers before she slept and she doesn't 
  like them now. She looks down and smoothes her features over to a slight 
  smile, ** Greetings. ** Wakua slowly glides down and pauses a foot above the 
  ground.

Vardeus draws in a shocked breath at the sight of the she-elf descending; oh, 
  aye, Kephissa had told of laying eyes upon the Glider that had been 
  travelling with Xhosa, and Wayfound has told her own tales of Blue Mountain, 
  but to be told is one thing. To _see_ an elf descend from the very air is 
  something else entirely, and it takes Vardeus a moment to gather in his 
  composure and call out in his broadly accented elfin, "Ach -- good evenin', 
  then, can we help ye?"
Wayfound, by contrast, can be seen to give the newcomer a look of 
  consternation before she too draws in a breath and straightens up to her 
  full, albeit small, height. Her sending is rough, as if she is quite out of 
  practice, but it nevertheless rises up: ** Greetings to you, as well. ** 
  Aloud, she adds to her companion, "She sends, Vardeus."

Wakua ignores the human and focuses on Wayfound. ** I am Wakua from the Blue 
  Mountain child. I am just explore the world as I had just woken up from a 
  long sleep. ** Winnowill also told her about how humans should worship the 
  true children of the High Ones, "Of course I send child, but I can speak 
  also...for the humans." Wakua smiles impishly as she continues to hang in 
  midair.

This isn't the first time Vardeus has been ignored by elves -- he got more 
  than one cold shoulder from the Raft Tribe, after all. Seeing this stranger 
  deliberately ignore him, the Captain does not exactly scowl, but his brows 
  wing in low over his blue eyes and he studies Wakua intently now, watching 
  her as she floats. What awe had arisen in his rugged countenance -- and 
  there was definitely awe there at the sight of her floating -- subsides, 
  though it does not entirely vanish beneath the more wary expression he wears 
  now.
Wakua may send or not as she likes, and ignore the Captain as she likes, but 
  Wayfound will not leave her large friend out of the conversation entirely. 
  Opting to speak out loud, and with as much dignity as she can muster while 
  she's standing calf-deep in river water with a fish flapping on her 
  spear-head, Wayfound says politely, "I am Wayfound of Lostholt, once of 
  Willowholt; this is Vardeus Alirreus, chief of most of the humans with whom 
  I am travelling."
"'Ello," the human puts in, gruffly, with just a hint of an ironic drawl.

Wakua ahs and nods, "Nice to meet you Wayfound of the LostHolt, once of 
  Willowholt." The elves have gotten shorter but their names longer. "And 
  where are you traveling to if I might ask. Where is this Lostholt of yours? 
  Is it far away." She coughs a little, ** Child could you fetch me some water 
  and fruit. Speaking after so long in silence is taxing for me. ** Wakua 
  looks at the human, "And where do you come from Vardeus Alirreus?" She tried 
  to ignore the smell as the wind shifted and her nose wrinked a little.

The Preserver mutters to itself, /Hrmph. Upstucknose flyhighthing! Fallberry 
  remember flyhighthings in rockplace! Fallberry no--/
"Fallberry," Wayfound admonishes it, "that will do. Come with me, if you 
  please."
The Preserver sulks, but flits down to alight upon the little elf's shoulder, 
  as Wayfound then props her spear over the other. "I believe we have fruit in 
  our provisions," says she. "Excuse me, if you will, and I will fetch 
  something for you." As she wades out of the water and strides off Vardeus 
  shoots her a silent look, brows uplifted, and receives as his reply a steady 
  nod. An assurance of 'it'll be all right for the moment', perhaps. As she 
  heads over to the main body of the camp one or two calls rise up from 
  within, as the activity at the riverbank is noted by the others.
Vardeus is left to focus his attention upon the new elf, thinking dryly to 
  himself that perhaps she can be convinced to talk to the likes of him after 
  all. "Not o' this land ye elves live in," is his immediate answer to her 
  question. "Ye'd nae know me home, from what Wayfound's told me."

