[ P ] Divine Retribution

Winter solstice had arrived. A time to revere the sacred dark, when the light of the sun vanished. This was the longest night of the year. The priestess had lived through six winters now. But nothing compared to the misery of the ones that clutched the land of the living now. She sought answers from the Feminine Divine in both wakefulness and sleep before finally, Rhiannon had received a revelation in the night in the form of a disturbing dream: the night was impossibly cold, but a fire consumed the forest, consuming everything in its path. A terrible face appeared before her – a skull with rotting flesh and burning eyes. Its anguish scream would haunt her: You and yours shall perish next without the righteous vengeance of the goddess! Heed this warning and take action, or face certain doom! Rhiannon had woken with a start beside Nimue, with whom she had shared her revelations.

It was a call to act. Her coven was needed for a grander, sinister purpose.

The goddess is restless…

A plaintive howl echoed through the forest, to summon her coven, her family, to gather. In the onyx firmament was a figure even darker than the night, a corvid whose dark eyes sought the children of the Sisters of Samhain. Rhiannon’s crow was sent out to gather any errant or dawdling children.

When all had arrived, the tempestuous wolfess began: ”Solstice has arrived with a vengeance this year. We shall honor the light of the goddess, as well as the dark. We are in troubled times, my children, make no mistake. Our need for one another is greater than ever.” Her voice trembled with the fear of the Unseen.

The shadowy witch was vehement as she continued, her facade severe: ”Hear me, children! The goddess is angry. She has cursed the land with an unending winter. The realm of mortals is facing punishment. Hunting will become increasingly difficult. Wolves will become desperate and aggressive. Their foolish war has enraged the Divine, and now they must face the consequences for their misdeeds.”

The timbre of Rhiannon’s voice rose with each sentence, urgency lacing every syllable: ”The Mórrigan, fearsome goddess of death and strife, has spoken to me through dreams and revelations. It is all a sign of what must occur. What we, her faithful, must abide by.” By now, the woman’s chest was heaving with each exhale, violet sights wide with savage zeal.

”Only blood can atone for these sins against the goddess. Only Divine retribution will quell the wrath of the Phantom Queen. Death is the punishment man has earned for his folly.” She paused, amethyst eyes moving from one child to the next. Would they each understand what was necessary? ”It is our duty to fulfill the commands of the Feminine Divine. During the next new moon, in the darkness, we will offer up a gift to the goddess. An offering to appease her fury.” Her deep voice was ominous as she concluded: ”A blood sacrifice. Nothing else will placate the fury of that which is Unseen.”



@Nimue @Nightshade @Henbane @Datura @Anwyn @Sumac

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Little Datura had been existing in a state of nervous apprehension ever since she overheard Mother Rhiannon speaking to Nimue about luring men to their deaths, for the sake of appeasing the goddess. The notion chilled the yearling to the bone. And perhaps it was so. Datura never had these same visions of prophecy that others seemed to. And Mother Rhiannon would know better than she did about these spiritual matters.

The pale wolfess was one of the first to arrive, securing a clandestine spot near the edge of the meeting place. Topaz sights remained fixed upon Mother Rhiannon as she spoke earnestly about their Divine purpose, a grisly task to be performed with faithfulness. Dread coiled within her gut like a snake readying to strike.

A shiver ran down the girl’s spine. It was just as she had feared. But now was not the time for terror and cowering like a sniveling child. Datura had yet to prove her worth to Mother Rhiannon or the rest; perhaps this was her chance to stand out.

And so, with great reluctance but a face intentionally devoid of emotion, Datura was the first to step forward. ”I will do what is asked of me.” This was an opportunity to prove that she was everything that she wasn’t: brave and capable. Eager. Strong. But deep down, uncertainty lingered. It required every ounce of strength she had to stand there with her head held high, as if she were proud of who she was and what she was expected to do.

A blood sacrifice… If it was the will of the Feminine Divine, then so be it.



