THEODEN

Sand yielded to heavy paws with each placement, leaving a trail in the man’s wake. Theoden looked around with curiosity, wondering what this place was that he had found. It had a different air about it than his homelands had held. He did not feel the weighing presence of his gods here, but there was… something, nonetheless. It was a curious feeling, to slip from the view of the gods. He felt even the Morrigan did not quite walk here as she had in his lush, plentiful homelands. On either side of the wide passage, stone walls rose, their walls standing mighty and steadfast even in the breeze that whipped into the passage from behind him, bringing with it the scent of salt and sea and sand.

The man paused, looking towards the land before him. He could see some things in the distance, hazy, and decided that he would explore them as much as the locals permitted him to. After all, what else did he have to do? He held no responsibility here. No titles. No sway. It… felt relieving, and he hoped he had entered a place – finally – that would have no assumptions about his natal pride, nor their fierce competitions with those that surrounded him. Despite the absence of the Gods here, Theoden hoped that he would find something worthwhile and that he could run from the blood splatter of his past. Mother and Da would still watch from their lofty places, he presumed, but the mortals of the land… would be able to offer something that was different. He needed different, even if only for a little bit.

Could he find that here?

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Her first visit here had not necessarily been a failure, considering she'd managed to recruit an ally at least. So the Cove Sovereign wasn't discouraged from making another trip, especially since it was a short walk to the passage compared to her typical journeys. Today she would be the first to come across this particular stranger, already making his way through the stony walls. "Welcome to the gates of Amaryllis, traveler," she greeted as she approached. @Theoden was large and looked strong, almost too obvious to a fellow barbarian that he was a warrior by trade. If he was looking for a more permanent type of settlement, he'd make a good recruit depending on what lay within the lion's bulky frame.

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THEODEN

The breeze betrayed him, not alerting him to the woman’s approach until a dark pelted bit of movement caught his attention. Golden gaze turned to her, ears twitching slightly beneath his mane as she spoke.

”Welcome to the gates of Amaryllis, traveler,” she said. Theoden paused in his walking, lifting his tail in greeting.

”Thank you, stranger,” he rumbled, dipping his head politely to her. Theoden allowed his lips to curve in a slight smile, trying to appear friendly. This was the first individual he’d met in this new land – hell, he hadn’t even technically entered the land and he was already encountering someone! Perhaps the passage was the place to meet strangers. He gave a small sniff to the air, the communal scent of a pride clinging to the woman, hovering beneath the distinct scent that belonged to her. ”Is there a pride in this passage, or is it commonplace here to meet strangers as they come in?” He asked curiously, taking a few steps closer to make hearing a tad easier. Theoden lowered himself into a seated position, making himself look unthreatening. He was no trouble, only if someone was trouble to him or to another. His tail curled around his broad paws, as he settled in.

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He was respectful, polite. Good signs already that he wasn’t out to cause trouble anyway. She would settled down on the earth as he did, willing to give him whatever information he sought, so long as it didn’t cause her any trouble. He asked benign things though, easy things to answer. She was, after all, still new to this recruitment thing. It was still strange to think of herself ruling sometimes… while other times it felt perfectly naturally. The duality of her nature. Mismatched eyes attempted to meet his as she answered, “This is Maua’s Passage, the only known entrance into this place, so it has become a natural recruiting place for the several prides that inhabit the island.” She continued to regard @Theoden as she spoke, watching for his reaction to her answers, “My name is Morrigan, Sovereign of Caladan Cove where my sister, Ava, rules. As the name suggests we’re a coastal pride, though better sheltered than most.” the cliff walls offered some protection other beaches in Amaryllis lacked, and that wasn’t even to speak of the ample den room or the picturesque views.

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THEODEN

The woman met his golden gaze with her own mismatched one. Theoden held her gaze effortlessly, but not in a manner of which to intimidate. He showed interest in the things she had to say, truly curious of what she might have to offer.

”This is Maua’s Passage,” She explained. Maua. Theoden filed the name away, assuming that perhaps it might be a god in this land. ”The only known entrance into this place, so it has become a natural recruiting place for the several prides that inhabit the island… My name is Morrigan, Sovereign of Caladan Cove where my sister, Ava, rules. As the name suggests we’re a costal pride, though better sheltered than most.” And with that, the woman had given the beginning of her casted line. Theoden tilted his head to the side curiously, his interest at least clearly stroked. Her name, however, had caused a slight shuffle in his body, but he did not comment upon it. He wondered if she knew she were named after a Goddess of darkness; not a bad goddess, kind in her own right, there for the fallen souls who wandered newly dispatched. Theoden smiled to himself, wondering if the woman took any of the Goddess’ trait.

