URSUS GAINS A FOLLOWER

Wait…NOW they are worshiping him!?!?

The following takes place sometime after 20th of Uk Sak, Year 2 of the Rebirth, in the Sovereignty of Terosh, in the seas north of the Hinterlands, at least this is believed to be the time frame, as there are some wibbley wobbley timey wimey issues.

Ditka was performing his menial tasks, as assigned by his Overwatcher, carrying this and that from her to there. Ditka is a slave that was captured many moon ago somewhere near the western side of Dragon’s Claw in the Hinterlands. He wears a strange slave collar. While many of the other slaves around him have similar collars, his is quite unique: It is silver, with small silver spikes that point inward towards his neck rather than out.

Ditka is a WereBear. He was captured, as opposed to being killed, by a Iceborn raiding party. The party had killed him, after happening upon him alone in the forest, but not realizing what he was didn’t finish him. They left his body on the edge of their camp, deep in some snow, to be eaten later. He arose that night, when one of the party tried to slice a chunk off for a meal and reeked savage vengeance and destruction on the party while they rested. They managed to kill him again. As the survivors were about to shred his body the Leader halted them, seeing a potential new asset for his ruler and master Terosh. Ditka was not as willing as the Overwatchers would have liked to be a willing participant in their plans for him. He was second only to an Iceborn in combat, but he never attacked, he only defended. He was aggressive and strong, very strong, but his traits weren’t translating as they hoped and soon was relegated to menial labor tasks.

He was carrying many different and large crates, sacks and other items back and forth from the undersea entry commonly used by the Zarancetti. He didn’t pay much attention to anything around him, just did his tasks, having accepted his new life. This day was to be different, much different. As he grabbed a large crate near the entry, a small group of Zarancetti entered and seemed confused and lost. He noticed only slightly and thought this strange as they all normally know exactly where they are going. As they passed him, Ditka felt or sensed something strange, yet very familiar about one of them. This sense snapped him out of his accepted melancholy. He stared directly at the one that he sensed, something he hadn’t down in quite some time as he had been broken of this habit long ago. For some reason he felt deep in his bones the need to follow this group to find out who or what they were. He dropped his crate and began to follow at a distance where he would not be noticed. In a thick part of the jungle area an Overwatcher saw him and demanded his task. Ditka ignored him and tried to move past. The Overwatcher stepped into his face and slapped him with the back of his hand. This caused something to snap or click in Ditka. While the Overwatcher was much taller Ditka stared him down. This provoked another back hand but this time Ditka caught it inches from his face. The Overwatcher tried to break from his grasp, but couldn’t. Ditka reached up with his other hand, grasping his collar, The Overwatcher realized which slave this was and tried with more strength to break free. Ditka still maintained his grasp, on collar and Overwatcher, then began to transform. First his hands, one began crushing the arm of the Overwatcher, the other gripped on the collar began to bleed and burn, pain was obvious in his face but was endured. He ripped the collar from his neck and quickly transformed fully. The Overwatcher was shocked and speechless at first, but tried to gain self control again. He tried to yell out but Ditka shoved his free paw into his open maw grabbing his his lower jaw. The Overwatcher bit down, but it was like chewing on thick leather hide, the skin didn’t break. With that Ditka ripped his jaw off and shoved it up into his rib cage, silencing him forever. He quickly dismembered the body, hiding the pieces amongst the thick foliage.

Memories and knowledge came rushing back to Ditka. He soon realized he could get closer to the group ahead, yet still stay very quiet and hide amongst the foliage. They seemed to know where they wanted to go, as though being led by some mystical force, but at times they didn’t. Then Ditka saw one change. It went from Zarancetti to Troll, he had seen lots of them in the dome and many shifters, but never like this. It was not long after that they all changed and Ditka changed forever himself. Amongst the group, one grew to staggering size and girth. Ditka almost blurted out in awe of the beast before him. Another WereBear, like him but so much different. This one was almost God-like, or at least in Ditka’s thought process. They met with a group of non-Overwatchers, who told them where they could find the Master. Ditka remembered conversations between the Overwatchers about this group, but never paid attention in his former un-awoken state of mind. He continued to follow, something compelled him to know more of this God-like WereBear. They continued, with the God-like WereBear leading, seeming to know where they were going yet not, very strange behavior to him. But he was realizing that he also was lost but knew what he had to do at the same time. He must witness what they were going to do.

They eventually arrived deep in the dome, deeper than Ditka had ever been. The group had passed many traps and conflicts with ease, seemingly knowing where they were and avoiding them with ease, he followed suit, tracing their trail almost step for step. Soon they arrived in a massive central chamber, with a flowing river of thick red liquid, Ditka could smell it…blood. He stayed far back, but close enough to surveil the action.

