OOC: The Stone Dogs are a little different than the other Societies. We're doing our initiation into the society before the warrior training. Since you wish to be a Stone Dog and all are taught to fight from a young age I'm working under the assumption that your character has already learned all of the basic fighting skills. Your actual "Training" which will occur after your initiation will be society specific and help to advance your weapons score as advertised in the Aiel Policy post. So without further ado much of this post is simply you writing. I'll send you a PM with an outline of the Initiation if you wish. otherwise, you can just check out Cor's initiation thread lower on the page. Most of my replies will be short, as most of the rest is up to you.

 

IC: Hung over, tired, and exceptionally bored was not a feeling any man enjoyed. It was to the Stone Dog sentry's extreme dis-pleasure that a young boy was coming closer to the gate. "Stop. What do you want?"

 

OOC: Short and to the point...check the outline and have fun with Step 1: The initiated comes to the Roof of the Shae’en M’Taal and requests entry. The sentry at the door nods and says, “I will get the SL.” Then goes inside and screams, “INITIATE.” At this point every member of the Shae’en M’Taal rushes from the doors and windows of their roof as well as the streets around the area screaming bloody fury into the night brandishing their weapons. They converge on the initiate and beat him to a bloody pulp. He must stand his ground and fight; if he runs at this point he will fail.

 

Please be realistic. Though we've assumed you're a trained warrior, you're no match for an entire society of trained brothers. They'll only beat you close to a bloody pulp! 8)

 

As an Aside: if at any point the Initiate fails in his testing he will be caught and branded on his neck with a rock in the shape of a cat. This will let every member of the society know he has failed an no one will have dealings of any sort with him, and he will never be allowed to attempt to join the Shae’en M’Taal again.

Lev was ready. Actually, the old man had said he was as ready as he’d ever get, which Lev took as the man’s blessing, and a sign that he was indeed ready. Prepared. Strong, lean, fit, and absolutely, definitely, without a doubt as ready as he was ever going to be. That was what he told himself as he walked over to the roof of the Shae’en M’taal, the society his mother had despised, and therefore the one society that Lev had to be fascinated by. He could do this.

 

It really didn’t help that he’d seen a man with a cat branded in his neck a few days ago. No Stone Dog would look at him twice, and when he discretely inquired what had happened, the old man had just said something about the man being a soft skinned wetlander bastard who was nowhere near ready to become a Stone Dog. And now he’d never be one either. Lev was determined to avoid that fate. Grinning broadly, he wandered on, stopping a few paces away from the nearest sentry.

 

The man was a little smaller than he was, and generally Lev enjoyed using his height to intimidate people. Not today though. Today he wanted his soon to be brothers to think well of him. That, and the man reeked of oosquai and other things that Lev couldn’t and wouldn’t identify. The man even sounded hungover when he asked Lev why he was here. Folding his arms behind his back, Lev pondered on the question for a moment. What was the man thinking, that he was there to pick flowers? “I seek admittance to the Shae’en M’taal” he said, raising an eyebrow as if to question what the man was going to do about it.

 

Run away, that was what. With a blurted out “I’ll get the Society Leader!” the man sprinted off, a lot faster than Lev had thought he’d be able to. He’d grinned too, which was the first happy sign Lev had seen from the man. It was probably a good sign. The man was happy to see Lev, which could only mean that he was happy to have Lev as a Society brother. Or not. Lev could hear him call out “Innitiate!” from where he was standing. “You’re joking, right?” he asked another sentry, who was now advancing on Lev with his spears levelled at Lev’s chest.

 

The man shook his head in denial, right before attacking Lev head on. Thinking fast, Lev ducked under the attack, before jumping up again. the top of his head connected firmly with the man’s jaw, sending him to the ground. “Ow…” he muttered, rubbing his head. Shouts coming from the direction the first sentry had gone attracted his attention. What he saw almost made him want to turn and run. At least a dozen Stone Dogs poured out of the building, all armed to the teeth, and all grinning. “I’m ready!” Lev shouted, which was all the battle cry he was granted, before the first Stone Dog reached him.