Wakua smiles and nods to Wayfound, ** Thank you child. ** She looks back at 
  the human, "Don't tell me what I know and don't know human. As far as I am 
  concerned you should be thankful I am in a good mood and not put this spear 
  in your heart." Wakua glares at the human and has very little love for the 
  murderers.

All traces of friendliness leave Vardeus' face now, and while his face does 
  not convey hatred, it certainly turns stony at such a blunt threat. Color 
  rises up beneath his tan, a flush of anger that he seems to need a moment or 
  two of effort to repress. "I'll overlook that," he retorts, "on th' grounds 
  that I ken yer kind's had hurt dealt ye by th' likes o' me. And I'll tell ye 
  once an' true, me an' mine, we're nae out t' fight wi' ye elves. If ye've 
  come in peace, we'll share our food wi' ye, but if ye're here t' pick a 
  fight, I've far better things t' be doin' wi' me time."
His last few words, and the cold carrying tone of his voice, comes easily back 
  to Wayfound as the Wolfrider steps back out of the main body of the camp, 
  the Preserver gone, her spear and fish traded off for a waterskin and a 
  small cloth bundle of dried berries. She does not come back closer, not 
  quite yet, her keen gaze shooting from Glider to human Captain and back 
  again.

Wakua nods, "That's good that you are not looking for a fight human. You would 
  surely lose. I have come to explore and see how this world has changed since 
  I was last in it." She smoothes over her features again and looks over 
  Vardeus again. "You are not like those humans that I know." The humans that 
  killed her grandmother, "I don't trust you human, like these children do, 
  but if you show me worhip like you should I will put you under the 
  protection of the spirits."

Vardeus could argue about how a fight between himself and this she-elf would 
  go -- but as he's said, he's got far better things to be doing with his 
  time, and it's fruitless to argue who could win a hypothetical fight, at 
  least in a situation where a real one could, to his mind, break out without 
  much effort if he is not careful. "Dinnae expect ye to trust me," he replies 
  evenly. "Ye dinnae know me." He has to choke back a startled little cough, 
  though, at her latter words. "And... ah... what was that last ye said, then? 
  Me elf words, they're nae quite perfect." She _really_ didn't just bid him 
  to worship her, did she?
Wayfound, her expression absolutely neutral, deems that apparently violence 
  will not ensue after all, and steps forward to join Vardeus and the newcomer 
  once again. "The berries are dried, I must note, but they were a parting 
  gift from a treeshaper several days ago and are infused with her magic. The 
  water is fresh. Be welcome to it; there's a spring not far to the north of 
  here, should you require a source of further fresh running water." With this 
  return, she offers up the cloth bearing dried berries, and a leathern 
  waterskin, stamped with a stylized pair of fish.

Wakua smiles at Wayfound, ** Thank you child. ** She takes the skin of water 
  and berries from the elf. Wakua nods to Wayfound as she can feel the magic 
  in the berries and pops them into her mouth. She uses her magic to check the 
  water and purify it of any poisons or impurities before she takes a drink of 
  it. Wakua doesn't wish to devluge her talents just yet, "Your human and I 
  were just talking about him worshiping me and I giving him the blessing of 
  the bird spirits."

"((That's what I _thought_ she said,))" Vardeus mutters in his own language, a 
  hint of color lingering under his tan now -- but this time from a burst of 
  embarrassment as he thinks furiously as to how sidestep this Wakua's 
  expectations. Ocean-blue eyes flash another swift glance down to the 
  Wolfrider over whom he towers, relaying a fairly obvious unspoken message: 
  help me out here, short one.
As for Wayfound, her white-gold brows rise up, but that is the only alteration 
  to her otherwise absolutely bland expression. "Indeed," is all she says for 
  a moment, as she catches that look of Vardeus'. "Ah... well. Given that I 
  believe Vardeus already has ((gods)) for those things he holds sacred, that 
  might cause a conflict for him--"
"Aye," the human agrees, wrestling back his consternation. "I, ah, got me own 
  ((gods)), lass. No disrespect meant." And for all that the point-blank 
  insistence upon being worshipped has thrown him for a loop, he *does* look 
  more or less earnest about that last.

