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 Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:33 pm
Rifte Storytime!! o I guess we start at the beginning? I had a dream about the lion-fox-wolf Achilles, and thought, hell, I’ll give breedables a go. By that point I already had a Stymphalian and was getting my addiction to breedables. So I started making the lines, and sucked ‘Rea in. This is the story of The First Encounter - When Thetis met Trixie. This is how the shop began, via RP.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:34 pm
How did I start the plot? I’m not entirely sure but I liked the idea of a haunted forest, and the first RP in the plot, the quest for two lost kits, kind of brought in the backstory of a demon that had killed their parents… and from there I fleshed out the idea of the demon. But I’m getting ahead of myself. What’s in a name? Originally, the shop was called Poofs. It was because the first stage was just a floofy poofball, with chibi eyes. So originally the mule’s name was Poofs Nurse. Then I changed it to Nurse Trixie because I felt she was more of a character than a mule, as you well know. I am a complete sports dork, so I don’t blame any of you if you never noticed, but almost every main thing in the shop was named after a hockey player. The Koivu were named after Saku Antero Koivu, a Finnish professional ice hockey player. I originally spelled it Quivou, because I didn’t know how it was spelled, but it sounded cool. It was also a pain for everyone that RP’d to spell. The Damphousse are named after Vincent Francois Damphousse, a Canadian professional hockey player in the NHL (retired during the period of the shop). The demon’s name was Miroslav, short for Miroslav Satan, which is a play on Satan=Demon. Miroslav Šatan (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈmɪroslaf ˈʃatan]) is a Slovak professional ice hockey player. Our spirit hero that lays out the laws of the land, Cujo, was a little trickier to work out. Cujo is short for Curtis Joseph, who was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:44 pm
The History of the Koivu, that Thetis knew and shared with Trixie:I've never really decided on solid dates. The history of the demon's terror lasted for a couple years before Thetis was brave enough to ask for help. and she was an adult by that time. so if the city was destroyed when she was a youth, about 1 or 2 years to mature sounds right. so yeah it might have been 3-5 years that the koivu were killed. And then the shop started. The history of the Koivu city, as much as I can remember now: The city itself lived in peace for as long as the Koivu existed. They had a sustainable society and kept to themselves in the forest. They feared the Damphousse, but only Celestials and some elders knew that the DH were real, and not just a story. This was because whenever there was a new Queen DH, or when there was a change in the Three (Earth, Sun and Moon) main Celestials, under the Treaty they were obligated to notify the other. So your two don't know the DH are real. They would have been a thing of nightmares for them. The city was made and maintained by Celestials, so it was held up in part by the motes that swarmed the city like fireflies on a summer's night. There were homes that looked like trees, some that were even part tree, rock formations natural and artistic, swirling in Fibonacci patterns of many colours and styles. There were open gardens with well cared for fruit trees that the Koivu dined on, surrounded by walls with murals that were painted that showed their history and leisure. There were also arches that appeared to be held up by air, connecting walls and homes, allowing the familiars a higher path to scamper around on while doing errands. The city was bound to the west by the river, where they drank, and played downstream. The adults hunted in packs for meat, and the youths gathered berries and plants from the forest to eat. Even the familiars helped at harvest time, fattening them up for winter. The kits would be set into "packs" as well. This is where your pet would have been when the demon attacked. The packs learned from the elders, and did pretend game hunts to learn and grow sharp. Koivu mainly died from accidents, drownings, broken legs, etc. Though the Celestials could heal, sometimes they could not make it out in time, or there was blood loss, or the Koivu felt it was their time. The city Koivu didn't believe in an afterlife. They thought they returned to the mote magick that was the forest, that this life was a gift to enjoy before returning to the forest, where they belonged. There was no natural predator to Koivu, though wild boar, deer, and wolves would sometimes attack when threatened. Sometimes they would kill the Koivu. Rabid animals were a fear of Koivu, and any that got the disease were quarantined or cast out to die, depending on how cooperative they were. Rabies could not be cured by motes. The Koivu knew of humans, and kept clear of them. They thought only of the forest as their home, and didn't mind the other humans, even if they did cut down trees every so often. Word of the demon, to kits, would have begun with more