Word Count: 573 Dated: April 6. I've powerplayed everyone present already, so no one have to play out the arriving part. Dawali would have gone around the night in advance to prepare everyone for what was going to happen. Here's what's happening; Every seventh year, the spring ceremony is replaced with the Uku Dance (Uku = the title worn by the chief for the duration of the ceremony). The Chief then dons a particularly elaborate outfit, and performs the Uku Dance in a specially prepared circle in the stone square (by the ceremonial fire). His feet are not to touch soil before they reach the stone circle, and so a blanket of feathers from his hut to the ceremonial ground has been prepared. The tribe stands around the ring and watches, and as he passes them in his slowly moving dance around the area he nods his head to every member, who traditionally would return the gesture. The purpose of this ceremony is both to assert the Chief's position within the tribe, and to give the Chief a chance to formally acknowledge the presence of the tribesmembers. Near the end of the dance, sub-leaders and eventually everyone may join in inside the circle until the Chief stops dancing. After the dance, the ceremony proceeds as usual; the Chief extinguishes and relights the ceremonial fire, those that wish to do so may sacrifice goods to it, and the ceremony ends in three days of feasting and celebration of the return of spring. He felt silly. The chief had been preparing for the ceremony for some time, both mentally and physically. He'd repaired the regalia he was to wear, inherited from Ayegali. It was very ornamental, a large leather costume with feathers and beads literally everywhere. Along the length of his arms and legs were pieces of metal and stone that crashed together and chimed as he moved, and the much larger head-crown felt heavy and clumsy on his head. His belt was different, too, and on it hung several pouches and instruments, and a tobacco pipe. Really, Dawali was honored that it was his turn to perform this dance, and he was honored to have the title at all, but that didn't change the fact that most of the members of the tribe knew little to nothing of these traditions and what they meant. He would not blame them for judging him. Still, he would not ignore his responsibility, and luckily this time around he had both his daughter and his friend the hunter to watch out for him; this thought calmed him. If not for himself, he knew he had to do this for them. His feet stepped gingerly on the blanket of feathers as he proceeded towards the ceremonial fire, winds threatening to blow them away. Gvihita sat atop his shoulder looking as arrogant as ever, and today the eagle spirit added to the already mighty appearance of the red wolf, not only the wearer of feathers but also the companion of such a holy animal. He turned the corner along the path, cleared a house, and the members of the tribe all circling the ceremonial ground came into view. Dawali swallowed once, twice, nervously, and then continued walking without hesitation. Several steps later he was at the edge of the circle laid out in the middle of the square, paved ground, and he stopped for a moment, looking out at the crowd in ceremonious manner. His eyes lingered on Ember, on Nayati and Asha, before they went blank and he took one step forward into the ring and begun his dance. He did not need the accompaniment of drums; his feet struck the ground and sent waves of motion through his limbs, shaking the pieces of metal and stone. Strong muscles flexed as he moved. This was not a dance for the agile, but for the strong, the powerful, and the ceaseless and slow steps created a multi-pitched beat from the chiming metal and stone ornaments on his regalia. His body was a rhythm, was a melody without tones, and he moved decisively around with his eyes out of focus, every now and then looking up at a member and nodding to them before continuing. Never was the rhythm broken; it would not be before he was finished. After greeting every single member in this manner except Ember, he lifted his head and sent her one very decisive glance. He would dance with her, and then the rest of the tribe could dance as well. Reaching for his little bone flute, he started playing a cheerful tune on it whilst dancing on, as if to give the rest of the tribe a little more to go on as they danced. The high-pitched flute played together with the continued chime of his adornments, and he smiled as he released his breath into the ceremonial instrument. The whole thing was going better than expected. |
Pack Ceremony - The Uku Dance
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04-12-2010, 06:48 PM
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04-12-2010, 07:58 PM
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Hello almighty Chief This was a very special night for both the Chief and the entire tribe. Yumiko was honoured to be a part of the ceremony, and had been barely able to sleep the night before in anticipation. Some may find the ceremonial activities strange, or too traditional, but the blonde wolf thought it was a wonderful way to combine the hearts of every member in the tribe and make them beat as one. She stood now by the edge of the circle with a clear view of the main event. Though nearly every wolf in AniWaya had shown up, the outer ring of the dancing stones was quite clear. Those coming late, or those joining future dances, would have plenty of space. She assumed that was what it was designed for, after all. Dawali entered the circle proudly, a fierce eagle perched upon his shoulder. Perhaps that was one of those Spirit Guides Yumiko had heard talk of? Or had he simply been able to tame such a mighty beast? Either way, it made him look more regal and impressive than before, with his ceremonial garb and proud stance. From her view on the opposite side of the ring, she could not see him swallow and did not sense his nervousness. To