Solo Survival of the Fittest (Part IV)

[Asterope]

31st of winter, 520 AV
Day 7

(Continued from Survival of the Fittest Part III*)

The seventh day started out uneventful. Aster's leg ached fiercely when she woke, and prodding gently at the skin wrapped under the moss made her hiss in pain. She could feel heat emanating through the moss, and she could see that the skin surrounding the wrapped area was red and slightly swollen. The rest of her body still ached, too; her ribs were more sore than they had been the day prior, and sometimes twinged sharply if she breathed in too deeply.

Her nerves and anxiety ramped up as the day progressed, as she approached closer and closer to what Aster imagined was now the feline's territory as marked on the map. She'd heard the wolf again during the night as well, but the howls were still distant. Still, she hadn't gotten much sleep, jumping at every cracking twig and rustling bush throughout the night.

She was grateful for the spear; it hadn't come in handy as a weapon, at least yet, but it helped to lean her weight on it slightly as she walked, using it as a makeshift walking stick.

As uneventful and almost dull as the day had been so far, Aster was beginning to hope the rest of her journey would be calm; perhaps she'd managed to avoid whatever feline inhabited the area? But as luck would have it, she had not. Not even a little bit. She had been walking for some time already; the sun was high enough in the sky that she figured it was mid to late morning, when she heard the bushes rustle behind her.

She'd had a few more scares since her encounter with the bear, all of them a result of her overreacting; squirrels, birds, one time a curious fox that had scampered off when she jabbed her spear in its direction. But she also knew she was still theoretically in the 'danger zone' for the feline. Gripping her spear and raising it, Aster turned around and immediately felt the blood drain from her face.

A mountain lion was crouched only a few feet from her, half-hiding in the brush, yellow eyes glowing. Its mouth was drawn into a silent snarl, fangs gleaming dull white in the sunshine, and its tail lashed back and forth, creating the quiet rustling that she had heard. Run! Her brain screamed at her, as she stood frozen in fear; but she knew she had no chance of outrunning the lean, wiry beast, and she didn't even have a dead rabbit to use as a distraction this time. She was on her own.

The big cat slunk forward another step, letting out a small yowl that sent a few birds bursting from the trees, but Aster didn't dare take her eyes off the feline, muscles tensed. Her palms were clammy, her breath coming in short bursts. She readjusted her grip on the spear, both hands gripping the short wooden shaft tightly. I'm going to die here, oh gods, was the only coherent thought she had. The creature crouched, tensing, as if it was going to spring, and Aster reacted on instinct.

She screamed as loud as she could, the sound desperate and terrified as it ripped from her throat, jabbing the spear forward threateningly. The cougar yowled again in response, but seemed to rethink pouncing immediately. It slunk forward, moving around Aster in a circle, and she followed it with her spear. It lunged forward, and Aster stumbled back, letting out another shriek as she thrust the spear; but it had been a fake-out, an intimidation tactic, and she had fallen for it.

Word count: 601

[Asterope]

Aster backed up slowly, keeping her spear level with the big cat, and it followed her, stalking her. It charged briefly again, and Aster took a few quick steps back, but was more prepared for it this time.

The cat snarled, hissing at her, and Aster made a similar spitting sound back, waving the spear as intimidatingly as she could. The cat lunged again, and this time it meant it, and Aster wasn't quite fast enough to avoid the swipe of its massive paw entirely.

Its claws raked across her thigh on her good leg, and she screamed again, in pain this time. It would have been a lot worse if she hadn't jumped back as she had, but it was still painful, and she could feel blood dripping down her thigh. She was thankful it was on her other leg; if it had been her bad leg, she don't think she could have held herself up, and that would have been the end. She was breathing hard, running completely on instinct, entirely in fight or flight mode.

The cat lunged again, and Aster shrieked, lunging forward as well with the spear, managing to drive it into the animal's chest. It yowled in surprise and pain, pulling back, and Aster barely managed to hang onto the wooden spear, ripping it free from the cat. Blood matted the fur on its shoulder, and it paced for a moment, reassessing.

