The Arrival of a Badger Lord-Part 2 (Long Patrol and Salamandastron Reboot)

First half of log is here http://rwmuck.limitless.org/rwmuck/content/arrival-badger-lord-long-patr...

(OOC NOTE : The badger lord room is an old Desc..since Ciocan is now Lord :)...)

Western Shore

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shore ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A sea of sand surrounds the magnificent mountain now to your side. The golden sand is flat and hard, easy to walk on. You stand directly between the volcano and the sea. The refreshing sea spray tickles your face as a tropical wind from off the sea whisks it in your direction. The serene roar of the blue-green waves and perhaps the call of a distant gull are typically all that can be heard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Exits: [W]estern [S]ide of the [M]ountain, [Sh]allows, [U]pshore, [D]ownshore

Ciocan watches the young runner zip off like that and then turns his attention back to Tyree as he seems to be in charge, "Aye thank ye fer yer welcome ah... Major was it?" He starts to walk forwards, adjusting his hat between his ears, his scale-mail rustling gently as he walks forward, "Wot be all this talk about a badger coming 'ere? Does that happen often?"

Dagda moves quickly to fall into 'formation' behind the Major, shaking off the wonder of the situation and picking up his feet smartly. His eyes flick over towards the newcomer, and with a jerk of his head he motions her into the formation.

Windrose stays close to the others as the hares go to escord the badger inside.

Baatar follows as well as he nods "Right Sur, course Sur." He smiles and helps to led the badger inside. Today seems so far to be a very good day for him and he is excited , that's fairly clear.

"Wonders will never cease," Sersi pipes, ears on stalks, knees bending as she hooks her right foot behind the other in a stun-minded curtsy toward Ciocan. To Tyree, she salutes; "Duty's been covered, sah, if it may be excused. Saw 'is figure from the guard room an'," she motions to Ciocan, "... Lord Sebastian has no such hammer." She falls in line nearer to Dagda and calls toward the badger, "Hail."

"Aye, aye, no need t' worry, Sersi," Tyree says distractedly. He tries to keep pace with even Ciocan's lumbering pace. "No, your lordship. A badger does not come to the mountain but once in a very, very long while. Excuse all our pomp an' circumstance, but this is a momentous occasion for us smaller creatures," he says with an amused twitch of his whiskers.

When another doe barks rudely in her face, Thecla raises both brows in surprise, but shock morphs into indignation as the she watches the culprit's brisk retreat to the mountain. Her complaint is a silent one, though; she fixes any injury done to her posture and then begins to march.

Windrose nods "That is correct, this is like..great! We should have a feast or something." She then decides to shut up, but she is excited and had to get that out.

Ciocan stops as Tyree speaks and tilts his head, he looks down at the hare then reaches out to place a paw on his shoulder "Ye be nay smaller creatures Major... every hare aye ave ever met 'as been a true warrior, a great beast who can stand higher than any badger! Regardless o 'ow lumberin we may be!" he starts for the mountain again, eyes alight, "It be exciting, ta finally see it! I saw it fore that first time last night and walked onward all night tah reach 'ere, an all morning too... come... that entrance it be this way." he angles toward the entrance to the mountain, hidden in the folds of the tumbled rocks around the base. Zoning in on it eagerly, "It be a pleasure tah be meeting ya all."

Baatar just watches the badger curious, he stays quiet as he is unsure if only leaders can speak or just anyone and he also is not one that's good with words.

Sersi angles her to Windrose but her eyes remain fixed on the badger, disbelief and caution yielding to faith and admiration. "We may 'ave to break into winter rations f' a feast," she mindlessly replies to her fellow runner. "... but I'd see no better reason." She quiets as the troop moves.

"The pleasure is ours your lordship," Tyree says, somehow managing to bow while he walks, allowing the badger to take the first steps into the mountain. He glances back at the other hares and flashes them a proud smile. Look smart, Patrollers, this is a once in a lifetime event. "Sebastian's been long in waitin' for this day... we all have."

Ciocan nods, "Sebastian.... aye know that name, a deep voice, calling in my dreams." he places a paw against the rock wall of the mountain and smiles and then heads deeper without another word, eager to reach the place far above that is singing to him.

Windrose smiles, watching the badger closely and watching as he soon takes his first steps into the mountain.

Salamandastron: Badger Lord's Room

• -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Salamandastron *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

The chamber you step into looks as if it was clawed into the very rock of

the mountain. A high, craggy celing and bare walls give the room a

decidely spartan look, fitting of a warrior. The bed is actually a large

stone slab, heavily strew with large pillows, big enough to accommodate

the Badger Lord Bludstripe and his wife, the Lady Stormstripe. A table

sits on one side of the room, a circular oak affair surrounded by four

large chairs. On the same side is a large fireplace, over which are two

sets of wall hanging hooks, most likely for the rulers weapontry. On the

remaing side is a large window hacked from the stone, facing out over the

endless expanses of sand and sea, a portal for the Lord to watch over his

domain.

• -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

                 Visible Exits:

[Out]

Tyree stops once they reach the door of the Badger Lord's room. Something, either respect or some outside regulatory force, keeps him from entering until he's bidden. Even commanding officers are far below... whatever level it is Badger Lords live on. "I think this is the place, your lordship," he says, bowing once more as he turns to Ciocan. "Make yourself at home, please."

Windrose stops and stays where she is for now awaiting a command to say it's ok to walk further.