”It is nice to meet you, Morrigan. My name is Theoden,” he stated, dipping his head. ”Your pride, what are their values? This land, you called it Amaryllis? How many prides reside here? Are they at relative peace with each other or does war touch here too? Might as well cut to the important information, right?

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He showed polite but sincere interest in knowing more about Amaryllis and whether he chose to continue through the passage as a rogue or to follow her back to the Cove, she did not mind sharing her own gathered knowledge. Maybe it was fate that guided @Theoden to a Queen who shared the name of one of his own gods, but Morrigan did not know who she was named for. Her closeness to both the afterlife and the warfare that led there had perhaps unintentionally lived up to the name. “We value both freedom and loyalty to your comrades above all else. Our ranks do not claim women or children unless it is a concern of dire safety. Not all prides share such ideals if that doesn’t suit you. In the same vein, Caladan does not hold anyone against their will and we both encourage and reward participation in the pride.” She moved on from Caladan now, “There are eight prides in total, but Ecrosia Mire was recently rendered uninhabitable by a flood. The others are Vermeda Brook in the most northern woodlands, Wolfbron Bluffs in the mountains, Obsidian Hollows in the caverns to the west. Andal Oasis sits in the far western desert. Firnen Rainforest is to the east near the Mire, and finally the Cove’s ally and neighbor, Scilla Lagoon.” If he left with nothing else today, Theoden would at least be well informed. Morrigan had visited every pride territory by now, after all. “Until the last couple of years this land knew only peace, the natives sheltered within high walls. Maua opened the passage to outsiders and since we’ve arrived… warfare and all its side effects have followed.” She was blunt with the truth, again knowing that Maua must have exposed Their children to Morrigan’s people for a reason.

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He is a little late in his arrival. Though there were no time frames for these sorts of things, Magnus supposed, it was clear that @Morrigan and this rogue were already mid-flow. Oh well - no matter. It was always worth offering another option, wasn't it? Besides, the King was keen on keeping busy; the stresses of life as of late had taken a heavy toll upon him, and in a bid to maintain appearances and keep his head above water he was inclined to keep striding on.

On, and on, and on.

Quietly he would approach the pair, and, once a lapse in conversation had come about - a courtesy he might not have afforded to a stranger, or certainly not an enemy, but something he would do without a moment's hesitation for the Greyflood monarch - Magnus would interject himself smoothly. "I see Morrigan has been filling you in on the proceedings of the land." He would glance, sidelong, to his ally, and offer her a nod of acknowledgement; a non-verbal greeting. "I am Magnus Sigrún; my family control the Lagoon." Amongst others. "I did not catch your name?" A pause, as he regarded @Theoden. "Or what it is you seek?"

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THEODEN

Theoden needed to not wait long for an answer to his questions. The woman before him seemed very willing to give her information over. He knew, however, that it was not without purpose that she did so. He knew she was trying to recruit him, and while he knew little about her pride, he had not considered the idea of joining one. He’d, in some regard, felt that it was not in the cards of fate for him to be a pride member of any sort, especially not after the disaster that had befallen his natal tribe. Theoden almost shuddered at the thought of the massacre that had befallen them, taking family and friends from the man in but a few hours. He resigned himself to keeping his emotions in check, after all, there was no need to show them at the moment. But he could not help the wave of regret and sadness that wrapped its way around his heart at the thoughts of everything that had happened – and everything even he had not been able to do to save them all.

”We value both freedom and loyalty to your comrades above all else. Our ranks do not claim women and children unless it is a concern of dire safety. Not all prides share such ideals if that doesn’t suit you. In the same vein, Caladan does not hold anyone against their will and we both encourage and reward participation in the pride.” Morrigan stated. Theoden nodded slightly. He himself had never understood the purpose of prides that forcefully claimed, but he presumed that there was a method to the madness of it. He, however, did not approve of it, and it most certainly did not align with his ideals and values in life, and what he expected to get out of things. At least the woman had been transparent about their ideals on the matter, and at least he had not been approached by someone whose pride did hold such – at least in his mind – abhorrent values.

