ReusableSword

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

@Zeroth how big are these beetles?

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Night
Location: the ceremony at lovers lake
Interactions: @Tae Mina
Mentions in order:@Lava Alckon Farim @Infinite Cosmos Munir @princess Ana @Helo Callum
outfit: plaid kilt in his family colors, wearing a snow bear skull headdress/ mask, bones of the bear down his arms back and rib cage, body paint in the form of runes, no shirt or shoes.

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Drums, horns, string instruments, many people from all walks of life near and far dancing barefoot around a fire. The songs of old sung by two on a raised platform, their voices traveling on the air to be heard by all those around them, echoing through the forest despite the cacophony of other sounds around them. The guards posted around the fire quietly translated what was being said in their old language to the common toung, something they would do for every song except the last song.

The two on the stage sang together, danced together, enter twined seemingly naturally as if it was well practiced and versed beforehand. Their forms, both strange and familiar, glimmered in the heat of the fire behind them, their movements mirrored one another as if they were of the same soul. The song continued growing in each verse, painting a scene of birth and life, of new beginnings and growth. These songs were meant to encourage the listener to help them grow and the next song to help them heal.

The song slowly ended the singers slowly stopping their dance to bow to one another with roman turning to the crowd. Roman didn’t look the same as he normally did in these moments on this stage. His posture was different, his voice was growing an odd accent more accustomed to someone from the city, even his body language began to feel off. Gone was the welcoming friendly open nature he normally carried, replaced by a posture that shouted military nobility more than anything. He spoke again as the instruments died down and they began their next song, “Our mortal lives are short and filled with terror and darkness, our gods bring us life, they weave our lives together so we may make our own path in it. A path we walk built by those that came before us so we may continue to build that path for our kin to continue the path after us.” Roman if one could even say he was roman now stepped forward towards the crowd and continued to speak.

“In that darkness we suffer, a darkness that may just as well follow us through our lives. Yet we find healing with the gods, with the earth, with each other. We have stepped through one song of birth of growth, of new beginnings. We step into the next song with the memories of what haunts us from things that have harmed us and the things we have harmed. To heal from wounds no one else can see but you and the gods. It is time for us all to shed that weight as it binds us no longer.” He took a step back, picked up a hand drum and began to play.

Mina chanting and dancing with him in a haunting manner that spoke of understanding from her. Continuing the dance just as before, each one is a little different from the last.

It was strange for roman to hear himself talk and sing like this almost like he had taken a back seat to the performance that himself and mina were putting on. Almost like a fading echo, even his vision was slowly growing dark.

wardruna lyfjaberg

Roman's Bad Trip

With a start Roman woke, he was sitting in their family library in front of the hearth that warmed the room. It took him only a moment to see that he was home. In that moment he noticed he was dressed rather comfortably with his favorite book resting in his lap. A lone figure sat next to him quietly reading to herself, one he recognized as one of his sisters, but he wasn't quite sure who.
“I apologize I must have dozed off, were we talking about something sister?”
The girl didn’t pry herself from the book and roman couldn’t quite see her face but who else could be in his home other than his family?
“No brother, you haven’t been home in some time you were beginning to make us worry if you would ever find your way back.”
The voice was hauntingly familiar, but he wasn’t quite sure why he thought so.
“I was having a strange dream of singing at a ritual just like father has done before except I was singing with Mina blackwood.”
The girl still barely moved, not even the slight rising of her chest could be seen to indicate she was breathing at all.
“That sounds like a wonderful dream brother, if only I could dream like that. But all I have are these books now.”
Roman sat his book down next to him and looked over at the girl, a draft of cold air washed over him as he remembered that voice he hadn’t heard in a long time.
"Iduna? it can’t be."
The girl still didn’t shift or move in her seat, but the room slowly grew colder and darker.
“Why can’t it be Roman? Could it have been because you let me die? Because you got us killed?”
Roman was taken aback by this anger, he didn’t know he had boiled up in him as he remembered that night, as he remembered holding her in his arms as she passed on. The warmth of the room vanished with his rising temper.
“that’s not fair and we both know that I did everything I could to get to you.”
He began to reach for the girl to force her to look at him.
“You still weren’t fast enough for them or anyone else. You weren’t strong enough.”
Roman tried to grasp her and her chair but fell through them suddenly, finding himself falling through an old cottage door and into a town square. He remembered this place.
“What is this?! This place... it can’t be.”
His sister held his hand and pulled him into the middle of the town, villagers young and old went about their day-to-day activities.
“Why do you say that brother?”
His anger continued until it turned to horror looking down at her.