Ciocan looks toward Tyree and then the others who have followed, the few residents of the mountain have followed, Quinten is there, the elderly Major and recorder looking stunned at the sudden arrival. Ciocan smiles and beckons everyone to follow him and opens the giant oak door. Inside the room is neat, tidy... Sebastian is not there though there is a large letter addressed to Ciocan on the desk. The badger touches it with his claws then walks past it to the back fo the room, opposite the great portal. He runs his blunt claws up and down the large crack in the wall then grasps it in both hands and HEAVES... his muscles bulge, hs body strains and with a grinding crack the wall parts... a cavernous opening sliding into view as he forces the ancient rocks apart to reveal a smaller room beyond. Once it is open he stares inside and sighs, seeming to relax and smiles, "I am here...."

Baatar stays just outside the room, but does peek inside and blinks, he starts to speak and then decides not to speak.

Thecla moves into the chamber with the rest of the impromptu cortege. Once inside, the group presumably fans out; she follows suit, and finds herself standing beside Sersi, whom she recognizes from late day revelries in the rec room. "What the?" she whispers, aghast, when Ciocan parts the stone wall. This cannot be real.

"In all of my seasons--" Sersi chirps to Thecla, eyes widening, maw agape. The accumulating of gawkers wedge in around the hares, but the runner is now oblivious to anything else. "... never have I--" she gasps before altogether losing her words.

Windrose blinks and whoas, she is at a lost for words right now and finally she does speak, "That's..one strong beast."

Tyree is completely silent. He nods in vague agreement with his hares, and his chest puffs out, proud to bear witness to this. He's heard rumors of this room, but... to actually *be* here, watching the thing happen, is... something else entirely.

Ciocan says, "Come all of you," He gestures as he moves into the hidden chamber and pauses. Just inside are two chunks of crystal, he picks them up and clacks them together and they start to glow, the strange rocks emanating a very faint glow that catches other crystals embedded in the walls, causing them to glow. "It is all here..." He looks around the room, the walls are covered in symbols, pictograms, strange images and signs, "Here... here you all are on the beach," He touches a series of images of hares, "And me.... and the mountain...." He stares around the room and smiles, "There is so much here to learn... but it is written, so must it be."

"The mountain will guide you," Tyree murmurs from the opening Ciocan pulled apart. "It will help you while you are here. And so will we, your lordship."

Baatar looks on "Wow..." Is all he gets out.

Windrose smiles as she sees what the light shows them, "Thats..."Well she is unsure but its sure neat "Yes, all the hares here will help you...Lord Ciocan."

Thecla cranes to get a better look at what lies behind the wall, but is abruptly made to stumble through the craggy threshold when Ciocan calls for them to enter. Eager hare hands shove the doe into the chasm, wherein she quickly finds a wall to stabilize herself. Then the crystals begin to glow and glint, and her eyes go wide at kaleidoscope of curiosities. Her mouth moves as if to speak, but all that escapes is a breathy, bewildered squeak.

Ciocan smiles at Tyree and bows to him then looks around at all the others as if seeing them for the first time, "Greetings, all of you.... I am Ciocan," his paws trace the writing on the wall and he smiles, "I am Ciocan, Lord of Salamandastron."

Windrose smiles, welll maybe inroductions should be made and she will make her's as she bows "Windrose...glad to meet ya sur"

Sersi slants toward Thecla, mind beginning to grasp the wonder of this juncture; meanwhile, her knees begin fail. A paw reaches to the other doe's shoulder for momentary support as they are all ushered into the queer chamber. "How..." she quietly

stammers, words lost beneath the gasps of others; "... are they glowing? /We/ are there?" Her eyes dart back to the badger, suddenly shining upon his smile. "Hail, Ciocan! Lord of Salamandastron!" She is already palm to the floor on her knees.

Baatar blinks, he nods and finds his voice "Baatar..I...I am a new recruit here sur, hoping to be a fighter soon"

Thecla sinks in another cordial bow before the badger. "I am Thecla, sah." The words are almost tremulous. Once she submits her name for their new lord's approval, the hare studies the paint smears on the wall, and whispers to Sersi, "Did the bread go moldy again?" Bad rolls make way more sense than ancient prophecy being realized, right?

Ciocan smiles at Baatar and looks back at the wall and traces some of the images with his claws and smiles, "I see... yes Baatar and here Tecla..." He smiles quietly to himself as if the images on the wall are making more sense to him with each passing moment, "And Quinten... ahhhh" He rumbles quietly and smiles, "I thank you all... I need some time alone in here, to read, to see, to think.... thank you all, for welcoming me. May we have many seasons together."

Windrose nods slowly as she listens to all that's said.

Baatar looks over at the others and back to the tall badger, just...wow is all he can think. He smiles now and stands up better now.

"Sersi Soteria Eleftherion, proud runner of the Long Patrol, at your command, sah," speaks the pale runner as she returns to her feet, ears straight as she imparts Ciocan with yet more obeisance in a final bow. She regards his words as dismissal of the hares, and as she begins to shift back to the main cavern of the Lord's chamber, she turns to Thecla. "Aye, could've sworn I was sober-- but me 'ead's spinnin' like I've been gargling an entire firkin of ale." She sways. "Aye-- p'r'aps a trip to the recreation room would clear m' thoughts." She quickly maneuvers through the crowd and out.

Thecla does not have to be told twice. When the the booming voice bids them to go, she obeys, falling into a trot beside Sersi. The doe nods in consensus about the ale, and swiftly follows her cohort into one of the mountain tunnels.

Windrose decides to follow the other hares as they go to give the new badger lord some time alone.

Baatar stands in awww and then blinks, wait all the hares are leaving him behind! He gives a quick bow to the badger and heads off.

Ciocan smiles and nods to the hares as they leave then turns back to the painted walls of the secret chamber, setting the glowing rocks down he stares at the pictures and starts to move his fingers along them, reading, learning. He is here and the word will soon spread....