As the group began to cross the bridge to the large stone face in the center of the chamber, two began to fight amongst themselves, the Troll and the Kankoran. While the troll had the Kankoran dangling from the bridge, The Master and several of his cohort entered the Chamber from a large stone face from the center of the chamber. The Master extolled the death of all before him and shot a great beam from his open palm, Ditka could see an eye in the middle of the palm before the beam erupted from it, somehow it missed any and all. The God-like WereBear quickly engaged the minions with fervor and abandon. The others also seemed to engage. The Kankoran, while still held by the Troll, reached out his hand and the Master came flying at the two with great force and speed, narrowly missing them both. The Golden Minotaur took to the air shooting lightning from his hands that engulfed all the minions on the central island/face. The Man in Black stood there quietly making strange hand gestures. The One in Robes was also making his own gestures. Two other humans, a short one and an archer also engaged. The Short One blasted huge balls of ice from his sword, the Archer shot an arrow which exploded into many small chunks which rained down destruction.

Ditka watched with intensity, trying to memorize every detail. He watched in shock as the Gold-like WereBear fell from the blows of the enemy, but realized it was a sacrificial tactic to pull the minions from there Master to make him somewhat unguarded, plus he could tell the WereBear was still, somehow alive…barely. The Minotaur, still flying, scooped up the WereBear and used him as a battering ram to destroy the face. It sucked in upon itself, taking a minion with it. This ramming also blew through another minion, you could see the blood and guts smeared all over the WereBear. The minions were destroyed quickly. The Master went to engage the Man in Black, who attacked him. The Master thought the attack to be towards his own being, but the Man instead attacked the staff used to parry the attack, it was destroyed, cut clean in half. As the Master retaliated with the open palm against the Man, The Master had a slight look of surprise, when the Man allowed his palm to touch him. It was soon the realization of what was happening. The Man was swinging his implement with very familiar motions, as though he was using it for its intended purpose. The blade swung up from very low under the reach of the Master, it struck him dead center in the groin. The two then began a battle of wills. They were staring each other down, while the flow of energy could be seen by the naked eye. It was flowing out of the Man into the Master via his hand, while the energy flowed out the Master into the Man via his tool. Time slowed, as the two locked into an energy spiral, it seemed both would be lost. Then the Man drew upon some hidden reserve strength to pull energy from the Master faster then he could draw it from the Man. The Master slowly loosened his grip on the forehead of the Man, while the Man seemed to become stronger, shoving the blade even deeper into the Master’s groin. When the Master went limp, the Man withdrew his implement, the Master fell, and the Man collapsed on top of him.

The remaining group scooped up their friends, it took at least three to carry the WereBear. They entered the side chamber, seeing an artifact they showed they were seeking, it was smashed by the One in Robes with a mighty flail. The entire area began to shake. Ditka knew it was time to leave this hell he had been in for countless years. As he is fleeing he witnesses the last act of a benevolent God:

The Minotaur hands the Kankoran an object. He grabs him and whispers something in his ear. The Minotaur’s eyes begin to glow with wisps of golden arcane power drifting away to the sides, out loud he speaks “Our struggle effects a thousand worlds. It’s bigger than all of us, but let this act remind you that I have never forgotten to try and save everyone.”

He takes a few steps back letting go of the Kankoran, “Remember the Jorruth, I trusted you and followed your lead. Speak up more my friend.” He begins to glow like a small sun, he rises up high in this inner chamber. The whole place begins to quake and tremble as though the bubble of psychic energy is crumbling! It feels as though the entire northern sea is about to come rushing in and destroy it and all inside! Arms outstretched, beams of light shoot out from his hands covering everything in a golden aura! Even the river of blood becomes molten gold! He speaks and his voice is otherworldly for the first time,

“I cannot hold this forever! Everyone of you must flee or die this is your only chance at freedom and survival!”

Ditka flees faster then he has ever moved before, as though propelled by the words and energy of the Minotaur God. When he is almost to the above sea path, he sees some Overwatchers trying to slay a small group of new slaves to prevent their escape or save themselves. He does something he has never thought of before, save the slaves. He quickly smashes into the Overwatchers killing them all. He breaks the bonds that hold the slaves, getting them to run. those that are too injured or slow, he lets them upon his back to help them escape. The moment they cross the end of the great bridge, he hears a strange noise. He turns to see the Dome explode then implode upon itself into nothingness. With that Ditka lets the ones off his back, they hobble to the group of other former slaves. He turns to them, they all shake in fear. He tries to speak, but he has not done so in quite sometime, it comes out as growls and snarls, two of the females faint. He clears his throat and in the language he is most familiar with speaks out: “I seek the ones that came to destroy the evil of the dome.” He describes the group. “I demand to know who they are and where they can be found, especially the one that is of the Moon and Bear!”

A dwarf, with a look of shock not terror on his face, steps up. “You seek the one called Ursus of the group known as CrIsis. Where they are is known only to them and a select few of the Church. To find them ’tis better to let them seek you.” With that Ditka walks off into to the forest. Just before sunrise, as he finds a small hidden cave to rest, he kneels towards the setting Moon. “Oh great Ursus, you have opened my eyes. You have taken off my shackles. I am whole once again because of you and your acts. You have saved this poor wretch. I will learn all that I can of you and your ways. I will go and seek our kin to spread your deeds and ways. You are my savior.”

The source of this tale is unknown.

Terosh Dome picture from Disney
Ursus & Xerx’ses token drawn by AZ_RUNE
Xerx’ses part written by AZ_RUNE