stories about the DH. This would make them cower at night, but pretend to be DH at playtime, terrorizing each other in turn. Then, more Koivu began to die. Kits growing up in the terror would have thought a lot of deaths were normal, until it escalated even further. They heard that something was killing the Koivu. The Celestials went to fight it, and the Three were all killed. There was a moon-cycle of mourning for them, and in that time, no one died. Then more died, faster. Their parents kept them at their side, and the kit-pack was dissolved. If they met with their friends, they did so in secret, when they could sneak away. They would be scolded when they were found. Then the city itself was under attack. There wasn't a new Three yet, only one that had found herself the new Earth. The Celestials told everyone to evacuate the city. Some ran, most that did were spared. Those that stayed were killed. The entire city died, the victim of the Demon, seen as a mass of black, a blur of teeth, blood, and deep roars. The kits were spared. The demon may have batted them around, but only while killing the parents. If you think the kit escaped to the forest, expect small packs of Koivu to hide together. The Demon killed off these packs one by one. Again, the parents were killed. Only kits were spared, for some reason. It was later found out that the Demon's Master collected Koivu pelts. She wanted the last of the Koivu to grow to adulthood, so she had full-size fur to strip from the dead Koivu's bodies. Some kits found each other, making tribes. One such tribe found its way to Trixie's. I'm sure others grew, and as they became youth-sized, the demon would find and kill them. Here is a bit of the plot that explains the treaty between the Koivu and the DH, and also about Cujo:Quote: < Thetis looked into the sky warily, and recited
She shrugged.
 Thetis began. she shivered involuntarily at the thought.
Before Cujo, the two species lived in a constant feuding state, with bloodbaths frequent and intense. Neither species could prosper, and neither wanted to until the other was gone. Their hatred was that strong... and I fear the DH believe it still is.
The DH hate the new breed of Koivu even more, seeing that they have been domesticated
His laughter was a cold, mocking howl, akin to hyenas.
The DH came for Peace after hearing the band of Koivu killed one of their own, albeit removed. That could be a threat, and since it was they who broke the treaty, they needed it to be reinstated to aviod war. As much as the DH hated Koivu, the elder three knew that if a pack could kill the demon that not even the entire tribe of Runners could control, they were not to be messed with.
The purple male snarled and lunged at Kiba, snapping his teeth in the air. gravely insulted
We are Damphousse, and have been and will always be our own entity. We are NOT Koivu. Apologize, or suffer, as the Treatise allows.
He didn't like hearing these Koivu talk; they sounded so much more arrogant that those of the city ever did. He drew back his lip and sneered at the feathered one.
We ask for council, or have you forgotten the terms of the Treatise?>
The marked one spoke. it said. It glared at the purple male, who whimpered and lowered its tail.
He laughed, his words hidden.
We seak no words, except to repeat that we will not kill one another, nor invade each others' cities. And out word is our blood, and it binds us and all our kin. To break the Treaty is to consign yourself to death. The Forests will warn you if you think of breaking its law.
He glared at the shop icily. He chuckled.
It paused. If course we may cross each others' territories, as we fly over the forest, and you hunt in the mountain passes. But our lair is as forbidden to you as your city is to us. Only with permission, or in diplomacy, can we enter those regions. As I said, the less we see of each other, the better.> It sneered and wrinkled its nose, put off by the thought of even setting foot in a Koivu city.
It turned to Keaira. Again, a scowl, <...and creatures get lost in the heat of the hunt. Have no fear, we, or the treaty itself, will let you know when to turn away.>
It sighed.
The male laughed, a cackle that echoed across the cooling night sky. It turned its head to the treeline. He mumbled.
it said.
It looked over the Koivu, wondering who would volunteer.
Becoming one of the Three is... a burden. The treaty is mentally tasking, and forevermore after this, you will be seen as leaders of the Koivu... Things will change for you in many ways.> She closed her eyes, trying not to think about it. This was what she had to do, she repeated to herself.
Cujo's ways were held by the Celestials, and since we... we three, I mean... since we... we actually.... since we were the three... that is to say...>
She took a breath. Her mind was racing and she didn't know how to explain it to one that never lived in the city.
The night blackened, and all could feel something stirring. It wasn't a wind, but it blew past them, sending shivers up the unprepared's spines.
EDIT: Those with psychic ability can indeed feel a presence: it is earthy and feels like leaves with eyes, peering at everyone from everywhere at once.