Wakua chuckles a little, "Oh really. Perhaps a demonstation of the powers of 
  the spirits will help to show you whom the true ruler of this land is? 
  Whomever your gods are cannont help you here." She tried not to laugh. 
  Winnowill was right. Human were fun." She looks at Vardeus and floats closer 
  to him, "Surely your gods could match what I can do."

Ach, well then; moving from outright threats to baiting of the round-ears, are 
  we? There's a flash of what might be a bit of superstitious awe in Vardeus' 
  azure eyes for a moment -- it's obvious the man isn't exactly accustomed to 
  people floating around him. For that matter, the calls of some of the voices 
  in the camp behind him suggest that Wakua has been spotted by the humans he 
  leads; no one actually comes up to intrude on the conversation, but several 
  curious faces can be spotted looking towards the river from the campsite 
  now, and one gangly human boy who obviously hasn't reached his full growth 
  is outright gaping. Vardeus, however, isn't about to get into a debate on 
  his deities with someone who is an unknown quantity. "I ken ye elves have... 
  great gifts," he begins, his baritone coming out slightly strangled, "and I 
  dinnae wish t' argue whose land is whose--"
"And besides," Wayfound notes, coming to Vardeus' rescue without batting an 
  eye for all that her high solemn voice maintains absolute politeness, "you 
  should know, Wakua, that I have already spoken with Vardeus about my own 
  experiences with Blue Mountain, and the experiences many of my tribesmates 
  have had with your people."

Wakua floats back to were she was before and smiles at all the humans. She 
  ignores the child and smiles as she gets a bigger audience. "Behold humans! 
  I am the water spirit of this land and I command you to worship me!" Wakua 
  raises her hands above her head and looks right at Vardeus, "See the powers 
  of the true gods." The some of the water from the Forbidden river to the 
  south of the camp suddenly changes course right towards Wakua and engulfs 
  her rising high into a water spout. "Worship me human"

"((Skyfather's baubles!))" "((Seamother's shells is more like it!))" These and 
  other cries rise up from the camp, and now a good dozen adult humans can be 
  spotted, along with the wide-eyed, gaping youth. It's that last who calls 
  out, startledly, in elfin, "What is she, Cap'n?"
"((Captain?))" _This_ is from a woman with red hair and green eyes, who steps 
  out ahead of the rest and pins Wakua and her impressive display with a 
  clear, hard stare -- but she, like Vardeus, might be noted to have a hint of 
  discomfiture underneath her mask of composure.
"((Everybody stay _back!_))" Vardeus barks out in his own language, whirling 
  around a moment to gesture sharply at his crew -- and the two elves that can 
  be spotted peeking out through the larger forms of the humans, too. "((Keep 
  'em back, Tiana!))"

Wakua glares at the humans through the water spout, "I am a mighty water 
  spirit and all of you that do not wish for me to be angry with you. You will 
  pack up and go back to the Hoan village. You will stay there and worship the 
  bird spirits. For the water and the air are connected. Do this or you shall 
  have the very water ripped from your bodies and your bones will be ground 
  into dust." Wakau tried very hard not to double over with laughter as she 
  kep the water spout going.