Aster's tongue darted out to wet her lips; she could feel sweat trickling down her spine. "Come on," she rasped, her voice hoarse from pain, disuse, and adrenaline. "Try again or petch off already, you stupid, oversized house cat." Her voice trembled slightly, her eyes never leaving the animal in front of her.

The cat leaped, this time pouncing fully. Aster jerked the spear up, instinctively throwing her non-dominant arm up to shield her face. She felt claws dig into her shoulders as a solid mass of muscle and fur hit her, sending her flying to the ground. Teeth sank into her arm, and she let out a howl of pain and jabbed wildly upwards with the spear with all the strength she could muster. She heard a scream that wasn't her own, and hot blood hit her face as the teeth released her arm abruptly. The cougar stumbled off her, wheezing and snarling, shaking its head to try and dislodge the spear that was now stuck in the base of its throat.

Aster didn't think it was deep enough to kill it; at least not outright. But it was deep enough and in a bad enough spot that the big cat was in pain, and distressed over the three foot wooden spear sticking out of it. It managed to paw the spear out, and bounded away into the trees snarling, a trail of blood following it. Aster half-lay, half-sat on the ground, watching the spot where the feline had vanished into the trees, holding her breath. If it decided to come back, she was well and truly done for, especially with her spear sitting bloodied a few feet away.

Silence reigned, and Aster let out the breath she'd been holding, letting herself fall back onto the grass. She was dizzy, and everything hurt. Don't let me die here, please. Syna, Rak'keli, Priskil, Yahal. Anyone, please. She'd tried so hard, been through so damn much. She wasn't going to die here. She refused.

Aster forced herself to sit up, breathing through the pain, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth. She examined the claw marks across her thigh; those were deep enough to probably warrant stitches, but not so deep that they had reached muscle. She was lucky; she could tell easily that those claws could have shredded her skin like tissue down to the bone if she'd been close enough. Next was her arm; the puncture wounds were deep. These ones definitely went down to the muscle and then beyond; while the punctures weren't too large, Aster could see the faint gleam of dull bone if she peered at them at the right angle.

That made her feel vaguely nauseous. Funny, how she had no problems treating other people, but her own wounds made her feel sick. There should be a lake nearby, if she was still going in the right direction; and past that, her destination. She was so close. If she could get to the lake, she could make more salve for her wounds, treat them as best as she could. And then she was right there.

Word count: 759
Total: 1,360

[Asterope]

Shuddering in a deep breath, Aster passed her hand over her wounds, even though ageing them a day did almost nothing due to their severity. At the very least it slowed, mostly stopped, the bleeding. Slowly, Aster forced herself to her feet, her body trembling. Her knees almost buckled and gave out beneath her once she was standing, pain in one thigh and the other calf. Her arm was screaming in pain and almost certainly useless, as she cradled it close to her body.

At least it was her off arm. Her shoulders had some deep scrapes in them as well, but that was collateral from being pinned, not intentional so they weren't as deep as they could have been.

Leaning against a tree, Aster adjusted to the pain of standing and limped over to where her bloody, now rather blunted spear lay. There were deep scratches in the wooden shaft from the cougar's frantic attempts to claw it out of its neck. But it was still functional, so she picked it back up along with her bag. And she began to hobble along, using the spear to help hold her weight and stopping to lean against a tree every so often.

The travel was slow and excruciating, reopening her barely closed wounds, but the sooner she left the cougar's territory and reached the lake, the better. She stopped earlier than usual, resting until nightfall, where her form shifted and her injuries vanished and she was no longer in pain.

Taking advantage, she set up a fire with the last of her tinder, but instead of settling down for the night, Aster grabbed a branch, found some moss that she peeled off a nearby tree to wrap around it, and lit it by sticking it in the fire. The makeshift torch wasn't that bright, and she didn't know how long it would last, but between it and the moon she had enough to see by.

She figured she should at least try and get some distance in while she could walk properly. Kicking dirt over the fire, she began to walk again, holding her torch up.

32nd of winter, 520 AV
Day 8

She hadn't walked for too long the night before; only until the torch went out, and then she had made camp for the night. But any distance brought her closer to her goal. Aster had to wonder what it was; civilization? Rescue? Some sort of prize? Quite frankly, all she wanted at the moment was proper medical attention so that she wouldn't die or lose a limb to infection.