Nurse Trixie
----------------
All can feel a tie, something inside them... a warning alarm set to trigger and freeze them solid if they desire to go against these laws. It is strict, and yet loving. The treaty is made for peace, and will only tolerate peace.
Behind that layer is a deep black pit, a howl that tears at your mind. It is anger. The demon, the rogue, whatever it was and whatever it had become, has upset this spirit, and yet, it was untouched by it. It gives you chills, fears threatening to swallow you. You try to cling to the vision of peace, to keep from drowning in these undertones.The darkness was swept away, and the forest began to glow, at first only noticeable by the kits, whose senses were more attuned to such subtleties. Greenish glowing tendrils, dust motes and fireflies, seemed to ensnare everyone, wrapping around their legs like vines. When they touched, it was a shock, but it was warm and not hostile. The shock seemed to knock awareness of the forest into those that had not noticed it before.
The forest was living: more than the sum of its parts. Cujo was its guardian, and the Koivu were its keepers. But the hole the Koivu had left when they had fled was still there: a scar upon the forest. Most Koivu seeing this would feel sad, a few would feel angry. Either way, without Koivu in their forest, it was like cookies without chocolate chips: it worked, but it just wasn't right in some way.
The Damphousse were also tied in, but they were the border patrol, ranging the mountains and keeping the wildlife populations in check. They did little to the forest, but their ties to the Koivu were bright green. The glowing bonds of the leaders' ankles swelled, and a bright, thick chord began to snake its way toward its opposite member. As the two chords entwined, they could sense each other: the Koivu's naivet� versus the Damphousse's animosity.
The tie between the 3 sets of leaders had formed. The green glow seemed to pulse and the shock waves washed over those assembled. This tie was a tie of peace. Severing it would not occur. There was no question; it was statement. Something inside you would make you stop before a Koivu killed a Runner, or vice versa. It laid out the Mountain caves as Damphousse "city" uncrossable by Koivu without permission of the flag of Diplomacy. It also laid out this shop as the Koivu "city," as well as the city of old. It seemed a strange addition, but someone had requested it, and Cujo approved.
That was the Treaty of Cujo. The forest's presence settled, a tie that would slumber, until violence should awaken it.
..and yet, a final rumbling of anger, the forest's mouth opened in a communal scream, livid at the one who drove out the Koivu.
The green ties faded into a burst of green light.
The runners rustle their wings and look about, seeing how the Treaty affected the Koivu. The leader spoke up. It nodded.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:45 pm
In the Spring of 2005, Trixie wandered through the forest behind the country home she had recently inherited from her Grandfather. Unbeknownst to her, there were sentient creatures in the forest. These animals had lived for centuries without being discovered by humans, but now their race was dying out. Something... or someone... was killing all the adults, and the kits were dying without anyone to help them. One of the last adults in the forest begged Trixie to take the kits in, and to search for others that may be able to live in a world outside their ancestral home. Trixie took the kits home and began finding owners for them. Many Quivoux (also called poofs) were taken back to the cities of Gaia, but a few remained in the country shop. On the First of August, Trixie heard news of two kits that were hiding and in desprate need. However, when she decided to go out to get them, Carrietta and her little brother, Flame (DreamWhiteWitz), decided to tag along. Pata & Ajax (rimedragona), Mayes, (Gouka Kitsune), and Shadow Wolfsbane & Rebekah (Caitlyn Hellstorm) also came. They travelled deep into the forest, trying to find traces of life. The tree canopy blocked out the sunlight, giving everything a greenish hue. The woods were silent except for the party's footsteps and the rustle of the wind. There was an eerie silence that reminded everyone of the death that this woods had recently seen. As the group made their way through the forest, they came across a stream. There were tracks by the muddy banks. They appeared small, and circled a few times before crossing the river and heading off. There were a few patches of fur by the bank, found by Flame. The sun had already begun to set by the time they found the kits, huddled in the hollow of an old tree. Around them shimmered a white barrier of energy. Weak, but impressive. The kits had unconsciously found telepathic powers in an attempt to survive! ((These are not yet accessible to normal Quivoux))  Of course, they were unwilling to be picked up by strangers, but when glowing eyes peered their way, they were more than willing to run. As most of the group ran Achilles (Nurse Trixie) began to battle the demon. Arco, Thaisa & Marina (Minkey55) joined in, as well. The demon Quivoux was beating the youths and kits easily; his strength dozens of times more than theirs. It would have been a massacre, save for a team of ninjas from the leaf village of Konoha that came through. Naruto (scorpinsheart) fought a long, tough battle, taking a beating. With one final onslaught, Naruto forced the beast to to retreat. The ground was stained with blood from both sides, and many brave Quivoux were hurt. The sun had and the weary party slowly made their way back to the shop. Things were looking down for the owners and their Quivoux. Although they had discovered what had been killing the adults, they were hopelessly underprepared and far too weak to beat the demon. It seemed that they could do nothing but stay away from the forest. A scratch at the door revealed a tribe of wild Quivous kits that had followed the party home. They volunteered themselves to aid in training for battle. Trixie also helped, making a punchbag to practice with for the kits, and wooded stumps to target for the older Quivoux. Holly (Spectral Torment) took two tribal kits, Saber & Lillium as her minions, and began a vendetta against the demon, who had wronged her in the past. They attempted to pick a fight with Serpentra (Tawariell) and Sparks (Kain Draco), but they soon saw that they needed to ally themselves. Trixie knew that the Quivous needed to have some sort of advantage, and bought a crate of metal objects, weapoons and armour for the pets. The Armory
"This fastens to the head, a kind of horn," she explained. And for those of you that prefer batting to butting heads, I got these..."
She lay the bladed knuckles aside and reached in again. She hissed and drew out her hand, licking a drop of blood that appeared on her finger. "These are weapons, remember," she laughed, but her tone was serious. "I hate to bring violence to the forest, but it is our only means of survival." She reached in again, and brought out a handful of tiny barbs, attached to thin wires.
"These could do damage, but they might get tangled, too." she said, placing them slowly down, one by one. "I wasn't sure about them, but thought it never hurt, right?"
She reached into the crate again and brought out a thick strap of leather:
She winked as she passed the collar around. "Who can resist?" she asked. And it will protect their necks, which I noticed the demon seems to prefer attacking...."
The kits took to these wepons with a never-before-seen fervor, and soon were eager to try them against the Demon. Trixie persuaded Holly to stay around and help train the kits, but she was even more restless than the kits were. Soon, Holly was out in the woods, preparing to fight. Serpentra and Sparks tried to prevent her, for they understood what a danger the demon was, but Holly would not be deterred.
Holly had gained posession of a stone that burned the colour of hellfire. Through it, she called to the demon. She went to him, the stone taking over her body, making her into a creature akin to the demon, full of evil and the lust to kill. Their battle was swift, the demon slashing her throat open, she barely singing him with fireballs. In a final, desperate attempt, Holly threw a psychic attack at the Demon, harnessing the power of the stone. But her wounds were deep, and she fell to the ground.
The demon, stunned by the attack, was caught unawares by Lilium and Saber, who had not left their mistress as they had appeared to do. They tossed a net over the beast and they, along with Liquid Kitsune, took Holly's body and retreated.
Back at the shop, both owners and pets alike are worried about their situation. Do they try and attack again? Or live outside the forest? The demon would not attack them at the shop. Luckily, love is in the air between Serpentra and Sparks, and it does lighten the mood for the defeated folk.
The pets congregated, and began training harder than ever before. But the stumps are hard on paws, and leave the Quivous bloodied. Trixie suggested going to the hot springs for a bit of relaxation. They are located to the Southwest of the shop, in the Black Forest but further up the mountain. After a bit of relaxation and a splash war, they decided to leave, but Layla had other plans, and birthed two kits!
After a time, the group decided it was okay for Layla and the kits to go back to the shop. By that time, however, it was full night, and the forest was silent. The demon stalked them, but the watchful eyes of Kiba spotted him, and the party fleed. Unfortunately, the stress threw Vee into labour, and she was rushed back to the house while the rest stayed to fight. It was a long, rough battle. The demon was bloodied, first hie eyes were made blind. Unable to see, he called upon psychic powers to disable his opponents. There were too many of them, however, and they tore his throat to pieces. With his dying breath, and the help of Holly's red stone, he thrust a mental attack which knocked out everyone except Achilles and Arco. The party was completely defeated, but so, too, was the demon. He choked on his own blood and his body was no more.
