Outside tempered veil, there was a small yurt. Smoke plumed from the center, thick and dark in the cold weather. Inside an elderly human woman dressed in heavy furs with vibrant hair and steely eyes sat across a large campfire from a burly half-orc with a somewhat irritated expression on his face.
“Meema, is this really necessary?”
“Boy, you might have taken yer mother’s name, but that don’t make you no less my grandson, y’ hear me?”
“Sure, but I ain’t some sorta tribal bandit-huntin’ warrior like you!”
“Yer right. Ways I hears it, you hunt the undead an’ punch necer-whatsits instead.”
“Not on purpose! I Jus’ thought there’d be some interestin’ wood near wherebout’s they was adventurin’. B’sides, weren’t like I were jus’ gonna stand by when folk needed help.”
“Exactly! Yer a fighter, Grognak! It’s in yer blood and it’s high-times you acknowledged it an’ got blooded like yer pappy and yer granpappy afore you.”
Grognak gave a resigned sigh. “Fine.”
“Right. Now, didja make the talisman likes I asked ye too?”
“Yeh, I’s gots it right here.” Grognak held out a small wooden disc, with a bear-paw emblem carved into it, hanging from a leather strap.
“Good. Now, put it on.”Grognak pulled on the wooden amulet. “I am gonna send you to meet our totem beast. He’s named ‘bear.’ When you meet him, y’all treat him with respect. He’s very old, very wise. He’ll teach ya ta fight. Unnerstand?”
Grognak sighed again. “Yeah yeah, pappy told me all the stories Meema.”
“Good.” The old human woman threw a bundle of plants onto the fire, and the yurt quickly filled with thick, blue smoke. “Now, I wants you to breath deep.”
Grognak repressed a cough a few times as he sucked in the smokey air, before finally passing out.
He awoke in a wood, but not like any wood he’d seen before. There was no sun or moon, instead a dim blue light filtering down from above, through glittering iridescent leaves. Grognak stood up, only to find he was no longer a bipedal half orc. He moved his shaggy head down and saw big claws covered in thick, dense fur. “Gruuug?” He grumbled. Whatever this was, he was a bear now.
Taking it all in stride, the orcbear trundled through the bushes, until he came across a clearing ringed by spotted mushrooms and whip-like ferns. Resting in the middle was a large bear, with blue fur that shimmered with golden tips. As Grognak entered the clearing, the bear turned to face him. After only a few moments of observation, it roared and charged Grognak.
Grognak rose up and took the charge to his bear-belly, and tried to find purchase on his opponent’s back as he was tackled to the ground. Roaring in response, Grognak clamped his jaws down on the back of his foe’s neck, pushing up and rolling out from under his opponent as he released. His opponent snarled and stood on its hind legs. Grognak responded in kind, and the two tilted towards each other and embracing in a fearsome bear-hug, ramming their teeth together as each tried to find purchase on their opponent’s neck. After a few moments of this, they separated and fell to all fours, circling each other again. Neither wanted to back down, both were prepared to fight. In a flash, the two charge each other again, ramming into one another and rolling onto the ground in a ball of fur and claws, the two almost seeming to become one as they wrestle, teeth gnashing at each other’s throats. They roll and slam heavy paws against thick hides, claws raking.
As they wrestle, the shimmer from the second bear’s fur begins to blend into Grognak’s. A glow begins to encompass them, and their forms become more and more indistinct. There’s a sense of melding, and a blinding light.
Grognak sits up, gasping, from the dirt floor. His thick hands paw at his chest as he looks down, suddenly aware that he has hands and not paws. “Wha’?” He slurs.
The old woman observes him. “It has been twelve hours. Did you meet him?”
Grognak looks at her, thinks for a moment, then shakes his head. “No.”
She nods. “So what, then?”
“I am him.”
She grins. “Very good.”
“Meema, is this really necessary?”
“Boy, you might have taken yer mother’s name, but that don’t make you no less my grandson, y’ hear me?”
“Sure, but I ain’t some sorta tribal bandit-huntin’ warrior like you!”
“Yer right. Ways I hears it, you hunt the undead an’ punch necer-whatsits instead.”
“Not on purpose! I Jus’ thought there’d be some interestin’ wood near wherebout’s they was adventurin’. B’sides, weren’t like I were jus’ gonna stand by when folk needed help.”
“Exactly! Yer a fighter, Grognak! It’s in yer blood and it’s high-times you acknowledged it an’ got blooded like yer pappy and yer granpappy afore you.”
Grognak gave a resigned sigh. “Fine.”
“Right. Now, didja make the talisman likes I asked ye too?”
“Yeh, I’s gots it right here.” Grognak held out a small wooden disc, with a bear-paw emblem carved into it, hanging from a leather strap.
“Good. Now, put it on.”Grognak pulled on the wooden amulet. “I am gonna send you to meet our totem beast. He’s named ‘bear.’ When you meet him, y’all treat him with respect. He’s very old, very wise. He’ll teach ya ta fight. Unnerstand?”
Grognak sighed again. “Yeah yeah, pappy told me all the stories Meema.”
“Good.” The old human woman threw a bundle of plants onto the fire, and the yurt quickly filled with thick, blue smoke. “Now, I wants you to breath deep.”
Grognak repressed a cough a few times as he sucked in the smokey air, before finally passing out.
He awoke in a wood, but not like any wood he’d seen before. There was no sun or moon, instead a dim blue light filtering down from above, through glittering iridescent leaves. Grognak stood up, only to find he was no longer a bipedal half orc. He moved his shaggy head down and saw big claws covered in thick, dense fur. “Gruuug?” He grumbled. Whatever this was, he was a bear now.
Taking it all in stride, the orcbear trundled through the bushes, until he came across a clearing ringed by spotted mushrooms and whip-like ferns. Resting in the middle was a large bear, with blue fur that shimmered with golden tips. As Grognak entered the clearing, the bear turned to face him. After only a few moments of observation, it roared and charged Grognak.
Grognak rose up and took the charge to his bear-belly, and tried to find purchase on his opponent’s back as he was tackled to the ground. Roaring in response, Grognak clamped his jaws down on the back of his foe’s neck, pushing up and rolling out from under his opponent as he released. His opponent snarled and stood on its hind legs. Grognak responded in kind, and the two tilted towards each other and embracing in a fearsome bear-hug, ramming their teeth together as each tried to find purchase on their opponent’s neck. After a few moments of this, they separated and fell to all fours, circling each other again. Neither wanted to back down, both were prepared to fight. In a flash, the two charge each other again, ramming into one another and rolling onto the ground in a ball of fur and claws, the two almost seeming to become one as they wrestle, teeth gnashing at each other’s throats. They roll and slam heavy paws against thick hides, claws raking.
As they wrestle, the shimmer from the second bear’s fur begins to blend into Grognak’s. A glow begins to encompass them, and their forms become more and more indistinct. There’s a sense of melding, and a blinding light.
Grognak sits up, gasping, from the dirt floor. His thick hands paw at his chest as he looks down, suddenly aware that he has hands and not paws. “Wha’?” He slurs.
The old woman observes him. “It has been twelve hours. Did you meet him?”
Grognak looks at her, thinks for a moment, then shakes his head. “No.”
She nods. “So what, then?”
“I am him.”
She grins. “Very good.”
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