 

It was a little fast man, ducking under Lev’s punch and slicing at his chest. Though he jumped back, the knife still left a red trail on his stomach. Lev didn’t make the same mistake twice, taking out the man’s legs with a solid swipe. By now he was starting to realise that he’d be dead very soon if he kept giving people opportunities to stab him. With a roar worthy of a lion he ran forward, straight into a group of four Stone Dogs who had been waiting for their turn to beat on Lev. His fists collided with some people on multiple occasions, but not half as often as fists and feet connected with him. He roared again, bringing his elbow down on a head, and receiving a solid kick to the stomach in return.

 

That kick, together with a foot against the back of his knee caused him to go down. A rain of fists on his head and back kept him low. He didn’t give up though. He wasn’t just going to let them get to him. He was ready. They had no right to keep him out of their society. Snatching a leg as it kicked at him, he gave it a sharp tug, bringing down one of his attackers. Having the man right where he wanted him, Lev began to pummel him. At least he’d make one of them remember who he was. At least, he hoped the man remembered by the time Lev was too hurt and tired to raise his fist another time.

 

~Lev Costin

OOC: I will be writing this post as Belran acting NPC Society second since Xin is unavailable and Cor is acting Society Leader.

 

IC:

 

The initiate had shown great resolve during the onslaught of Stone Dog members. The members of the society always took great pleasure in the ritual beating of new members. Cor and Belran stood on the balcony of their roof watching the fight progress. Belran reflected on the time when Cor had been the newest applicant into Shae’en M’Taal as he prepared to play his part in the next part of the initiation, which oddly enough was the same as it had been that night not so long ago. At that time it had been Cor who was undergoing the beating. They had become fast friends even though Cor rose through the ranks; rapidly advancing until Xin named him his second. Tonight was an odd mirrored refelection of that evening's events.

 

Now it was time; with Lev laying on the ground a bloody pulp from the beating the society had given him. Belran descended the stairs quickly and emerged from the door of the hold. “STOP!” With the trained practice that only comes from many battles shared, a lifetime of bloodshed, and a brotherhood forged by fire, everyone stopped. “You have shown you can stand against the onslaught; that you will not run. Now you must show your strength. You must go from the hold; you may take your weapons with you. You will run until sunrise and then turn around and return to the hold. You won’t stop or rest. Now go and return only when you have completed your journey.”

 

OOC: Ok check the outline to see what you have to do.

Have fun. 8)

The booming sound of someone’s voice was enough to stop the onslaught that had been unleashed upon Lev, but Lev himself couldn’t resist hitting the man he’d tackled just one more time. He swung his fist, only to get it caught by a couple of smiling Stone Dogs. “Let g… bloody…” He struggled for a moment, before noticing that all of the people around him had stopped fighting him. “Oh.” He muttered. Struggling to his feet, he heard the words of the elder Aielman above him. “Run ‘til sunrise, return after that. Don’t be late. Right. I can do that…” He muttered.

 

Grabbing his spears, Lev instantly turned around and sprinted off. He was out of the encampment in moments, after which he slowed his pace slightly to something he could maintain for a long time. Sunrise was still a few hours off, and he didn’t want to exhaust himself completely before he was even halfway through his task. The wounds he had sustained from getting beating up by en entire pack of Shae’en M’taal didn’t do much for his comfort though.

 

About an hour into his task he was starting to feel the tenseness drain from his body. Ever since he had first aspired to join the Stone Dogs, he had been looking forward to this day. Getting beaten into bloody pulp hadn’t been his idea of a fun greeting, but if that was what it took, then he would complete that task. And if running until dawn, and returning with the speed of the wind was another thing it took, then he could complete that task as well. He was a Stone Dog in his heart already. All he had to do now was prove it to his soon to be brethren.

 

A long time passed, and Lev could barely distinguish one step from another. He was running along with the pace of his heartbeat now. It was a pace he could keep up forever, or at least until his body decided that he really needed a rest. In the distance the horizon was beginning to turn golden, announcing the dawn that he had been running towards. When the sun peeked over the edge of the world, Lev altered his course. Running in a wide loop and keeping his speed up to what it was, Lev circled back to where he came from. One foot in front of the other, as many times as it would take. That was Lev’s motto for the day. Just keep running, just keep running, running, running.