Those at the shop helped Vee to deliver three kits, but Vee ran out to battle, and the huumans at the shop rushed to collect her and the others that had been knocked out by the demon's attack. Everyone was shaken and bloodied, and Kiba died in the last mental onslaught. The beast was burned, his blackened bones the only thing remaining from him.
Serpentra and Sparks joined the other parents, having three tiny kits. Soon after the beginning of new life, LK called for everyone to attend Kiba's funeral. The dead also deserved their last respects. After most had left, however, the tomb began to smoulder, and the smoke formed into the essence of Kiba, but with wings!
With shock and tears of happiness, most of the party returned to the shop. After a full dinner tempers flared, and doubts as to whether the demon was dead or not came to the forefront. Because if Kiba could come back from the dead, couldn't the demon do the same? Touma, upset, ran back into the forest in a fury. He came to stop at the tomb again, and lay, thinking over the situation.
After a long while, he began to hear things, and see things as well... through the fog, the misty outline of a winged beast glimmered, and was gone. Touma tried to chase it, but knew better than to go into the bowels of the forest if that was indeed the demon reincarnated that he saw.
A search party came out and found him. They headed back to the shop, but Keaira remained behind. This time it was she that contemplated the demon returning. The forest began to spook her, and she bolted, becoming lost in the deep forest. And she was not alone. From behind a bush, a figure came up on Keaira silently. It was a female elder, greying and covered in dirt and debris. She was quiet and scared, but introduced herself as Thetis. She said she had helped the younglings to escape the forest, but was unwilling to herself. They returned to the shop, weary, but unharmed.
The next day Kiba decided to go look for the ruins of the ancient city that Thetis had said used to be a main Koivu stronghold. Yet as he was almost there, he saw figures on the horizon....
They all raced to the Shop, Kiba arriving 15 minutes before the winged beasts. Most of the Koivu met in the backyard to see these creatures, who looked very similar to the Koivu, except that they had wings, and very bad attitudes....
They called themselves the Damphousse, or NightRunners, and requested that the Treatice of Cujo be reinstated. The Koivu did not know anything about this, and didn't have a "council" with which to reneew the treaty. They decided to go ahead, however, because the Damphousse seemed very mean, and ached for a fight. The treaty would protect their cities from the other species, and would also keep one species from killing a member of the other species. It seemed like a safe bet.
Thetis, Keaira and Touma volunteered to be the three that led the ceremony for the Koivu. The leader of the Damphousse called upon Cujo, an ancient Shaman, and drew upon the power of the forest to bind all members of both species to the treaty. Quote: This tie was a tie of peace. Severing it would not occur. There was no question; it was statement. Something inside you would make you stop before a Koivu killed a Runner, or vice versa. It laid out the Mountain caves as Damphousse "city" uncrossable by Koivu without permission of the flag of Diplomacy. It also laid out this shop as the Koivu "city," as well as the city of old. It seemed a strange addition, but someone had requested it, and Cujo approved. That was the Treaty of Cujo. The forest's presence settled, a tie that would slumber, until violence should awaken it.
When it was done, the Runners flew back to their caves in the Evercrest Mountains, laughing.
After this, the Koivu began to wonder just what had they lost when the demon killed off almost everyone. They assembled a party the next morning and headed out to the ancient city to see what clues they could find. The city was a mass of falling walls and crumbling foundations, which trapped Yuri, Hawkfrost and Saunter. Part of the ground collapsed under Kiba, and they discovered some sort of underground passage there, but it was too dark to make out much, other than to see it was made and not natural. Also, a strange table sat within a row of trees in the center of the city, glowing green for those few who had learned a bit of the Shamanic ways from Thetis...
After finding a few random items, including a book and loose pages, a strange item that made Touma sick, a plush and a couple familiars, the party returned, beaten and weary. Trixie helped them recuperate and examined the items... though she did not know what they all were. The group decided to head out the next day to try and figure out more of this new mystery.
When they arrived, Mirek found a secret passage in the center of the city. It led down into the labrynth of tunnels that the party had fallen into the day before, but with stairs this time. However, a swarm of angry bugs drove them out before they could find anything to help.