She had unwrapped her leg the night before and the smell had made her gag; by the firelight she could see that there was pus oozing out of it, and the skin around it was bright red and hot to the touch, but nothing was blackened or rotting, which was a good sign. Maybe the jile berries had helped some after all.

Still, walking was agony, and she had to rest frequently. She almost sobbed in relief when finally, the trees thinned out, and she saw either a large pond or a small lake in front of her. She hobbled to the water's edge, not caring anymore about how clean it might be, and carefully poured it over her wounds to try and clean them out, washing away the dried blood. The cold water was soothing, if only for a moment.

She took most of the afternoon to make more paste out of the jile berries she had left, which were rather squashed by now, and spread it over her wounds, wrapping her calf, thigh, and arm with more moss. It couldn't be any worse than leaving the wounds open to the air and dirt, and if she was as close as the map lead her to believe...

Word count: 633
Total: 1,993

[Asterope]

The nagging thought that there would be nothing waiting for her and that the map was some sort of sick joke rose in the back of her mind. But it had been right so far, so why would whoever made it lie about this? She rested up by the lake's edge before pushing herself to her feet, pulling the map out to look it over. The large 'x' was just eastward of the lake drawn out, the one she was certain she was at. If she had to guess based on how long it had taken her to get here, then it was less than a day's walk; granted, she was much slower now.

Still, it filled her with hope, reinvigorating her with a sliver of energy. She was going to make it if it killed her; which, to be fair, it might just. Gathering her belongings, her heart in her throat, Aster started what she hoped and prayed was the last leg of her journey. She limped along, continuing even as the sun began to sink in the sky and evening settled in around her. She refused to stay out in the forest for one more night; she was going to make it, damn it all.

Suddenly, a shallow hill rose ahead of her. Aster gritted her teeth; thankfully it wasn't steep, but it was still a bitch and a half to walk in her current state. Digging the spear into the ground and using her injured arm's hand to steady herself on nearby trees, Aster began the painful climb up the small hill. She was shaking and sweating and gasping for breath when she reached the top, ready to collapse; but she had made it, she had to have, she knew it somewhere deep in her chest that she had made it to where she was meant to be.

Aster raised her head, sweat dripping from her forehead and plastering loose hair to her skin, and looked at the small clearing ahead of her at the top of the hill that contained the destination she had worked so hard to reach.

Word count: 353
Total: 2,346

[Gillar]

“Everything in nature invites us constantly to be what we are,” were the words that Asterope heard whispered in her ear by an unknown source. As the words were spoken, the soothing scent of flowers filled her nose. The melodic songs of birds filled her ears. The sweet taste of wild berries tanged her tongue. The soothing tickle of dandelion seeds brushed her skin. Finally, her vision was filled with a myriad of brilliant greens, blues and reds that undulated slowly, blending together and forming new hues of striking colors. These colors soon begin to transform from amorphous pools to defined shapes. It was as if a someone had dumped different colored paint on a canvas only to then paint a picture from the chaos. As Asterope found herself floating in the middle of the “painting”, grass begin to form at her feet. Towering trees took shape around her. Flowers happily erupted outward into sight. Before her very eyes, an entire landscape came into being; created from what had been but a great splatter of color.

Within a matter of moments, Asterope found herself standing on a small hill surrounded by grass that gave way to a seemingly endless forest. On top of the hill, looming over her, was a tree. It was quite unlike any other tree she’d ever seen. The first sense was that the tree was incomprehensibly ancient. There were a handful of exposed roots covered in impossibly thick bark. These roots led to a series of six trunks that twisted around each other to form a single, massive whole. Although not incredible in height, the main body of the tree formed by the numerous trunks was easily twenty feet in diameter. It rose at least fifty feet in height with countless branches. Leaves, the colors of which could not be described by mortal terms, were interrupted in many places by strange clumps of thumb-sized constructs that resembled miniature bundles of bananas. What stood out most however was the color of everything. The sky was a blue that Asterope had never knew existed. The same was true for the grass, trees and flowers and even the birds and other small animals that came into being from otherwise moving swirls of color.

