Lesson One - March 9th - Outskirts of the Umbral Bawn

[Mouse]

Neela - Crinos

Neela sat crouched in the center of a clearing, one claw carefully drawing something in the earth. After a moment, she stands to her full height, and reaches up to scratch at a mangy patch of fur on her shoulder.

[Bete Orasmyn]

Coming out from behind several trees, Bete watched as her mentor scratched.
"Neela, please don't scratch", she asked.

[Mouse]

Neela stopped, and turned to look at Bete, before heaving a sigh, and gesturing the girl over. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to come."

[Bete Orasmyn]

"Sorry. I got a bit distracted. So what are we doing out here?" She walks over to Neela and stares at her mentor with complete curiosity.

[Mouse]

Neela rests a large, clawed hand on the girl's shoulder, and then pointed down to the glyphs on the ground. There were many of them, some grouped together and others by themselves. All of them were very intricately curved, and obviously drawn with a claw.

"It is time for teaching." she says simply.

[Bete Orasmyn]

Bete stares at the glyphs and back to her mentor. "What do they mean, Neela?" she asked, sitting on the ground next to the closest glyph.

[Mouse]

Neela settles herself down comfortably, carefully scratching the side of her face for a moment. "They tell the story of the first days, when in her lonliness, Ahu, the beginning and end of everything, created the three siblings. First was Nala, who was beautiful and mad. You will her the wolves call her the Wyld. Then was her brother Rahjah, whom the wolves call the Weaver. It was his job to soothe his sister of her insane dreams, and to give them purpose. Last was Cahlash, also known as the Wyrm. It was his job to unweave his sister's dreams, to make room for more."

As she talked, she pointed out the glyphs she was reading from with a claw.

[Bete Orasmyn]

Bete nods in understanding. "But what do the rest mean? And don't the wolves have a story similar to this one?" She looks from one glyph to the next before looking up at Neela.

[Mouse]

"They have a beginning story, but theirs is flawed. They do not see the Siblings as beings like we do. Instead, to the wolves, they are just impersonal forces That is why we are favored by them, and have many secrets whispered to us by them." she explains, and then chuckles. "You are an eager learner. That is a good thing."

She points to the next glyph.

"The three siblings came together and formed the Nyota Jamaa, the Star Family. They were the first Pride. During their adventures, they created the universe. Nala's tears became the spirits that inhabit the universe. Her brothers created the oceans and mountains. All was well, until they began to argue about whose creation was the greatest. As the mother of everything, Nala thought she was the greatest, but when she was knocked down by her brothers, she ran away, into the embrace of Ahu. She stayed there for a very long time."

[Bete Orasmyn]

Bete flashed a quick smile at the complement. "You know how curious I get when you start to tell me things."

She began to frown as the story continued. "Why would they fight over something like that? Why couldn't all of their creations be considered equal?" She sighed heavily and asked, "Why does everyone have to fight so much, even from the very beginning?"

[Mouse]

Neela grins. "Most kits find this part of the story to be sad. As for why they fought, I do not know the answer to that young one. Perhaps it is like most siblings today, who fight for now reason."

She points down to the next symbol. "Gaia, who was the eldest of Nala's daughters, saw her mother run from her fathers, and ran after her to offer comfort. This filled Nala with joy and and pride, and so bestowed upon her daughter the ultimate gift: life. Where Nala's tears fell, life bloomed on Gaia, and before long she was the most beautiful thing in the universe. Her fathers became jealous of this, and did all they could to outdo Gaia, fighting back and forth, creating and destroying. Many great and bizarre beasts were killed in the chaos, and Gaia cried out in pain at her fathers' alterations of life itself. Nala heard her daughter's cries, and filled with rage, lashed out at her brothers. It was during this clash that the most puzzling thing of all was created: humans."

[Bete Orasmyn]

Bete nods a little and sighs, "I guess it's harder for me to understand since I had no brothers or sisters to fight with. I am a bit sad at what her brothers did to her too."

She growls a bit, "Why must they try to outdo eachother in everything? It's like the beta of this sept. He couldn't be happy that we killed a Fimori <(hope I spelled that right)>...." Bete sighs and points to the next glyph. "How does the rest of the story go, Neela?"

[Mouse]

((Close. It's Fomori.))

Neela gives a sad smile. "I have only seen the beta in passing, but he seems like most of the garou. Unable to control the rage that bubbles within him, so he takes it out on the ones who pledge alliegance to him."

She looks down at the remaining glyphs, the smile turning to a slight frown.


"Despite the fact that Nala's anger shamed them into a momentary truce, the war between the two brothers did not end. The three do not trust each other as they once did, even today. Rahjah and Cahlash are constantly circling Gaia, sneaking their claws in wherever they can to shape what they touch in their own image. Remember that Bete, the next time you wonder if maybe a little progress, or a little entropy is an ok thing. Even too much of Nala's touch can be bad, for we have become too sedate. Today's world is about convienience, and we have become sedate. So do not get too close when the Star Family whisper their secrets to you, or you may find that the sheer madness of it all has its own reprecussions."

With a swipe of her hand, she clears the glyphs, and begins to draw more with the tip of her claw.