her blue eyes, he was as determined a leader as ever she'd seen. A calm breeze blew through the crowd, seemingly hushed in the presence of their Chief. He looked at his loved ones, and began to dance. Never before had the young female seen such powerful, meaningful steps as the ones he danced that calm night. An energy thrummed through the air with each of his steps, and she swayed in time to his movements. When Dawali turned to her and nodded in way of the dance, her ears perked up and she nodded back at him with a smile prominent upon her face. He was worthy of it. Although she had not known him for very long, what she had learned of her Chief impressed her. He had, and still was, guiding the AniWayans through a dangerous war to the North, and had not let her starve through the winter. As he continued to dance, Yumiko began to lift her paws and closed her eyes as the power of his desires moved through her soul. It was more than just some silly ceremony, or a dance made up by a little kid. It had deeper meaning, one that you had to see to believe. "Talk." Walk. Think. .Yumiko002 b {font-weight:bold; color:#767295; letter-spacing:1px; } .Yumiko002ooc {font-style:italic; padding:0px; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:11px; color:#767295; text-align:left;} .Yumiko002 p {text-indent:0px; padding:5px 10px; margin:0px;} .Yumiko002 {margin:0 auto; width:339px; background-color:#c6d596; background-image:url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v121/ ... iko002.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #767295; padding: 160px 0px 5px 0px; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:11px; color:#676a31; line-height:12px; letter-spacing:.5px; text-align:justify;} </style>[/html]
04-12-2010, 09:11 PM
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Here is a picture of what Ember is wearing :3
Her visible spirit guide hung lazily in the air above the group, his large head sticking out from the surrounding tree cover. The orca was too big to fit in the immediate area, and when in a group setting tended to drift off to the side if he could. Ember gave one glance up to Utriu for reassurance, spotting his enormous head among the branches, then looked down to Lotus, then back up at Dawali. She watched as he nodded to each of the tribe members during the dance, ending with her. When his eyes met the pale green of hers she gave him a deep nod, lifting her foot to step into the inner part of the circle. She was dressed in a new manner as well, not in her usual cloak or red dress. The dress that she had chosen for this night was a dark turquoise color, the fabric velvet. Over top of it she had a long, thin white dress that laced together at the bosom. She had left her weapons resting against a nearby tree, not needing them for this ceremony. In one hand she held nothing, but in the other was a small shaker that she had crafted out of wood. It had small seeds inside that, when shaken, created a light rattling sound. She began to dance alongside the chief, creating a rhythm to match the cheerful sound of his whistle. .ember2 b {font-weight:bold; color:#6F63BA; letter-spacing:1px;} .ember2ooc {font-style:italic; color:#6F63BA; padding:0px; font-family:verdana, sans-serif; font-size:9px; text-align: right;} .ember2 p {text-indent:25px; padding:5px 10px; margin:0px;} .ember2 {margin:0 auto; width:394px; background-color:#E9D7CE; background-image:url(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/ ... ember3.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #6B2474; padding: 0px 0px 235px 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:#BB75A2; line-height:12px; letter-spacing:.5px; text-align:justify;} </style>
04-12-2010, 09:38 PM
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04-12-2010, 10:12 PM
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My characters are not social, haha. I hope you don't mind them playing drums! :] 300+ It had taken a great deal of coaxing for Aurèle to convince her son that he was required to attend what he saw as a silly meeting. Anatole had objected to this repeatedly, arguing that it was pointless. Certainly, to him (and his mother) it was. Neither valued the spirituality that AniWaya did, but it was important to them, and of all the places that might have offered them refuge, Dawali did not push the pale woman beyond her walls. He understood, in a small way, her nature, and that she was not made for this place. The raven, though silent, knew this as well. It had been sent to teach her, even though she would not accept him. The pair had joined the rest of the tribe, in that uncomfortable two legged form. Though not concerned with her appearance, it was obvious that Aurèle had understood the importance of the ceremony and gone to lengths to blend in. Her fur, which had been dingy and dirt stained when she had arrived, was a pristine white marred only by the dusty tan of her coat. Her hair hung long and straight, and bore a singular black feather that the raven had brought to her earlier in the day. Anatole had made a face at this, but after a sharp look from his mother he had said nothing. Her son had not made any effort to go beyond shifting to his Optime form, and looked rather disgruntled to be where he was. Anatole had been spending more and more time exploring, and was unhappy that he had to stand around and watch these people dance. Arms crossed under his chest, the boy (who was just beginning to stand taller then his large mother) kept an flat and unhappy mask on his face. Both Aston’s watched their leader move, made up in his feathers and beads, and both nodded at his greeting (if only because they had seen the others do so). Then movement and quiet noise began, but it was subdued and felt peculiar. Neither of the two moved, not until the pied crow flew past its pale woman and landed on an unarmed drum. He tapped on this twice and cocked an eye to Aurèle, who smiled faintly. After