Another journey yielded better results, and Saunter and Kiba found a secret room that had been a meeting place for the Celstials. A mummified Celestial corpse was seated at the table, its paw-hands around a very old book containing powerful spells. Also in the room was the Mars Talisman, which Saunter claimed, and the Sun Talisman, which Thetis claimed.
That night, as they tried to research the books from the room, Saunter transformed as Mars rose in the night sky, and Thetis transformed soon after, as the light of dawn shined upon her. They returned to the shop as Celestial-Anthros and told the others of the good news. With Celestials back, their race could rebuild the city and their civilization!
A heavy snowstorm set in, and while they huddled inside, Rea and Tails' Koivu remembered something about the Demon... it had said, "Master, I have failed you," in Latin upon its dying breath. Could there really be a 'master of the demons'? The Koivu set out again, hoping the city had answers.
As they reached the forest, Touma found that his strange item was infact the Moon Talisman, and he transformed into the Moon Celestial, drawing power from the rising moon in the afternoon sky.
---------------------------------
In addition, the entire plot is summarized in the Snakes and Ladders Game I made. I plan to make it into a story some day, so don't steal all this backstory, please.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:49 pm
The demon's name was Miroslav. He was, as his skeleton showed, a Damphousse whose wings were ordered removed by the queen of the Damphousse (DH). The Master took him in because he, too was a reject, a creature who lost his wings. Quote: The creature known as the "demon" by the Koivu was in fact a Damphousse named Miroslav. The only thing that other runners can be proud of about him was that he was able to kill countless scores of the loathed Koivu. But a demon he was; as a youth, he attacked his cadre, was demoted to omega almost as soon as he joined a pack, the NightClaws, and, after a short while, he killed another member in a rank battle. Although it was allowed, it set the others on edge. A second battle led to a second death, and instead of gaining the rank he won, he was placed on probation by the queen. Still, he began to grow more and more elusive, and was shunned by the others. After what was assumed to be a skirmish after a pack hunt, he returned the sole survivor, and claimed Alpha. The queen thought otherwise, and assigned him to be in her personal guard while she had the deaths investigated. She assumed that by keeping him under her watchful eye, she could control him, but it was her downfall. Miroslav had lost respect for all authority. He asked to have an audience with her to ask for his pack to be reinstated, with him as alpha, as he was the sole surviving member. She refused, and his rage was such that he brutally killed the queen before the guard stationed outside could stop him. He was held prisoner until the elders chose his punishment: Pinioning. But not partial as was the customary punishment for criminals in the Damphousse society. No, this was a complete removal of his wings. It was something so drastic that the last time it had happened was generations earlier, so early that no one remembered it. The demon fought back before his wings were removed, killing another two Runners before he was held at bay long enough to be knocked out. When his wings were taken off, he was no longer considered a DH. For all the death he caused, living in shame at the thought of his deeds was considered much more fitting a punishment than death. And so the rogue was cast out of the tunnels by those who survived him, and he was exiled into the Black Forest. The DH warned the Koivu that there was a rogue afoot, but the Koivu had too much faith in the treaty, and were caught off guard when they found that it seemed to have no effect on the rogue. He killed most of both species, but the DH were able to repopulate in the high rooks where the rogue could not reach while the Koivu were chased down and exterminated. The DH claimed to be only able to defend themselves... and could not aid the Koivu... Even with the treaty, no one could stop its madness. He was trained to use magick, and was controlled by the master with a soulstone... so that even at a distance he could communicate telepathically with her. He killed the Koivu, and then the Master skilled each and every one, increasing her luxurious collection of Koivu furs. When Miroslav died, he said in latin, “Master, I have failed.” He was meant to kill all the Koivu and bring her the skins as trophies. He thought he had killed them all, but then the shop bred more, and when the master learned they weren’t extinct, she was furious and banished Miroslav until he killed every last one. Why was she bent on vengeance, though? Let me post the master’s story, it explains it all.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:18 pm