Thanks to the combined diligent efforts of Wayfound and Arnos, there's not an 
  adult Vraeyan left on Vardeus' crew who doesn't more or less get the gist of 
  the ringing speech the Glider delivers to them all, pealing like a bell over 
  their rougher, coarser voices. One woman, extremely pregnant, can be heard 
  letting out a panicked-sounding cry before two of the crew hastily pull her 
  back again, muttering to her urgently. The woman Vardeus has addressed as 
  Tiana, by contrast, bears about her an aura of calm command that plays a 
  cold counterpart to the fire that's sprung up in the eyes of Vardeus.
And as for Wayfound, well -- she too whirls upon the humans and calls out, "Do 
  not let yourselves be easily swayed, my friends! I beg you to remember what 
  I have told you -- and if you do not trust my words alone, then trust those 
  of Sianna of the Hoan g'Tay Sho!"
Vardeus gestures _her_ back, too, though, saying swiftly sidelong to the 
  little Wolfrider, "This is f'r me, Wayfound -- it's me people she's tryin' 
  t' steal." Then he shoots back over his shoulder, switching languages again, 
  and thundering an order that brings bows into the hands of Tiana, another 
  woman who looks enough like her to be kin, and three more of the crew out in 
  the forefront of the press of humans in sight. And once again, back to 
  elfin, as he lifts up his gaze and eyes Wakua squarely. "We dinnae want t' 
  fight with ye and I meant it," he proclaims. "We ken ye've got great power, 
  and we'll nae stay t' disturb ye in yer own land. We just want t' get t' 
  where we're goin', in peace. But if it's slaves an' worship ye're after -- 
  ((draw bows!))" Behind him, his crew knocks arrows to their bows. "Then 
  we'll fight t' keep our freedom."

Wakua grins at Wayfound, "Do not listen to the shorter elf. They are full of 
  evil and it stunts their size. Whom do you look like the most? I or the 
  short demons befor you? They are tricking you humans, leading you away from 
  paradice and to your death. They plan to kill and feast upon your flesh. 
  Them and their wolves." When the bows are draws the waterspout grows bigger. 
  Oh you stupid humans you have done it now. Wakua was having fun and wasn't 
  going to hurt anyone. It was just a little display of power, "You dare draw 
  arrows on me." Like the water this elf controls she is very tempermental. 
  "Fools!" Wakua screams out as the waterspout shoot towards the entire group 
  of humans and Wakua glides back out of the range of the arrows.

Well, what can you do when an unfamiliar she-elf commands you to worship her, 
  and seems to have power over the one thing that just under two dozen sailors 
  respect with the very marrow of their beings? No one has fired anything yet, 
  mind you -- the Vraeyans don't want to fight, and they apparently mean it. 
  But then, nobody has the chance to fire, either. The water rises up, 
  slamming hard into the Wolfrider and the human captain, knocking them both 
  off their feet before surging back towards Tiana, Kephissa, and Torgan; 
  behind the archers, the scream of the pregnant woman rises up in a piercing 
  wail, and with it comes the higher shriek of a frightened baby. One of the 
  elves grabs the little human, and runs for all he's worth out of the way of 
  the water, while someone else screams, "((Get Altis out o' the way!))"

Wakua continues to let the water flow over the camp and finds Vardeus. She 
  uses her magic to draw him out of the water, upside down. Wakua lifts him up 
  to her eye level, "Human. I gave you a fair chance to worship me. Now you 
  will die unless you return to the Hoan." Wakua drops Vardeus in the water 
  and brings her hands together. The two rivers surge right over the camp and 
  join together. Wakua laughs evilly and picking up her spear out of the air 
  she flies off back to Blue Mountain to inform her Lord of her little 
  incident.

The Captain splutters, gasping for air as he's pulled by unseen force up out 
  of the suddenly mobile river, and he has barely enough breath to mumble out 
  in his own tongue, "((Bite me arse))" before he is slammed downward again, 
  and hard. As the water surges up over the camp and the Glider takes to the 
  air, screaming Vraeyan voices are left in her wake -- and one now bedraggled 
  red-haired human woman wrestles through the flood, her voice rising up above 
  the others:
"Vardeus! _VARDEUS!_"

[End log.]