When the onslaught of her surroundings began to slowly normalize within her senses, Asterope then realized that any of the wounds, scratches, cuts, bruises or worse, were gone; it was as if they never happened. The accumulated filth and grime of the past seven days…vanished. In fact, it felt as though she had bathed in the most luxurious bath ever to have existed. Her skin smelled of the best thing they’d ever experienced.

After a few moments of getting her bearings while trying to reconcile what she had experienced for the past several days with where she was now, Asterope felt a hand lay upon her shoulder. Turning to look she would see nothing. Turning back, she saw a woman sitting on one of the great tree’s exposed roots. The woman was as naked as Asterope was. Her skin was an especially pale green color while here hair was the deepest of green with the texture of moss. Her eyes were colored the deepest of brown. From her hair, it looked as though flowers grew from the moss itself. Her skin was flawless, her lips a ruby red. Her finger and toenails were an autumn orange.

Her head was lowered but upon being noticed, she raised it. In a voice that sounded like the best mother’s voice, carried on the wind, complete with the chill of long lost, cherished familiarity, she spoke.

“Saying that this is all rather odd…is not quite describing what you have just been through. For that, I offer my apology. Mortal words, no matter the language, do not fully encompass the experience.” The woman hopped down from her perch upon the exposed root and walked a few feet to stand before Asterope. As the woman took her steps, flowers grew where her feet touched the ground.

“Again, forgive me for any lack of civilized manners. I may not be as formal as you are used to. You may know me as Caiyha, the Goddess of Nature. To answer your next unspoken question, you have undergone what you could consider a challenge of sorts or a test. It was a test to see if one such as yourself was capable of surviving in a place devoid of nearly all the trappings of civilization. Obviously, you indeed survived, despite the challenges.” Caiyha spoke while casually walking around the area beneath the tree.

She stopped at one point to pick up something which was concealed in her closed hand. Turning back to Asterope, she smiled.

“I know you have many other questions. What is the purpose of this test? Why me? What happens next? Likely many others. First, the purpose of this test is simple, at least to me. Since the beginning, I have sought out those who show respect and reverence for all that I’ve created. Those who seek to protect it and nourish it, I show them my grace. Recently however, I began to wonder. What about those who don’t think about my creations or who don’t feel truly a part of it all. What about those who, with a little push, may discover on their own, that they are connected to me. This is why I chose you. There is something about you that peaked my interest. It isn’t something I can describe other than to say you have a quality about you. It was that quality I decided to test. Can this mortal, left with only a physical body, natural skills and talents and the least number of civilized connections, survive my creation? Obviously, you passed that test so what comes next. We will get to that in a moment. First however, I wish to offer you a moment or two to ask of me what you will, within reason.” Caiyha plucked a flower from her hair, brought it to her nose and took in its scent before raising it into the air. The flower then erupted in seed before the petals dried and fell to the ground; quickly consumed by insects and thus contributing to the greater cycle.

[Asterope]

The words that slipped by her like a whispered breeze caused goosebumps to rise on the back of her neck. Aster blinked, looking for the source of the words, but even as she cast her gaze around, the scenery around her was changing. Birds burst into song, a delightful floral smell winding around her, and colours so vivid and beautiful they almost hurt to look at swam in her vision until they were all she could make out.

Panic clawed up her throat for a moment as the world around her blended into the gently pulsing colours, but it faded as quickly as it came as the world around her began to solidify once more. She was somewhere other than where she had been, she knew that despite the rather similar surroundings, but where that was, Aster couldn't say.

An ancient tree loomed above her, foreboding yet welcoming all at once. The entire environment around her felt alive with colour and smell, overwhelming and just so much more than what she was used to; she didn't know how to describe it. She was so overwhelmed that it took a moment for her to register that as she turned in place to take everything in, there was no pain in either of her legs.

Startled, Aster looked down at herself, and a shudder of relief washed through her when she saw that she was no longer injured; her legs, her arm...she was completely fine. More than that, she seemed fresher and cleaner than she'd ever been, even after that one time she'd decided to pamper herself with a spa day.