@Nimue @Anwyn @Nightshade @Henbane @Sumac @Larkspur @Rhiannon

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Dark ears twitched at the sound of Rhiannon’s summons. He sat beneath the night sky, his face turned up to the stars. Winter Solstice was upon them. Onyx eyes studied the skies a moment longer before long limbs pushed him to stand with his brow furrowed. He didn't understand the chaos that was being shouted at him. Like a living shadow, he melted into the trees, all but disappearing in the dark was of the forest. Anwyn did not fear the dark here for he was a part of the dark. Moving with ever increasing grace, he was quiet in his approach, finding the priestess with ease. He was not the first to arrive as he slunk silently from the shadows, but he wasn’t the last either. He stepped from the black near Datura. His little secret. Wordlessly, his stare passed over her. He didn’t greet her because why would he start now and draw suspicion? Instead, eyes snapped to Rhiannon, his skull dipping low in greeting before he took his seat.

They waited for everyone to arrive and only when they did, would the priestess speak. Bottomless eyes stared at her attentively. What she said helped him piece together the pieces of what he’d been gathering from the stars. Chaos painted the skies most nights, messages far too violent and messy to decipher with any sort of certainty. But now he understood. The Goddess was upset and she demanded penance.

Rhiannon’s voice rose with each word that left her tongue, her expression savage, her eyes wild. What she spoke, she believed with every fiber of her being and he admired that. Her undying belief in the goddess and making the necessary sacrifices to appease her. There wasn't a drop of doubt in Rhiannon, she knew what they needed to do and she would lead them down that path. Anwyn would follow, ready to do his part in appeasing the goddess.

Their Goddess demanded a blood sacrifice. Someone would lay down their life, willing or not, to atone for the sins. The young boy was surprisingly unfazed. Anwyn barely so much as blinked. There was only the glimmer of excitement in his onyx eyes.

Datura spoke, causing his stare to bounce to her. She stepped forward with a blank expression and promised her cooperation. Anwyn rose next, unfurling long limbs, he stood silently before speaking. "Tell me what to do." The low timber of his voice carried, eyes trained on Rhiannon. There was a budding hunger in the depths of his expression, he yearned for her approval regardless of the way she treated him. Anwyn was eager for a chance to prove himself - the males of their coven might be at the bottom, but he would be at the top of them.speak like this.

table ; bunny

Wretched Gods
Divine Fools

Racing behind a flurry of dark feathers, Larkspur practically came flying in as she tailed Rhiannon's crow. She skidded to a halt, her tail wagging as she placed herself in the prime spotlight of the Mother. She would have sat down, but she still had energy buzzing through her limbs after playing with Tybalt. So, the girl remained standing, but she was strongly rooted to the spot.

Vibrant blue orbs honed in on Rhiannon, listening to every single word as it was her gospel. All of it would someday be spoken in her name. She was a Goddess in the making after all. Lark was keenly aware of the flowery language the woman used primarily to please the feminine divine and listened intently to it all, studying it as she absorbed its contents.

Blood sacrifice...

When Rhiannon had finally said it, the girl lit up as though she had promised her the grandest celebration of them all. She couldn't help, but dance on her paws in excitement, a fox-like grin peeling back her lips. She turned her gaze upon her brother and little mousey as they voiced their agreement to participate. No, no, that wasn't enough.

Lark desired details immediately, she wanted to get started on it as quickly as possible. “What are we bringing to sacrifice? I caught a nice vole the other day. I still have it's head and it's guts in its rib cage. I was going to take it's eyes out next, but do you need those for an offering? Or I-I could catch another!"

"The familiar taste of poison."