Trigger Warning: Mild Blood, Description of bodily injury

Iduna’s body was twisted in unnatural and fatal ways, clearly been crushed by some heavy equipment with half of her face torn away reveling the muscle and bone beneath, but still looking up at him as if nothing was wrong.
“Because I destroyed this place, I killed everyone… I-I lost control.”

The village flashed to devastation smoke and fire rolled from the houses, blood and corpses pooled in the streets. A scream caught his attention from another house only for him to spot a bewildered Erik and some of his men looking at him. It took him only a moment to realize they weren’t looking at him but through him. Turning to follow their eyesight he was met with his greatest fear… losing control.

He saw himself stepping out of a doorway covered in blood and grime. His hair slicked back and dripping red with that wicked smile plastered on his face and the look of pure evil in his eyes. Those yellow eyes, the ones that haunt him in the mirror, lurking in the shadows of his mind, the ones that torture him in his dreams. Its soul might be locked away in his necklace that he instinctively reached for, but its will will always be one step away from coming to the surface and taking over once again.

He could hear whispers from his men, the fear in their shaky words as they described Roman in this state in the only way they could, “The Red Wake.”

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Agar

// Have we gone too deep? >> that's a weird dog //

The rabbit ran from its hiding place like he expected it to do a momentary movement from the large bird above then the large snub nose alligator made its move. With the speed of an ambush predator it intercepted the rabbit with a snarl. The beast thrashed its prey in its maw while the small group ahead of him seemed to scamper off further into the brush. The way the creature swallowed the poor bunny reminded him of some sort of nature documentary he saw about comodo dragons with his kids.

The memory and emotions were quickly squashed and pushed aside while he continued to watch the beast slam itself down to quiet the quivering in its maw. This beast was fast maybe poor stamina though with it being a reptile in a cold place would explain the ambush tactics but he didn’t have the time to continue his train of thought he just had to find a different patch to search then.

For a moment he looked back up to the bird in the tree shifting himself just slightly enough that it would see him. Locking eyes with the bird for a moment in silent acknowledgement of each other then back to the weird gator. It was further away from the tree but he knew time wasn’t on his side and he did not wish to get stuck out here in the dark. Attacking the thing was an option but not a very good one in his opinion.

Instead he chose to use his new Muffle I skill to harvest the Red Cream mushrooms. Once he had picked them Agar decided that he was a bit more eager to explore then tempt unnecessarily dangerous situations and continue his search for the turtle shell mushrooms in another portion of the forest. Moving with the same carful steps and movement as he has done to get to this location, the runt back tracked for a few steps then headed into another portion of the deep forest.

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@Zeroth

stats and things

<< Current Quest: Fulfill Duties within the Tribe (0/2 Minimum)
Tribe Tasks: find turtle shell mushroom x5
Inventory: loincloth, sharp rock, Wooden Spear, Hide pouch, sharp Tatzelwurm claw, Tatzel Venom Gland x1, Harpy Screech Valve x1, Harpy Talon x1, cooked/partially cooked Harpy Meat, 7 lbs, Powdered Weak Tatzel Venom x1
Skills: Ingestion, Field Scan II, Blunt Resistance I, Muffle I,
Location: heading back out into the forest > strange creatures and dark forests
Inventory used (for current post):

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

@Zeroth defiantly a bit slower story then last time but i am still enjoying this, your a good story teller.

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Agar

// we must go deeper >> Have we gone too deep? //

Agar took a cautious moment to go over what he was seeing in front of him and go over the new notifications he received. There was plenty of information being gained and so far, it seemed his presence was going unnoticed. The muffle skill and level up were a good addition to his growing skill set and now he knew that he could level up his skills with the experience he gained from using them. His next line of questioning was if he could acquire more skills without having empty skill slots. He decided against the thought of improving his health and mana for now, he could only assume that they would get a slight increase when he leveled up.

Thinking to himself knowing he still had the harpy meat for dinner it was probably best to keep expanding his skills and work into them as he went. Thinking to himself he made his decision on the level up choices, “system I choose empty skill slot.” With that decision out of the way he could now focus on what he wanted to do next. Striking the rabbit was an impulse thought but he had to be careful, something big was moving through the forest tracking another group that seemed to be goblin-like. It was stealthy and obviously some sort of ambush predator that even the bird from up above seemed to try and hide away from. The important part was there were plenty of mushrooms around out here.