Was she dreaming? Had her body finally given out when she reached the top of the hill? Or worse...perhaps she was dead? That thought made her throat tighten; but as strange as her surroundings were, everything felt so intensely real and vivid that she had a hard time believing that she was dead.

A hand laying on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts, and Aster whirled around, seeing only open, empty air. Spinning back to face the tree again, she was confronted by the visual of a strange but beautiful woman perched on one of the tree's massive roots.

The mysterious woman seemed to share the same strange colours of the environment, hues of green and orange making up her skin and hair and even her nails. She fit in as if she had always belonged there, and something about her presence made the air feel charged.

She took notice of Aster then, who already feeling lost suddenly felt very small underneath the woman's gaze. Without realizing it, she wound her arms around her torso. And then the woman spoke, her voice achingly gentle. Aster processed the words for a moment. Did that mean this woman was the one responsible for Aster's ordeal? Questions began to bubble up, but Aster held her tongue, and most of them were answered shortly.

Caiyha; the name seemed familiar yet not, but when she explained further, Aster's mouth fell into a small open 'oh'. A goddess. That explained a lot, then. Aster swallowed hard, feeling completely at a loss. Since returning to a physical body, she had only met a divine being once. Rak'keli had briefly graced Aster with her presence some time ago to task her with something, which had been overwhelming in and of itself; but this felt like something even more than that.

The smile that Caiyha graced her with made warmth bloom in Aster's chest, despite the fact that her head was reeling as she struggled to take in everything the goddess was saying. Her words calmed the spinning of Aster's mind somewhat, who swiped her tongue out over her lower lip before digging her teeth into it, brow furrowing.

Aster loved the beauty of the natural world, of course; it was marvelous and frightful all at once. And she wasn't entirely separate from it, given her line of work. But it struck her suddenly and deeply that Caiyha was right; she didn't feel like she belonged to it.

She hadn't been born to it, she'd been born from Syna's divine domain, fallen from the sky; for the years since she'd returned to the physical world, she'd gone on equal parts adoring and loathing it. Considered it separate from herself; perhaps part of it was vanity, that the tiny sliver of divine in her made her better than her surroundings. But the larger part of it was simply a feeling of dissociation, of not belonging. Living half-between worlds, not part of the natural world she walked, nor part of the divine world she craved. Not quite right for either of them.

Hearing Caiyha talk about being connected to her, to nature, made Aster's throat tighten. Something in her chest seized, aching. Did she really? Could she? If the goddess of nature herself was there saying it to Aster's face, surely it had to be true?

Unbidden, tears slipped down her face. Aster knew she was being offered something, simply from Caiyha's words alone; an offer of acceptance, more than she had ever had before, acceptance that she belonged where she was and that she was a part of something greater. Not just that, but a part of something greater that wanted her, no matter how insignificant she may seem or feel. The acceptance and belonging she craved from Syna so deeply.

It wasn't exactly what she wanted; it wasn't the goddess whose domain she'd once called home, and it wasn't the the place she desired so desperately. But it was something, and while the physical world might still sometimes feel strange to her, Aster had come to love it in its own messy, chaotic, beautiful way. And the past eight days had certainly opened her eyes to how much she had been missing out on, good and bad alike, all because she'd been so torn and caught between worlds.

She was tired of forcing herself to suffer while she waited for a silent goddess to answer her. Perhaps it was time she started living in the present, for what she could do here and now, for what was around her. And if the time ever came that Syna embraced her again, why shouldn't she be able to be part of two worlds? Looking at Caiyha standing in front of her, the divine and the natural seemed closer than ever. Aster had always seen them as achingly far apart, separate, a choice that had to be made; but perhaps they were just two sides to the same coin.

Questions? Aster blinked at Caiyha, pulling herself from her thoughts, reaching up to wipe at her face. Crying in front of a goddess felt like it should be deeply embarrassing, but somehow, Aster felt entirely comfortable. And for once, she felt at a loss for words; she knew she should have questions, probably dozens, but for once in her short life she felt lost as to where she should even start, to the point where not a single question came to mind.