”There are eight prides in total, but Ecrosia Mire was recently rendered uninhabitable by a flood. The others are Vermeda Brook in the most northern woodlands, Wolfbron Bluffs in the mountains, Obsidian Hollows in the caverns to the west. Andal Oasis sits in the far western desert. Firnen Rainforest is to the east near the Mire and finally the Cove’s ally and neighbor, Scilla Lagoon.” The woman said. Theoden nodded, trying to keep up, putting the information thrown at him away in the back of his mind. He would have to remember these things as he explored and traveled around, as they were important bits of information to know. Of course, he assumed that each pride had their territory marked, but nevertheless, it was important to know an area’s inhabitants, at least in some regard before entering even close to their borders. At least, that was how Theoden’s mind worked. Perhaps not everyone held the same thoughts in terms of exploring.

”Until the last couple of years this land knew only peace, the natives sheltered within high walls. Maua opened the passage to outsiders and since we’ve arrived… warfare and all its side effects have followed.” Theoden grimaced visibly, nodding slightly.

”It is expected, I suppose. I’m not a stranger to warfare, that much is true about me. It’s sad, however, that the arrival of outsiders have ruined what sounds like a good thing. I must say, peace sounds… nice.” he chuckled slightly, movement suddenly catching his attention. Theoden’s gaze turned and locked upon a darker pelted man approached. The man held scars upon his features, the existence of which mattered little to Theoden beyond the obvious knowledge that the man at least in some regard knew how to fight. The scent that lingered upon the other – much larger – man told Theoden as much as he needed to know. He was another pride member, but of a different one than Morrigan was. Theoden wondered which pride this scent belonged to. The man spoke in a baritone, smooth as an algae-covered river rock.

”I see Morrigan has been filling you in on the proceedings of the land. I am Magnus Sigrun; my family control the Lagoon.” The man would state. ’Ah, okay. This is one of the Cove’s allies. Interesting,’ Theoden thought to himself. The passage, he decided, must be a place recruiters lurked to try to scoop up lone lions and lionesses as they entered a new kingdom. It was a smart tactic, Theoden had to give it that.

”I did not catch your name. Or what it is you seek?” The man continued on.

”My name is Theoden. It’s a pleasure to meet a member of another pride, more so one that Morrigan said was an ally to her own. I seek nothing, beyond knowledge. I had not considered joining a pride – but I suppose I could be convinced, nothing is out of the realm of possibilities.” Theoden stated, his accent heavy on some words as he spoke.

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It was still strange to Morrigan after living so long beneath Magnus's rule to see him as something much closer to a equal. As the colossal king's dark shape joined them Morrigan's tail rose in greeting to her closest friend, "Speak of the devil and he shall appear," she teased the dark brute. @Theoden had seemed to do a good job of keeping up with all the information she had dumped on him and processed it accordingly. "I've long grown to think peace is a fairytale for children, but we do our best to keep things stable as we can. Some are meant to be the shield which others experience peace behind," she shrugged, knowing her own position was one she was happy to be in. "What is it you would seek in a home? Our homes are both similar and different from each other." She looked again to @Magnus, leaving him opportunity to interject where he wished.

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Magnus would curl a lip in amusement at Morrigan's jape. "Devil indeed, as some might have you believe." His thoughts shifted momentarily to Amara and her cronies, Vermier too, before flitting back to the present as quickly as they came. After all, there were much more important things to focus on here. Far more pressing. So he would regard @Theoden, focusing on his introduction and ensuring to commit his name - and his words - to memory. "I see." He nodded. "You have the luxury of not having to commit, I suppose, the way a woman would." He glanced sidelong to @Morrigan for a moment, not imagining that she would take offense to his statement but hoping quietly all the same that she would not; thought that he would afford to her and not many others. "A grim fact of life." Then, as the Greyflood disclosed more information on the Cove personally, Magnus would remain silent until the ball fell back into his court. "Morrigan and I have lived in this archipelago for many many moons. You are in the right company if you seek information." Alas, Magnus could probably reel off chapters and chapters of Amaryllis' life since the fresh blood had invaded. The only one he could think of to be a better informant would be Nymeria, or one of her many sisters. After all, she had been a near constant throughout it all. "There would be space for you in both of our Kingdoms, I would imagine, depending on what it was you looked for."

the finest fury is the most controlled

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