a glance to her son, she moved towards this, and with the bird as her guide, began tapping a rhythmic beat. Unwilling to be left alone to dance with the strange wolves, Anatole came to her side and began mimicking the motion on a second drum. They would not dance, but they would aid in their own way. .aurele-a01 b {font-weight:bold; color:#000000; letter-spacing:1px; } .aurele-anatole{color:#a18b4f; font-weight:bold;} .ooc { font-style:italic; padding:0px; font-family:verdana, sans-serif; font-size:11px;} .aurele-a01 p {text-indent:25px; padding:5px 10px; margin:0px;} .aurele-a01 {margin:0 auto; width:400px; background-color:#efecdb; background-image:url(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a329/ ... _table.jpg); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #000000; padding: 10px 0px 200px 0px; font-family: georgia, sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:#3c2e1f; line-height:16px; letter-spacing:.5px; text-align:justify;} </style>[/html]
04-12-2010, 10:39 PM
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OOC: 539 words
Once at the ceremony Ember had warned him to stay right where he was and not go anywhere. While Lotus might prefer to run around on his own he did know how to listen. Which was why he was standing in the circle formation with everyone else, staying by his mother’s side. He was glancing around at all that had gathered, a few of the faces he could recognize. Though when he felt eyes on him he looked up to catch his Mommy looking down at him. He smiled and wagged his tail as forepaws were aimed to be placed against her leg so that he could stand and get height enough to try to lick at her hand. A simple reassurance in his own away. From what he could understand this ceremony was special and he wouldn’t do anything to mess it up. Which meant as hard as it was for him he would stay right where he was.
When he saw his Daddy come out he had to fight back the urge to run up to him. Instead he stayed on the sidelines like everyone else and just watched. Head tilted to the side as he watched his Daddy’s slow movements. Though when the Kalona got closer his little paws danced in place but he had to remind himself that he was to stay silent and stay put. Still he couldn’t help but feel special when his Daddy acknowledged him. So what if it had been done to everyone else in turn as well? This was his Daddy not their Daddy. The pup dipped his head down in return of the greeting as he had been instructed to do.
But then his Mommy was leaving him to dance with his Daddy. See!? He knew they were family! They got to dance alone together. He really wasn’t silly for his thoughts and assumptions. Or at least that is what he believed. Though then another started to join in on the dancing which caused Lotus to watch curiously to see if he would get in trouble or not. After all Lotus was being a good girl and staying right where he was told to stay at. [/html]
04-20-2010, 09:40 AM
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04-28-2010, 05:31 PM
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Ember wants to dance more! short :3 Ember knew most of the wolves that had chosen to come to the celebrations. Yumiko was a good friend of hers who she and Lotus visited often for suppers or other social engagements. Once her boy was big enough, and once she had had the chance to instruct him on it more, she wondered if Yumiko would like to have a group hunt with the two of them. But those were thoughts for another day. She watched as the members of the tribe joined in on the festivities, keeping her eye on her son to be sure that he wasn't getting into any trouble. Lotus was a good boy, but she liked to keep an eye on him just in case. She often worried about him, even if she didn't really need to. As soon as the more formal part of the meeting was over, she broke out of the circle to go toward Lotus, so that they might dance together. He wasn't able to shift, so she reached down to see if he might want to be picked up. .ember1 b {font-weight:bold; color:#990000; letter-spacing:1px;} .ember1ooc {font-style:italic; color:#990000; padding:0px; font-family:verdana, sans-serif; font-size:9px; text-align: right;} .ember1 p {text-indent:25px; padding:5px 10px; margin:0px;} .ember1 {margin:0 auto; width:415px; background-color:#8D4794; background-image:url(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/ ... ember1.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #09000B; padding: 0px 0px 170px 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:#2D0531; line-height:12px; letter-spacing:.5px; text-align:justify;} </style>
05-02-2010, 05:37 AM
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OOC: 375 words
But once it was all done and the fire was extinguished only to be relit for the festivities to start up again Lotus once more tucked himself out of the way. The young pup moved back to take up his previous position. His rump became placed against the ground so that he could sit and wait out the rest of the ceremony. His tail thumped gently against the ground as he would glance around at all that had come out. It was slightly disappointing to see that there were no other pups. But what could really be done about it? He had already spoken to his Mommy about siblings. He figured he would make a good big sister.
Stretching out his forelimbs the pup laid down. He had thought he was being good so it surprised him when his Mommy came over to him. But the worry that he had done something wrong ceased when his Mommy reached down towards him. Lotus quickly got back up and pushed himself up to stand briefly on his hind legs so that his forepaws could reach out to his Mommy. It was a clear sign that he was willing to be picked up. His little tail even wagged. He was just happy to be included. [/html]
05-09-2010, 01:45 PM
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05-20-2010, 02:59 PM
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