Caiyha had already answered the first ones that sprang to her mind; inhaling deeply, Aster watched the flower drift from the goddess' hand to the ground, shriveling and drying as it went. "I suppose a thank you is in order, first," Aster finally spoke, slowly, carefully.

"For choosing me." And strangely enough, despite the danger and fear and harm she'd faced, she was thankful, now that she knew more about who and what was behind the trial she'd undergone. "For...welcoming me, and for explaining to me how I belong. That part may not have seemed like much, but it means a lot, perhaps more than even you could know."

Even the short conversation she'd had with Caiyha so far had felt deeply healing in her soul, and at the end of the day, she had still been chosen by a goddess. Chosen for what still remained to be seen, but chosen nonetheless, and it filled her to the brim with bittersweet contentment.

"As for questions, well...where are we?" That seemed like a good place to start, to at least get her mind turning again, to prompt any other questions lurking inside her head. But what to ask a goddess? A few drifted across her mind; why did she fall? No, that was a question reserved for Syna, should the opportunity ever arise.

Suddenly, a question came to mind, one she almost hasn't considered since it had become the norm for her; she didn't know how much Caiyha might know or could explain, but it seemed worth asking. After all, it wasn't every day a goddess showed up with the invitation of free questions.

"Do you know why I've been changing my mortal forms at night?" She asked. "Every season I have a new one. They used to be people, real people, I've found out about them, but I don't know why it's happening, or how specifically I'm connected to them." She had her suspicions, of course, but nothing had ever been confirmed for her. And while she sincerely doubted that Caiyha was behind it for numerous reasons, Aster was convinced that her strange situation was the result of some sort of divine power.

Who knew; perhaps it was another, different trial from a separate god or goddess. After what she'd experienced, it didn't seem that far-fetched of an idea.

Word count: 1,566

OOC :

Here's the relevant info/background for Aster's question, Gillar! The situation described was a result of this challenge. The short version is that the forms are Aster's past lives and Lhex is responsible and he's the only one who can do anything about it, but I've included the specific info relevant to Aster below in case you want/need it. I know Caiyha probably can't provide much, if any, info, but it felt like the right thing for Aster to ask.

I'd like to wish for Aster's mortal/nighttime form to change to that of a Benshira, please!

Asterope - Granted - After a fashion.

The first day of each season you will ROLL a 1D24 for the 24 races on the race list. If you roll a 12, for example, you will count down twelve races to the Inarta and that form will be your seeming. Excluded are Ghosts, Nuits, and Eth. If you roll one of these excluded races, you will drop down to the next race on the list. Your first roll will be a 'given' as Benshira.

Whatever race you roll becomes your mortal seeming for that season. Each seeming must be a unique seeming; no repeats. You may, however roll human for four season in a row and have to pick a straight human mortal seeming that's different from the previous mortal seeming. You are at the mercy of the dice.

However, if you learn your birth name and a brief history from each seeming through extensive ACTIVE roleplay - the name that goes with the mortal face - you will be able to retain your ability to become that form. So, for example, you roll a 1 and become an Akalak for that season. You can still assume your Asterope seeming at will as if you are a shapeshifter, but you will have one additional male akalak form to select from that you will instinctively know each first day of the season. You will not have access to his form, however, if during the course of the season where you wear his face you do not learn of who he was.

Also, you cannot pick and choose between these seemings at any given time. Instead, when the change comes upon you (as for any normal Eth) and its time for you to go to your mortal seeming.... you must SELECT from the forms you know as to which one you wear the face of for that whole mortal period until you take back your immortal seeming once more.

For now, you will only have access to your Eth form, your Inarta Asterope form, and a new Benshira form. Upon season change, roll, and let the dice determine your next form. You will only retain the Benshira form if you learn her name, and a bit about her.

These 'forms' represent your past lives. This will continue to happen to you season change after season change until such a time as you discover Lex's existence and you somehow find a chance to ask of him an explanation for what's been happening to you. He and only he can 'fix' you and stop this cycle.

Any questions? Feel free to PM or DM me.

