Great Owl,
Totem of my tribe,
Guardian of my path,
I pray for your aid.
I am at a loss
and I am in need,
I seek wisdom
for I have no clue.
My tale is strange
like the trails we walk,
please hear me
as I tell of this journey.
After my escape from the Bastards,
for a half cycle of the moon did I travel,
caring for my ward
and searching for her kind.
"Humans without the veil,"
Owl's Sight had called them,
They must be powerful indeed,
for even the Get to fear a little girl.
Following the Ritual Questing Stone
I found my way,
travelling through realm and Umbra
to the human land of North Carolina.
Near a lake it was,
later I would know its name as Jordan,
that we found them,
the humans without the veil.
A strange and, stranger yet, group
led by a Mr. Forteau.
His apprentices, they were like I,
young and seeking experience of the world.
I anticipated an exchange,
a fight or bad blood,
but instead found them confused,
as much as I.
Forteau was the one I sought,
for he anticipated our arrival.
He thought I was just delivering her,
but my charge she was, my ward.
Of whether I can trust him, I do not know.
His gaze was strong and searing.
But he allowed me to keep the Crystal child,
so long as harm did not befall her.
Another child there was, but not present,
and her friend sought to find her.
Forteau did not wish to, but let him seek her
if we all would help keep things safe.
Seek her out we did,
this friend of Daedelus,
and with her we found
servants of the wyrm.
But first things first,
the story must be told.
A battle their was,
and I, its chief warrior.
Four of them we faced,
strange men,
wearing nothing but black
and the scent of the wyrm.
As we arrived,
all cramped into Forteau's car
we each sought the girl our own way,
mine being in the velvet shadow.
After telling Crystal to stay in the car
I reached the Umbra, but saw not our quarry.
What I did see was trouble, taint of the wyrm,
strong and in the realm, close to the others.
Caring not for questions
I tore back into reality,
attacking those that I knew
were intent not upon good.
The battle raged for a moment or two,
and the men in back had weapons
with which they asaulted the others,
but I was more than their equal.
My frustrations and rage new no bounds
and quickly I began to slaughter them.
Strange lightning and Daedelus' ride
aided in my victory, but I took out the most.
As soon as they were dispatched
our search began anew
as daedelus led the way to the woods
to find his lost friend.
Our destination was my domain,
so in wolf form I ran ahead,
seeking the girl
and any trouble that she might be in.
Her I found, but that was not all,
for I had been drawn in
to stand with these people
that I hardly knew.
The girl I calmed
until the others arrived,
and then I left
to check up on my ward.
On my way back,
I again reached the Umbra
but not concentrating
became caught.
I was enraged but helpless
and to make matters worse
a nexus crawler was coming close.
My death was sure to be humiliating.
But of all miracles, Gaia be blessed,
One of the humans had also reached the shadow
and had my Crystal with him
but to my shock, it was she who saved me.
Once free there was but one course,
we had to escape.
Glory is essential to rank,
but life is essential to living.
We re-entered the realm
and made quick haste to depart,
the looks on our faces was
explanation enough for our new comrades.
We made for the home of a female member.
Renee was her name, and her generosity was great.
To open her territory to us all
was a grand gesture indeed.
We became familiar with one another
but I was withdrawn.
Crystal had shunned me for Reuben
the human who had entered the Umbra.
My thoughts were enterupted though
as Renee asked about me.
I owed her for her hospitality
and could not deny a wounded ally.
I told her who and what I am
and also of my mission.
She ,in return, allowed me to know
a bit about herself and our situation.
We talked for some time,
unusual indeed for one of my tribe
and an outsider who is not even Garou.
But I felt at ease with her, so we continued.
We awoke the next day,
I startled some by being found as a wolf,
and ate some breakfast, I love her bacon,
before we returned to Mr. Forteau's.
There he informed most that they owed him
some sort of service through their mentors
and that he was expecting them
to serve him for the next full year.
In return he was giving them a home
with access to power, like a caern,
and adequate support to live.
Most agreed, some grumbled, but all accepted.
The only question left was of Crystal and myself.
He had no intention of letting her go,
but allowed me to stay and keep watch over her
and implied that I would have interest in staying.
He told us of a mission
to find "the weather machine"
which controls all weather
but is in the hands of these men in black.
He would keep the machine safe from evil,
but I think that the weather
is the charge of Gaia and Gaia alone.
I will help, but the machine must go.
A new girl named Cab joined us that day
and she and Nathanial,
a strange scientist mage,
went to the new home.
Daedelus, Renee, the girl Casey and I
went to Casey's home to search for her Aunt.
The place was strange, but I could not tell why
so we took her cat, one of many, and left.
Crystal still would not let me near,
but Renee and I became very close
as she let me stay at her home
which was farther from the city.
Over the next month, things were slow,
and most of the mages took time to study.
We all thought about the weather machine,
and some of us sought clues through contacts.
I sought aid from friends who are wise
so I visited Red Cloud of the Uktena.
He told me of the machine and of the Garou
that were bound to it in its creation.
I told him of Forteau, and he responded
by giving us a stone, the symbol of his debt
to Forteau, which was now paid.
He also believed in me, and not in the Bastards lies.
On the way back, as well as to Red Clouds home,
Renee and I talked and communed.
Our philosophies are similar,
and she was eager to learn of the Garou.
I think that we Garou and her
Verbena Tradition could be allies
if given the chance to understand each other.
But my beliefs are not always accepted.
I also contacted Raul,
a Corax who lives near to us.
A little coaxing and a little beer
got me some more information about the machine.
He told me of kids at the mall who had talked of it
so we went to find them.
We found some who fit the description
and talked to them at a park.
They held back, but admitted that they
could be interested in the machine
and might be willing to work with us.
I don't trust them.
Again I talked to Raul,
and again he proved to know everything,
as he was able to help us find the machine
before its public appearance at Halloween.
It was shortly after this that you,
Great Owl, came to me
and we spent the timeless time communing.
Thus, you know of my intentions.
But this situation is my frustration.
For now I find that our efforts are
confronted at every turn
and our dreams hold more questions than answers.
An offer has been made, by Eric's Master Porthos,
to dismantle the weather machine.
I think that this is best,
but I am still unsure of Forteau.
The dreams of my comrades
have been laden with visions,
and this we think is our course.
But still I seek guidance.
I wish to serve Gaia,
and to serve you.
I wish to aid this world,
and not destroy it.
Please lend me the wisdom
to do what is right, to do what I must
to be faithful to Gaia
and to preserve my honor.
Great Owl, Hear me, I beg of you!