 

But stay watchful. The noon hour approached rapidly, and Lev didn’t want to get detained for fear of being kept out of the hold for good. But still. In the distance, a little to the left of his path he could see the silhouette of a man. The closer Lev got, the more obvious it became that the man was injured. The last few minutes towards the man, Lev was torn. Stop and ruin his chances of becoming a Stone Dog, but do what his honour demanded of him? Continue on, forsake his honour, and fulfil his dream? Stop. Continue. Stop. Continue.

 

Stop. “I see you, stranger.” Lev called out to the wounded man in front of him. The man half-turned. Now that Lev was closer, he could see that the man was wearing Stone Dog cadin’sor, which was smeared with blood. Panting slightly, Lev stopped next to the man. “I… see you… little brother…” the man croaked. He placed a hand on Lev’s arm, and used him to keep himself upright. “Mountain… lion… two leagues back. Got… careless… Won’t… make it.” He managed to utter, before collapsing against Lev.

 

His previous trials forgotten, Lev hoisted the unconscious man onto his back, and started walking towards the hold. The sun was already high in the sky, close to noon. He wouldn’t make it. He would keep his honour. Lev told himself that that was enough for now, as he carried the wounded man on his back. He tried a slow run, but the mans groaning told him that that was too much for him. He was limited to a walk, something that would take him far longer than he had hoped.

 

Not for the first time, Lev was glad he was a big guy. Had he been the size of a wetlander, this task would have been almost impossible to complete. As it was, the weight of his hardships was heavy on his shoulders. That, and the wounded man wasn’t getting any lighter. It was well past noon when they finally arrived at the hold. “Over there.” The man pointed at the Stone Dog roof. “I know.” Lev said, sounding a little lost already. He walked over to the gate, and stopped there, allowing the man to slide off his back. To his surprise the man practically leapt off, and ran into the roof. “Eh?” was all Lev could say at that point, as he sagged against the nearest wall, feeling utterly and completely spent.

 

~Lev Costin

 

Belran had taken up the sentry duty as was customary for the Society Second while they awaited the return of their potential brother. He returned from the desert tired and worse for the wear but carrying the burden that had been set before him. It was now time for the less than pleasant aspect of their initiation, Belran only hoped that it wouldn't send the young man into shock. The stone and the fire pit were brought forth, Belran picked up the blazing stone with a pair of blacksmith tongs and approached the man, two Stone Dogs removed the top half of his cadin'sor and Belran placed the blazing stone on the right side of the mans chest. The boy did well accepting his pain and poring it forth in a guttural scream and the smell of searing flesh filled the air.

 

He was tired and worn out, but his trials had only begun. Cor stepped out from the doorway, the blazing sun now completely fallen from the sky. He moved as one with the darkness, staying in the shadows watching the boy's eyes follow his slow progress towards him. The two men who had held Lev while he was branded began stripping him of his clothes and taking his weapons from him. He tried to struggle at first until he realized that this was part of the initiation. Cor now stepped into the ring that had formed around the initiate and slowly drew his knife.

 

He had carried it with him since he was first initiated in Shae'en M'Taal; past the time that was customary and when it was supposed to be returned to the armory. Lev now stood naked in the middle of the ring. He had managed to find his feet and had taken up a fighting stance waiting for Cor to make the first move.

 

Drawing a circle in the dust around the two men with his feet, the young Society Leader circled Lev completely before speaking.

 

"You've come far since you first approached our roof. Can you take the last and hardest step to reach your destination?"