[Gillar]

Caiyha indeed did not seem to have any apparent judgement regarding Asterope’s reaction to her surroundings or what had happened just moments ago. She simply offered a calming, welcoming smile as she awaited Aster’s questions. In response to being offered thanks, the Goddess nodded and said, “Although not needed, I appreciate your thankfulness. This ultimately had very little to do with me and more to do with you.”


When Aster asked about where they were, Caiyha’s smile grew as if she had been waiting for just such a question.


“Now that is a question not many in your position have asked about but it is one that I would have thought would have been the first thing on the mind.” The goddess turned and looked up at the grand tree that hovered above.


“This is the First Tree. By that I mean it is the first tree ever created. Now we could get into what element of existence came first; how, why and so on but in the end…or rather in the beginning, this is the first living thing to ever be.” Caiyha brushed her hand against some of the lower hanging branches as she moved about.


“This place…it is perhaps the most sacred place in all of existence. It is here that all things began; life, death, ideas, dreams, the past, present, future, everything. This is the beginning of all of it. Each of the countless seeds you see hanging from these branches represent a new idea, a new life, a new beginning. It’s roots extend throughout time, across countless worlds and through realities you never knew existed. If there was a center of all things…this would be it.” The look on Caiyha’s face when she turned to Aster was one of reverence.


Caiyha focused on Aster and listened to her next question regarding her changing forms. “Your transformations, they are an anomaly amongst your kind. While I do not have influence over what has happened to you, I am familiar, at least in some part, as to the nature of such a thing. You had the opportunity to have a great desire granted. In doing so, you altered something that was not meant to be altered.” Caiyha’s smile faded and became more of a concerned wrinkling.


“Your visage changes to that of a life you once lived. As I understand it, one of your past lives served Syna. She claimed you. During the Valterrian, there was great damage done to the divine realms. Souls such as yours slipped through the rips that were created and crashed back to the mortal world. Normally, you would take the form of your previous life depending on which god claimed you, Syna or Leth. In your case, you were granted a unique wish which carried…consequences. Instead of you changing from you god granted form to that which you held in your recent life, you now randomly change into a form from one of the many other lives you have lived. I don’t know much else beyond that as it is not my area of influence. Do know that this is a part of why I chose to test you.” Caiyha knelt down and brushed her hand against the petals of a nearby flower. The flower seemed to almost respond as if it were a cat being brushed.


“You have within you the memories, whether you realize it or not, of many lifetimes. These are reflected in your everchanging forms. The thing is that even though they are all different; each form having lived a different life, they are all still connected. You are a single soul having existed over many lifetimes. There is a connection there that you thus far have been unable to fully see. It was my hope that by putting you through this test that you would see that you are not just this one person but that you are all the persons you’ve ever been. You made the choice, whether you realized it or not, to experience every life you’ve ever lived, even if it is only the surface of such lives. When one is forced to survive and rely on only what they have inside, they find strength. I wish you to draw upon the strength of not just this life but of those you have lived through before even if you only grasp fleeting images of them. Become more than what you are by embracing what you have been.” Caiyha knew that mortals were only so capable of grasping such grand concepts but in Aster she saw a possibility.


The Goddess approached Aster and took hold of her hand. Turning it palm up, Caiyha placed a small object in it. It was a small, smooth, iridescent seed that pulsed with vibration with a beat that was not unlike a heart.


“That is a seed of the First Tree. Within it lies infinite possibilities. Swallow it and it will begin to grow. It will spread throughout your body; bringing about a wondrous transformation.” Caiyha took a step back.


“The transformation may take a few seasons to come to fruition. When it does, you will experience a somewhat unpleasant and confusing mix of feelings. I imagine it will feel like something crawling just beneath you skin. This won’t last long and when complete, you will find that the seed will partially exit your body. In the center of your chest there will be a small, wooden, egg-shaped structure that will empower you with a strong connection to nature. In addition to what you are now, you will be, from that point forward, a Wildling. The Heart will be present no matter the form you take.” Caiyha reached out and laid her hand on Aster’s arm.


“You will feel the connection to nature in a profound way. It will grant you great insight into your surroundings; primarily the forest. I look forward to seeing you experience this.” Caiyha ran her fingers down Aster’s arm from her shoulder to her wrist. As she did, Aster felt a tickling sensation as the skin of her arm, where Caiyha touched it, began to swirl with color. Patterns and shapes took form as a great tree, similar to that of the First Tree, appeared. Its roots wrapped around her arm as did the branches. Embedded in the trunk of the tree was a triskelion, the mark of Caiyha.


