A Fallen Secret

A Fallen Secret

Dedicated to
Warborn, Athro, Ahroun, Garou of the Get of Fenris Tribe
Jarl of the Broken Cage

Plot Twist, the Master of the Rite for the Sept of the Broken Cage, made an announcement seeking volunteers to investigate for something tainted within their Bawn. He did not want to give whatever, or whomever, a chance to pose a threat to their Caern Seed. Many stepped forward, and they were granted the task to find information on where and what it was.

Out for Smokes, took lead, as we began patrolling the Bawn, keeping our senses open to what was around us. As we searched, we found ourselves confronted by mockeries of those we loved or trusted. Many fought, others saw through, and when they turned to spoor, We followed along enough to see a shadowed path before us.

We proceeded to travel down the path with the mists reducing sight and scent to almost nothing. Everyone stayed close and followed after one another, managing to stay together, in spite of all their attempts to lead us astray. We arrived at a narrow valley with bone-white mountains rising up on both sides. Walls riddled in caves and crevices, could pose threats from unseen.

Crossing the valley posed greater dangers than the path we came from. Ghostly arrows rained down from on high, tearing into our spirits. Gouts of green and black flame burst from the ground. Long dead soldiers, fallen to a hated enemy, reached forth to prick us with spears of spite. Finally, however, we finally reached the shelter of a cave at the other end, and as we entered deeper into the cave, we realized we had returned to the Penumbra, for the stone we saw was alive, not gray and dead like the stone of the death-land.

We had discovered a portal to the Shadow Lands, but alas, the Q’yrl we sought was not found.

After reporting back to Plot Twist, Do Your Worst, the Wyrmfoe of the Sept of the Broken Cage, gathered us up once again, to lead us into battle. Returning proved to be easier, as we had already walked the shadowed paths in search of our quarry once before.

The valley we had passed through was deserted this time, but a vaguely familiar scent pulled us up the slope, out of the valley. All of our senses were harried by the dead and rotting hounds, their eyes burning with yellow flame as they snapped at us with burning steel teeth.

However, despite their ferocious energy and seemingly endless numbers, we triumphed quite easily, as the dogs had forgotten what a pack was, and so our tactics gave us the edge we needed.

Finally at the crest of the slope, we see before us a blasted plateau, covered in charred corpses and rusted blades. Two figures can be seen in the distance, blurry in our smoke-hazed vision. The stink burned as we approached, my senses feeling slightly overwhelmed.

Some of us recognized the two figures as we approached them: Lars, called It's A Secret, crouched before a kneeling, bloodied, and beaten Gerald Warborn, Jarl of the Sept of the Broken Cage.

Before anyone could utter a single sound, Lars' clawed and twisted hand plunged into Warborn's chest, withdrawing quickly to pull out Warborn's heart. The feline figure rose to his feet, as our anger and hatred boiled within, and turned to us with a mocking leer.

It was the first time any had personally seen any sliver of shock on Do Your Worst’s face before returning to his normal stoic demeanor. It’s a Secret burst into laughter, shook his head, claiming we had driven him to do this.

Ivory Carved Death moved forward, and just as he was waiting for the signal, he heard Do Your Worst speak. Everyone began to shift.

"Suffer not traitors to live."

Then some charged in, while others stayed back to offer backup. Kun’s Fury, Do Your Worst, Anego-Hada, Seeks the Balance, all lead up the front, exchanging blows with It’s a Secret, puss, bile and rot, spewing from his body. Ivory Carved Death remained at a distance and used Contuit of Pain. Out for Smokes, was stoking our Rage.

Kun’s Fury had entered Kunmind, and It’s a Secret tried to leverage that against the Kunspawn, and make him turn on Anego-Hada, however, his will was strong and Kun’s Fury remained focused on the Fallen Bastet. Each working in tandem to land attacks. It’s a Secret was skillfully dodging most but eventually, his will ran short.

The fight was brutal but swift.

The Fallen Bastet, laying beaten and broken on the ground, Do Your Worst drove his sword through his black heart, It’s a Secret laughed one last time with his final breath, and became still. In this entropic place, his body swiftly rotted, steaming with an overpowering stench.

With it finished, we collected Warborn’s body to return to the Sept.

It was then, smelling that something was not right, that Ivory turned to reflect back in thought. The smell of It’s a Secret was nowhere on Warborn’s body. This was not Lars, at all. Whoever put this together relied on the shared dislike of Lars to chum the waters but good. Ivory wasn't quite sure how it kept Lars' face after the moment of death, but everything it did was designed to drive hate, and disposing of the body the way it did was almost perfect. Whatever that thing was, it almost certainly wasn't Lars.

“This was staged.” Ivory growled.

The stories of the dopplegangers were all rumors for Ivory, this was his first time meeting one. Everyone paused and turned back. Friends on the Other Side, who had been escorting all through the Shadowlands and providing information, searched around in curiosity to see exactly what was going on. She had found a glyph of the Urge Wyrm of Hate.

Symphony of Shadows, commented after some thought, “The Lars fake was one of the banes that Warborn set free. I am not sure it's the only one.”

There were seven of them.

This task, not yet complete, must continue on.

𝐼𝓋𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝒞𝒶𝓇𝓋𝑒𝒹 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽, 𝐼𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒽𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌𝓈, 𝒟𝒾𝓂𝓌𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇
𝒦𝓊𝓃𝓈𝓅𝒶𝓌𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒦𝒶𝓇𝓀𝒽𝒶 𝒯𝓇𝒾𝒷𝑒

Those Whom Took Part
Kun’s Fury, In the Cold Sea, Brightwater, Kunspawn of the Lexcha tribe
Out for Smokes, Athro, Philodox, Garou of the Red Talon Tribe.
Do Your Worst, Athro, Ahroun, Garou of the Shadow Lord Tribe
Warborn, Athro, Ahroun, Garou of the Get of Fenris Tribe, Deceased
There’s No Such Thing As Stupid Answers, Only Stupid Questions, Adren, Ragabash, Garou of the Glass Walker Tribe
Ivory Carved Death, In the Shallows, Dimwater, Kunspawn of the Karkha Tribe
Anego-Hada, Fostern, Philodox, Garou of the Bone Gnawer Tribe
Seeks the Balance, Fostern, Theurge, Garou of the Stargazer Tribe
Speaks for the Dead, Fostern, Galliard, Garou of the Fianna Tribe
Friends on the Other Side, Fostern, Theurge, Garou of the Silent Strider Tribe
Here Nor There, Fostern, Ragabash, Garou of the Stargazer Tribe
Symphony of Shadows, Fostern, Galliard, Garou of the Black Fury Tribe
Robbie Drummond, Kinfolk of the Fianna Tribe
Urge Bane of Hate, as It’s a Secret