A few of them seemed to be the ones he was looking for. The rabbit could wait for now, what he wanted to see was how that big creature responded to the others being aware of its presence. He could try to startle the rabbit, but he was likely going to do that anyway, he did notice the nearby tree and turtle shells he could escape too if he had to escape something. He had the screech valve but that would give away his position and he didn’t want to lose his spear or sharp rock. He had to find something on the ground, which was heavy enough, either a stone or heavy stick.

Agar moved quietly and carefully, Finding an old heavy and slightly rotting stick in the duff of pine needles and duff on the ground. Carefully he picked it up and held it in his hand for a moment while still crouched. He felt its weight in his hand for a few moments longer going through his plan one more time as he eyed the figures in the distance, the big alligator, and his two escape routes. He positioned himself behind the bush with a clear view of his escape routes and target, knowing that his sudden movements will probably startle the rabbit, but it would just be another distraction… assuming it ran.

Time for some action he thought to himself, eyeing a break in the tree branches where his branch would make it through. Agar in one swift motion hefted in an overarm arching throw launched the broken tree branch over his head and aimed it at the general location of the alligator ox. Ducking quickly back down to a position where he could sprint either to the tree with the branches and climb or back the way he came while also getting a good look at how everything responded if it did.

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@Zeroth

stats and things

<< Current Quest: Fulfill Duties within the Tribe (0/2 Minimum)
Tribe Tasks: find turtle shell mushroom x5
Inventory: loincloth, sharp rock, Wooden Spear, Hide pouch, sharp Tatzelwurm claw, Tatzel Venom Gland x1, Harpy Screech Valve x1, Harpy Talon x1, cooked/partially cooked Harpy Meat, 7 lbs, Powdered Weak Tatzel Venom x1
Skills: Ingestion, Field Scan II, Blunt Resistance I, Muffle I,
Location: heading back out into the forest > strange creatures and dark forests
Inventory used (for current post):

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

ok im working on a post but the holiday season has me busy

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

@Rune_Alchemist take your time this story telling is a fun hobby but you got to do what's best for you

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Agar

//Back to the forest >> we must go deeper //

Agar was happy that his crafting worked out well and that his consumption of the raw rubbery meal was also working out well. He continued to think about the skills available to him while he made his way into the forest. The poison attack was something he was interested in, but the muffle had more immediate benefits. Thinking to himself to see if the system read his thoughts, "System I choose Muffle." he wasn't sure why it said he was consuming the harpy flesh he only tasted it. that meal was probably going to be for later tonight, he was hungry, yet he knew he didn't want to try and work on an over full stomach.

The trek further into the forest was interesting, he could feel the temperature drop slightly the further he went into the shaded forest. The creatures here seemed to be more on edge as well and he had the feeling of being watched a few times. There was a strange chicken with horns that ran off into a thicket, a wired not orc looking thing that ran off into the forest, more odd colored mushrooms but not the kind he was looking for, and some strange berries. even the plants through here reminded him of an old growth forest with less ferns. The mist was a nice touch, but he felt that it would be unwise to remain here in the forest’s beauty.

Agar then decided that he would have to keep working to find the mushrooms. Moving carefully like he was, the runt continued his search. taking precautions to remain as unnoticed as possible to the point that he would likely use his new muffle skill if it seemed like something was nearby or moving through. Taking a few quick handfuls of the ripe berries when he passed them, he otherwise stayed away from the other tendril mushrooms. Stepping into the next area to check Agar activated his Field Scan I ability to see if it picked up on the quest items he was searching for and anything else that could be lingering nearby.

If he could find what he was looking for and have enough time he might just go investigate the stone tower or wait until his next free time to do so. Before moving in further into the dark forest and out of the clearing Agar made sure his mud coating hadn't dried out too much. He chose to continue further into the dark forest instead of going along the game trail. He was sure it would speed up his progress, but he didn't want to run into whatever might have made the trail in the first place. He continued to be careful even though he knew it was likely going to take him longer, being sure to stop look and listen every few minutes.

