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Events News Post #161

The Shapeshifter Madness

Written by: Anonymous
Date: Tuesday, April 15th, 2014
Addressed to: Everyone


As dusk descended upon the 20th of Chakros, 417 MA, the far eastern horizon lit up with a sullen flare of fey light as a brief tremor quivered through the depths of the ley. Later that month, the darkness of night was illuminated by five distinct plumes of incandescent light, that rose up from each of the four pylons of Sapience, as well as the Nazedha pylon in the far west ocean.

A maddening hunger began to overtake the Atabahi and Bahkatu as many of their members, Barrkesh first among them, fell into a berserk rage. The cities of Spinesreach and Duiran both responded to the situations arising within their cities in different ways. Duiran was quick to cull the raging bears rampaging through the Heartwood, Barrkesh himself among the many fallen. Spinesreach managed to minimize their losses by imprisoning the majority of their lycanthropes, but not before Tecpatl, insane from the madness, tore out the throat of Silvertooth. Tecpatl, in turn was ripped apart by her fellow wolves.

During a lapse within the waves of madness, two voices echoed through the lands. Rodney, from the Kith of Torston, and Matron Gofna, from the Scrofan Tribe. They revealed themselves to be Shapeshifters of a different kind - crocodiles and boars respectively - and called together a pack moot for all the remaining wolves and bears that had still managed to hold onto their sanity.

As the packs gathered at the Packmoot hall in the Shamtota Hills, Rodney and Gofna began to explain the cause of the madness. It was explained that the Scrofa and Kith had suffered the burden of the madness for decades, but eventually discovered how to overcome it. The madness came from the leylines, from which the Shapeshifters draw the power of their transformation, and preys on mutated Shapeshifters that have distanced themselves from others.

Being among others in guilds and packs allowed the Atabahi and Bahkatu to not feel the presence of the madness for centuries, but with the the recent revival of Odravh, the Abyssal from the ruins of Hashan, everything changed. Large disturbances within the ley had been occuring ever since the being's release causing the madness to burn with a strength never before seen.

Rodney and Gofna continued to explain that the Shapeshifters needed to form close-knit packs to stave off the madness, as only with the support of family and kin could one maintain a resistance against the madness. The loose ties of the guilds were no longer enough to ward the madness, and had in turn become a liability.

In wake of this news, the Atabahi and Bahkatu guilds were forced to dissolve their ranks and the very first Packmoot came to an end. With the climate of shifters having changed dramatically, Rodney and Gofna, along with Ruby of the former Atabahi and Norrad of the former Bahkatu lingered at the Packmoot, begrudgingly recruiting new people to their cause.

Penned by my hand on the 5th of Lleian, in the year 417 MA.


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