"Now, the main difference between Cahlash and the Garou's Wyrm lies in this. Cahlash wanted to sow some chaos and disorder into his fastidious brothers creations, so he created the Asura, which are the wicked spirits. He sent them out into the world, telling them to work their way into things that were not pure and noble, so that they may be broken down to make room for new things. But it went out of control, and as it seeped into other things, the evil spirits became more interested in destroying things and consigning them to oblivion rather than replacing them with something else. Soon the spirits were thinking for themselves, and the one known as the Wyrm was born. This is the fastest way, Bete, that you will get into trouble with the wolves if you are not careful. The bastet still venerate Cahlash, for he is one of the Star Family. Only the most depraved of us would dare worship the Wyrm. Cahlash represents the need for the old to break down so that the new can come up, while the Wyrm is simply annihilation, an empty pit from the depths of which nothing ever returns. So while you must stand against the Asura with all your heart, mind and soul, never forget that Cahlash is as necessary to the universe as his siblings are. If his children dishonor him with their wicked ways, then it is only proper that we put them in their place, that balance might be restored."

[Bete Orasmyn]

Bete nods slightly. "I'm beginning to see things a bit more clearly now, but it's still hard for me to get used to all of this." She sighs and stretches out onto her stomache. ".....Neela? The wolves are forming packs but I don't feel like I fit in enough to be in one. I know that the beta doesn't like me at all, the Bonegnawers seem to accept me, the female Get seems to like me, but everyone else just...I don't know...I feel like I'm not meeting some sort of requirement to be here. What do I do?"

[Mouse]

Neela smiled and slowly shifted down to Feline, curling next to Bete. She began to purr to the girl, and somehow, she understood the purrs.

<<Bastet are solitary creatures by nature Bete.>> she says, rubbing her head against the girl's shoulder. <<But that does not mean we do not work well with groups. Be with who you think you fit in the most with, and who you think your gifts will benefit the most. Prove to their angry Beta that you are worth liking.>>

[Bete Orasmyn]

Bete giggles and gently scratches Neela behind the ears. "Ok, I will. That Beta won't know what to do with me when I prove that I am more than a pussy cat."

[Mouse]

Neela rubs against the scritching, moving her head so that the girl is scratching a particularly itchy spot.

<<You will do fine, my child.>>

[Bete Orasmyn]

"I hope so", Bete sighs. "So what now Neela?"

[Mouse]

Neela stands, stretching slightly. She then walks back over to the glyphs, using her tiny paws to draw out a few more glyphs. "There is one more part of your lesson today. The Karoush. The Karoush are the laws that every Bastet live by, for without them we would fall to chaos. This set of rules is the one thing that binds every tribe of Bastet together, from the mightiest Khan to the craftiest Qualmi."

As she draws out the each glyph, she explains it.

"The first rule is, Honor Yourself. We are magical creatures, and as such we must keep our bodies clean. When we fail to do that, we must do what we have to to cleanse ourselves.

The second rule is, Honor Your World. You are to remain truthful to the Folk, and do not tell false testimony against one of our kind. A promise made is a bond sworn to Seline, and to break it is to break a promise to her. If you ail this, you will be punished, and restitution must be made.

The third rule is, Honor Your Kin and Kind. Kinfolk are what keep us alive, and nowadays, our feline kin are slowly dying out. We need to do what we can to protect them. That does not mean though, that our human kin can be pushed to the side. If you remember, I have raised you, Bete, with nothing but kindness, and I have protected you with my very life. Also, you are to remain just. Do not quarrel with other Folk, seek an honorable duel if the need calls for it, obey the lorespeaker at a Tagharim. If you break this law, you wil lbe judged by your fellows, you will distance yourself from our kind, and you will forsake the Tagharim. The spirits will carry news of your cowardice, and you will accept the label as such.

The fourth rule is, Honor Your Earth. We are creatures of both the moon and the Earth, and thus it is our job to protect the land we live on. When the Asura taint the lands, we strike back with every weapon we have. There is no failing this law. To go down that path is death.

The fifth rule is, Honor Your Silence. We are creatures of secrets, for it is our job. Do not tell anyone the things I have told you today, and a year from now where you learn our Yava, you must /never/ tell anyone." Neela pauses, and begins to shift, until she sits as a human in front of Neela. "The Yava are our life. If someone else were to get them, it would be the end of the Celican as we know it. To tell someone else the Yava is to be ripped apart by the members of your tribe. There is no mercy for that." She shakes her hed. "There's plenty of time for that though later."

She gives a small smile. "If you let other secrets slip, you cover them up with misdirections. You fill the air with idle rumors. You pretend to be other than you are. We live a secret every day, claiming to be Balam like we do."

[Bete Orasmyn]

Bete satres at her mentor a moment before floping onto her back and groaning. "That sure is a lot to remember. Honor myself, honor my world, honor my kin and kind, honor my Earth, and honor my secrets....I think the last one is going to be the hardest thing to do yet. I don't like putting rumors into the air and I dislike them as well." She sits up and stares at her feet. "I appreciate all that you have done for me in the past and now", Bete looks up at Neela with pleading eyes," but will you still help me along this road of confusion? I don't think I'm ready to do anything on my own yet..."

[Mouse]

Neela smiles. "I will help you where I can for now. You are still a kit, Bete. You have much to learn about our kind, and about the kind we masquarade as. Like all kits though, you will eventually be weaned."

[Bete Orasmyn]

Bete leans forward and hugs Neela, saying, "Thank you. I'll do my best, I promise."

[Mouse]

Neela returns the hug. "I know you will, don't worry. You've always made me proud Bete."

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