“In addition to the Heart, I give you my mark. Between the two, you will find a connection to the world that you have been missing for far too long. A bit of stability in a life that otherwise feels chaotic.” Caiyha then leaned forward and placed a kiss on Aster’s forehead. At the touch of the Goddess’ lips, Aster suddenly awoke in the very place she was before Caiyha’s test. The mark of Caiyha prominently remained on her arm; a sign that it was all real and not simply a dream.

ooc :

Because of the delay in this award, you may play as if you have had the Heart for awhile now or you may play as if, during the present season, it completes its growth and the transformation completes.

Nature's Heart

A small, smooth, iridescent seed. Nature’s Heart contains very special qualities that are discovered by swallowing the seed. Once swallowed, the seed sprouts and spreads throughout the body. The sprouting of the seed transforms a person. The transformation, while unpleasant and confusing, is not overly painful. The seed itself partially exits the body in the center of the chest, creating a smooth, wooden, egg-shaped structure. The individual transformed by Nature’s Heart becomes a being known as, a Wildling.

A Wildling is a humanoid being with a unique connection to nature. While most Wildlings are are empowered by the sunlight and with adequate amounts of it as well as water, never fear starvation, Aster already benefits from immortality during the daytime. She does however benefit fully from the greatest gift of the Wildling with its strong connection with nature. This connection is treated like a new skill.

Wild Sense

The Wildling’s connection with nature is unique among all of nature’s children. It provides the Wildling with the ability to instinctively sense certain details about the surrounding environment. This ability, while offering a lot of insight into the Wildling’s surroundings, is limited to the specific “biome” that the Wildling is tied to. Much like the biome’s of the Witches of Caiyha, the Wildling find’s their senses empowered by those specific places. The skill level in Wild Sense is determined by taking the average of skill levels in Wilderness Survival and Animal Husbandry. For example, if a Wildling has a 20 in Wilderness Survival and a 10 in Animal Husbandry, they would have a 15 in Wild Sense (20 + 10 = 30 / 2 = 15). Wild Sense has four levels of influence just like other skills, detailed as follows:

L1 (1-25) – The Wildling can sense the presence of all lifeforms within a half mile radius. This ability is accessed through mediation. Any natural animal as well as humanoids can be sensed although details of sensed creatures is very limited. The Wildling can detect the general direction of lifeforms and rough distance but other details are just out of reach. They can also detect the presence of edible plants although the exact knowledge of said plants is limited to existing skill levels in herbalism, botany, poison, etc.

L2 – (26-50) – The Wilding’s senses are enhanced. They are able to identify the exact species and/or race of animal/humanoid within a half mile radius through meditation. While they may identify the lifeforms, their knowledge of said lifeforms is limited to existing knowledge and lore. In addition, the Wildling will be able to sense general age and health of sensed creatures. They will also know if the lifeforms are engaged in instinctual acts such as sleeping, hunting or mating.

L3 – (51-75) – The Wilding’s senses grow to much greater levels. They are able, through intense meditation, to identify a specific animal within a half-mile radius and know everything about it. They will know age, health and instinctual motivation; sleep, hunting, mating, etc. They may also, while focused on this particular animal, see what they see, smell what they smell and taste what they taste. The Wildling becomes a passenger of sorts, unable to control but able to experience everything the animal experiences.

L4 – (76-100) – The Wilding’s senses have merged with their surrounding environment is a very intimate way. Through meditation, they can feel the movement of animals; smell their scent, taste what they eat and feel their happiness and despair. These feelings can be overwhelming at times and focusing too much on any particular sense can result in an overload that causes great pain and confusion. The Wildling is so in-tune with nature that they can give up a bit of their lifeforce in order to heal any creature or plant within a half-mile radius by exchanging conditions with said animal. Thus, if an animal is seriously injured, the Wildling can transfer that wound to themselves while sacrificing their health; restoring the animal in kind.