But first! A story about what the Damphousse were up to... that fits into the plot, were you to ever read it.  Quote: Word of the demon Koivu's death spread quickly across the Black Forest. His presence had a stifling effect upon all creatures, keeping them at bay even if he had not killed them. Almost as loon as the thick, black smoke began to billow off his burning corpse, the animals of the forest began to move hesitantly, slowly, but move nonetheless. No wild creature ever wished to be caged, and as such, by the day after the beast's cremation, the forest was alive again... at least as alive as it could be. The demon had hefted a heavy toll upon the Koivu, a fox/wolf hybrid that had once ruled over the forest. And yet, they had been culled. Only a scattered handful of Koivu now remained in the entirety of the forest. As surely as the beast of the forest knew of the demon's demise, they also heard rumours of a gang of renegade Koivu that had killed the creature who previously could not be defeated, no matter what forces the forest threw at it. It was only a matter of time until one such creature made up his headstrong mind to see for himself if the rumours were true. He was barely a youth Damphousse, a creature from the Deep Forest, as they called it. It was the area below the Evercrest Mountains that the Black Forest slowly climbed. They were beings of darkness, used to the lack of light, and thus had an advantage of not only being better able to evade the demon in its own element of darkness, but also that of having leathery black wings, which allowed easy escape, as well as being able to transverse the subterranean dwellings easily. Their nickname was the "night runners" and that is exactly what this youth did. His leathery wings and spindly legs powered him away from his keeper, and toward the north, where he had heard the renegades were. Night was in full bloom as he began to tire, and yet, the forest had begun to thin. Ahead, he saw a clearing, and slowed his approach. Could he be there? And yet, it was too quiet to be a renegade hideout, he decided with a firm nod. He lowered his nose to the ground and began sniffing, searching the ground for any foreign scent. He wondered what a Koivu smelled like.... and the he caught it. A light earthy smell, stained with blood. His heart pounded in his ears as he followed the scent to its source. He stopped at the tree line, clearly hesitant to leave the shelter of the forest. He peered out, and saw a large, strangely shaped structure that seemed to glow in the moonlight. And at its base... He took an involuntary step backward, and rustled his wings in shock. It was a Koivu! The being was white, its fur shining in the moonlight, with dark markings along part of its body. The youth nearly laughed as he made out the finer details. It looked so funny. Like a fat night runner with no wings! How could such a creature possibly have defeated the demon? His glee was cut short as Touma turned to look at him. The youth froze and his heart raced. He panicked and fled, his wings beating hard, lifting him into the air and back toward safety. Scowled the keeper. His fangs gleamed as he growled, and his tail bristled with anger. he paused, and glared at the youth. "You have been demoted, pup. You're to pack your belongings and live with the omegas.>
the youth shouted in protest.
the keeper howled. He paused and glared at the youth.
The youth whimpered, ears back, and accepted his stripping of rank. The keeper looked like he as ready to spit fire, and the youth wanted nothing more than to curl up in a deep hole. What had he done?
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:21 pm
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:23 pm
Also, here's a tidbit on the forest elders that appeared near the end:
Two kits were on the run, or crossed the mountains and tried to survive in the mountains beyond the DH's range (which would mean they were probably tormented by the DH if they encroached on the mountain. They could attack, but not kill, and the DH would have chased these kits away) or if not in the mountains, then tried to survive in the desert on the other side of the mountains. Somewhere in that mess, the two were separated.
After a long while, the two kits grew into adults, and suddenly, the forest seemed to begin to heal. The suspense that hung over the forest lifted, and the motes passed along the message that the demon had left.
But there were no more Koivu in the wild. They had all been killed. Or so many thought until two forest elders found each other. They saw the city, and traces of Koivu, or Kiba's monument, or a trail that leads to the forest that the shop Koivu made. They easily tracked it to the forest's edge. But that fear of humans, and the knowledge that the Koivu are only a part of the forest, and not beyond it, kept them from approaching the shop. By the time these elders came to the shop, the Master had begun to make animals attack, and had decided to kill all the Koivu for good. There would be no kits spared this time.
Then, Drac was caught. What a perfect ransom! The Koivu went into the master's trap, but she did end up losing. Poor Chelsea.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:24 pm
 I drew maps with the plot elements way before they were used...  The ruins were in this picture, too..
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 4:06 pm
So the master wanted vengeance. The Demon wanted to be accepted and loved.
I think that’s the main story… if there are any other loose ends, please Post in the shop or PM me about it. Thanks!
And thanks again to all of you for going through this story with me. It was a wonderful ride. heart
~Riftwing (at) gmail.com
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