The young wolf listened to the call and moved quickly to make sure she was there. She knew it was important. As she rushed though the area, she did not mind getting smacked by low hanging branches, or whipped by tall grasses. She was on a mission. With the others, she was not so quick, but for Mother, she would be the best. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she bounded through the forest. Finally making it to the gathering, she listened to her mother's words as her chest quickly rose and fell. She was feeling rather tired, but she would be attentive. Golden eyes watched as her sister stepped up, and wanted to sacrifice herself. She didn't know what to say, so she decided to watch and listen. If there was something that was asked of her, she would do it. "The day is darkest before the dawn.." @Rhiannon @Anwyn @Larkspur

Nimue moved between the shadows of the trees that lined the edges of the clearing. Most of the children had been gathered and Rhiannon had begun, the same words that had been explained to her falling upon the ears of babes. Well, they were mostly still pups...nearly yearlings all of them, more like it. They'd grown quickly and Nimue found it exceedingly more difficult to keep track of them all as they started to branch off to their own interests. This entire coven was made up of vastly independent wolves, including the children. It was good for them. It would made the hardship of adulthood easier on them if they were smart about their own dependencies.

From the darkness, the dark enchantress listened keenly to the words of her Goddess made flesh while she spoke of what Divinity demanded. The silence after she'd spoken did not last very long as one by one the youths began to voice their agreement and acceptance...some of them a bit more eagerly than others. The talk of prey animal body parts made her curl her lip in disgust, but she shook it from her face before she stepped from the shadows and joined Rhiannon's side.

“The call for blood sacrifice will not be satiated with the likes of voles, Larkspur." Nimue decided to make the correction for the morbid girl, staring her down with the intensity of one storm blue orb and a sightless one. “Rhiannon speaks of other wolves. We will take the lives of those who no longer deserve them...offering their end to better this world..." Her gaze drifted around to the other children to ensure they truly understood the assignment.

@Rhiannon @Anwyn @Nightshade @Henbane @Sumac

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

The call of the covens Mother was practically a whisper when it met his ears along the trail. His body paused of its own accord, one foreleg lifted, ears swivelling to try and locate the direction that it came from. Changing direction with a grimace and wondering what the Goddess they all served had in store for them, Sumac picked up his pace and weaved through the trees at a steady lope. As he dodged knarled trunks and leapt over roots barely visible through the rotted leaves, a caw echoed through the night.

Glancing skyward, Sumac caught sight of Rhiannon’s crow flying above the high branches, head cocked to look down below. No doubt the bird was seeking stragglers like himself, though it made him no more inclined to travel any faster. As the trees thinned, he slowed down, taking note that both his siblings were already up ahead. As Mother Rhiannon started talking, he took a seat between his brother and Datura, glancing over at the small girl with the ghost of a smile. Her help had not gone forgotten.

Again there was talk of troubled times and the dissatisfaction of the Goddess. Her fury needing to be abated, the only thing that would do being a blood sacrifice the following full moon. He could not deny that the idea was repugnant to him. Larks enthusiasm left a sour taste on his tongue, for he understood what she did not. As Nimue corrected her, Sumac felt his blood run cold. What had him nodding his agreement was the notion that hopefully it would not be him but some other disapproved male that would be offered up.

He may have had compassion for the stranger, but he valued his own life more than the future of someone he did not know.

Henbane, ever the lurking, unsuspecting creature that she was, was not far from home when the call went out to gather for a meeting. Bane had been observing, watching the slumber of a badger who had devoured a rabbit stuffed with a combination of herbs. It had stumbled and drooled for a little while after eating, Bane hot on its unaware heels. She had been watching since it had collapsed in unwanted sleep, in the middle of the path that it had been struggling along to get, presumably, back to its den site. Her toxic green eyes turned from the badger’s slumbering form, turning her head fully in the direction of Rhiannon’s rising crescendo. Her head tilted slightly to the side as curiosity touched the almost-yearling’s eyes. She stood, and with one last curious glance towards the badger, she bounded in the direction of the call.

She arrived, not late, but almost fashionably so, just as Rhiannon had begun to speak.

Henbane waited as a chorus of questions bombarded our after Rhiannon had finished speaking. The young girl’s eyes were thoughtful, an unexplainable glimmer touching them, something akin to hardly restrained glee at the thought of a sacrifice. She stifled a laugh at the other children’s questions.