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@Zeroth

stats and things

<< Current Quest: Fulfill Duties within the Tribe (0/2 Minimum)
Tribe Tasks: find turtle shell mushroom x5
Inventory: loincloth, sharp rock, Wooden Spear, Hide pouch, sharp Tatzelwurm claw, Tatzel Venom Gland x1, Harpy Screech Valve x1, Harpy Talon x1, cooked/partially cooked Harpy Meat, 7 lbs, Powdered Weak Tatzel Venom x1
Skills: Ingestion, Field Scan I, Blunt Resistance I,
Location: back at camp near the hunters hut > heading back out into the forest
Inventory used (for current post):

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

I should have mine up tonight

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: evening
Location: the ceremony at lovers lake
Interactions: @Tae Mina
Mentions in order:@Lava Alckon Farim @Infinite Cosmos Munir @princess Ana @Helo Callum
outfit: plaid kilt in his family colors, wearing a snow bear skull headdress/ mask, bones of the bear down his arms back and rib cage, body paint in the form of runes, no shirt or shoes.

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The circle was set, a barrier to keep the spirits in and the bad spirits out. This magic was small, those sensitive to its use may be able to pick up on it but roman carefully planned for it to be shrouded in the energy of the event. The entire ceremony was basically one giant spell but its draw was spread out over a wide area and between many people. It was an old way, a way to hide it in plain sight even those sensitive to this ritual wouldn’t necessarily be able to pinpoint who exactly was performing the magic but those who were strong in its use likely could. The point being made was that anyone able to recognize it would out themselves as users of magic if they reported or questioned it.

Roman remained knelt on the ground the blood dripping from his nose mixed with his red body paint then mixed again with the red liquid that they had just spread around the circle. The shaman was in the same sorts for a moment as well, digging her hands into the earth then stood on shaky legs. Roman found himself coaxed onto his feet by the woman taking the offered drink from her, drinking the entire bitter contents of the red cup. The feeling of comfort and home washed over him, his heart raced, his senses grew, nerves fired and flared leaving a burning sensation that crashed inside of him. It was time to begin.

Roman signaled the beginning of the ceremony with a loud bestial howl into the night with many others following, drums began to beat an ancient rhythm that reverberated through the earth like its own heartbeat. More fuel was added to the fires growing them ever closer to consuming the offerings left, slowly other instruments began to play slowly forming into a song of feeling without words. More howls, growls, whistling, and many more animal noises were made from the Varian people in the crowd.

Swaying as he walked the giant wearing the bones of the snow bear moved to the slightly raised center backlit from the center bon fire. He found Mia, his echo, intertwined his arm with hers outstretched in front of them. He made and kept strong eye contact before moving his head to softly meet hers. Both took a step back and bowed to one another in unison, circling each other in a counter clockwise motion three times and bowing again. The noises both animal and man grew from his people and the crowd louder and louder, the music almost loosening its beat to play louder and louder until they all reached a peak. Roman took one step forward towards the crowd lashing the giant claws out to his sides and in that moment, everything stopped to a deafening silence.

Moving with a purpose meant to emphasize his every word Roman spoke, his voice was strange and loud as if there was a hint of someone else behind the mask pretending to be the man they were looking at. “The wheel Turns, creakingly chanting, of what perished in fire and frost, of what rises from the ashes!” He deliberately paused leaving only heavy breathing and the crackle of flames, “we call to our gods to join us, to sit with us, to hear our songs! We call to our ancestors to dance with us, to eat and drink with us, to hear our stories! We call to the spirits to watch us, to know peace, to know serenity, and grow with us!” some of his people cheered and yelled at his words.

“We call to Lordisa! may her wisdom Guide our minds! We call to Rothgar! may he fill our hearts with courage! We call to Freya! may she keep our lives filled with love and beauty! We call to Helio! may his light brighten our path! We call to Valdemar! may he be just with our lives! We call to Niamh! may her muse never fail us! We call to Eirik! may his storms temper our resolve! We call to Siv! may our arrows strike true! We call to Fae! may his trickery fill us with laughter!” many in attendance repeated the names of the gods as he spoke them, “hear our prayers and our songs, may you cast your favor on these lands and its people! On your people! For our brothers and sisters come and gone! For the faces we may never see again! Grant us your favor! Your protection! Your peace in the days to come!”

Reaching into one of the smaller pouches on his belt He threw the contents onto the fire behind him. A sudden glow of color burst forth from the flames, hues of green, blue, and orange danced among the flames. Followed by several horns blowing leading into the beginning of their first song, representing Birth. He turned to Mia, the red ruby’s set in the skull glimmered in the light of the fire waiting for her to start the song before joining in as well, to sing and dance with her.

The First Song

Anoana by Heilung