“This blood sacrifice,” Henbane finally spoke in the silence. “It must be special, correct? Hunted food will not do — the Goddess wants something substantial! It is what she deserves. I do not think the question is what the sacrifice will be, but who.” Bane looked almost smug with her own thought process. Mother Rhiannon would be proud, wouldn’t she?


"speech"

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To Mother Riannon’s great surprise, it was little Datura who stepped forward – without hesitation and without question, as was expected of them. The dark omen, Anwyn, was just behind the girl, earning a rare smile. Her head snapped toward the third youth to speak with amethyst sights narrowed, barely perceptible, as Larkspur questioned the will of the Goddess, daring to suggest that mere rodents would suffice. Nimue would explain the Feminine Divine’s true intent: only their own kind would be acceptable. An unconscious smile graces her lips as Nimue spoke, her beloved, and Rhiannon hummed in agreement.

Gems turning to Henbane as she spoke, Mother Rhiannon nodded in approval, a twinkle in her wild eyes as she regarded the girl. Henbane had been the youngest child she had discovered and taken in as her own… and the only one who had a living parent, at least before Rhiannon was finished with the unwitting mother. Neither Nightshade nor Sumac spoke a word, but both were present, and their facades suggested their compliance.

”Our sacrifices will target the wicked of the world – the men who have wreaked havoc upon the lands.” Rhiannon continued: ”Each of us will all play our parts. Nimue and I will be the Leaders of the ritual. It will be unlike any of those you have experienced, my children.” Focus landing on the smallest member of the coven, she addressed her: “Datura. You will be responsible for locating our sacrifice, and for leading him back to the altar. You will be our Finder. He must not foresee his impending fate.”

Next up… ”Henbane, you will use your skills to incapacitate the intended sacrifice with toxic plants or herbs. You will be our Keeper. It is vital that he is not killed in this process. He must remain conscious, but immobilized so that he shall not escape their bloody destiny. Once he is incapacitated…”

Her attention turned to Nightshade and Larkspur. ”You will be the Letters. Bloodletting has existed since ancient times, but this is not intended to heal, but to drain the life’s essence from his veins. This is the ambrosia that the wrathful Queen requires. Slowly, the sacrifice will succumb to these injuries. Divine retribution.”

She regarded Anwyn and Sumac last. She was glad she had kept them around, for their purpose would soon be revealed. ”You two will guard the Sisters, protect them. If the sacrifice should fight back…” Her gaze hardened. ”You will ensure we are safe from any outsiders, and that no intruders will impede our work.”

With a solemn nod, her eyes turned to the heavens as a freezing wind tousled her fur. ”The Goddess demands our obedience.” In other words: there was no room for argument.


@Nimue @Nightshade @Henbane @Datura @Anwyn @Sumac

art & code by alexandre

Every second seemed to last for hours in uncertainty. Larkspur’s voice interrupted the flow of the discussion, and Datura remained silent, eyes still trained upon Mother Rhiannon, even as Nimue explained what was required. Datura had already known the answer, and it wasn’t voles. Unwavering, she stood motionless. Her response remained unchanged. They would offer up their own kind to appease the Goddess. But the pale girl couldn’t guess what her role would be in all of this. Henbane’s statement hinted was prophetic to her part, thought: ”I do not think the question is what the sacrifice will be, but who.” Henbane


Mother Rhiannon began to describe each part of the ritual. And Datura’s role sounded terrifying, but she understood why it was given to her. Her talents with toxicity were still questionable, as she seemed to often use too little, or too much. Unconsciously, her gaze flickered to Anwyn before finding focus on Mother Rhiannon again. Within her ribcage, dread multiplied with each worried thought.


How would she ever be able to find potential victims… Much less lure them to where they were required? The idea of interacting with strangers was frightening enough, but in this context, Datura felt stupefied. But there was no other option, and she accepted her fate with a bowed head.



@Nimue @Nightshade @Henbane @Datura @Anwyn @Sumac

coding: gutz