 

OOC: ok time to fight Cor, remember he's the SL for a reason you won't be able to make a mark on him but you will be able to make him touch outside the circle. eventually. so have fun with the fight.  you're almost done; just be realistic.  8)

From the moment Lev saw the man walk into the roof, he knew he’d been had. Instead of pitching a fit the way he had initially intended, he decided to wait and see what happened next. Seeing that the man had obviously been a Stone Dog, he assumed he had done well by picking up his soon to be Society Brother. Belran was standing guard, and for a moment Lev just looked at the elder Stone Dog. What would be next? The answer came soon enough when Belran approached him with the glowing stone. For a moment Lev froze knowing for certain that they would brand the cat into his neck, marking him as unworthy for the rest of his life. He struggled briefly when two other Stone Dogs tried to remove his Cadin’sor.

 

There was something akin to amusement in Belran’s eyes which made Lev submit to the following treatment. His cadin’sor was removed, and before Lev had the chance to brace himself, Belran pressed the mark into his chest. Lev couldn’t keep from shouting in pain. It was a mighty roar, one that suited a man of his posture. Still panting, he waited for the next step in his initiation. After going through what he’d gone through already, he was fairly sure that there would be more trials.

 

He was right. Cor moved towards him with the grace Lev had come to expect from the man. Being both smaller and more athletically built than him, he would have made Lev look like a clumsy trolloc if he’d be walking next to him. For a moment Lev was mesmerised by the look on the face of the youngest society leader. So mesmerised that he barely noticed two of his new society brothers sneak up on him. He resisted for a moment when they tried to disarm them, but only because they’d startled him. Then he stayed still in the circle, anticipating the trial to come.

 

Soon enough he realised they expected him to fight Cor. Not that he could win such a fight, but fight him he would, if that was what it required. Soon enough he found himself circling the other man, trying to gauge his strengths and weaknesses. Did the man even have any weaknesses? Before Lev was certain of his own footing, Cor lashed out with his knife, leaving a thin cut on Lev’s upper arm. Lev danced back, narrowly avoiding the line. He growled at Cor, and leapt forward. Too slow, of course, but at least the dance had started now.

 

Continuing in a full circle, Lev occasionally attacked, only to get his blows blocked by Cor. The brand in his chest was starting to hurt as if someone was still poking him with a hot poker, and his legs felt as if they were made of water. Knowing that he would just make a fool out of himself if this took any longer, Lev decided to put some more effort into getting Cor over the accursed line.

 

Cor attacked again, dodging from side to side to mess with Lev’s defences. Only Lev had forsaken his defences for something far better. The knife came at Lev’s throat with a firm thrust. Instead of blocking it, he grabbed onto Cors wrist, and allowed himself to fall backwards. Placing one foot in Cor’s abdomen, he flipped him. It was a fairly useless move in a regular combat situation, because it left him on his back, while Cor no doubt landed neatly on his feet. This time it would do though, because Cor’s feet were outside of the ring. Exhaling sharply, Lev took a moment to regain his breath before struggling to his feet.

 

 

~Lev Costin

Lev had always been large amoungst the Aiel, built more like a blacksmith than a runner; but it had taught him to rely on strength and the willingness to accept a blow from his opponent in order to get in an attack of his own. It was exactly the tactic that he used with Cor. The Stone Dog leader was surprised, but impressed, that the big man still had enough energy to execute such a powerful attack. It stunned him so much that he momentarily lost focus and allowed Lev to get a good grip on him, but it was just enough to allow the throw to force him ouside the circle.

 

The members of Shae'en M'Taal roared a cheer for the huge man as Cor helped him stand up from the ground. Many of the members present had had to fight Cor to join entry to the society, and all secretly enjoyed seeing the man bested in single combat. Once the larger man was on his feet, Cor sheathed his knife before dealing with the giant who was barely standing but was still watching him warily.

 

Belran moved forward holding the branding stone out to Cor who took it and moved towards Lev. Two members once again braced Lev to keep him on his feet, and Cor placed the stone on the left side of Lev's chest. "You have shown your dedication, your skill, your strength, and your willingness to protect at the risk of your own life."

 

Having said what needed to be said Cor turned and led Lev into the roof with the rest of the society. They made their way into the back, into the armory. He was always proud of their armory because it was the largest in the hold and rested in silent tribute of their ability in the dance.

 

"Now my friend you shall pick one weapon from this armory, you will carry it with you for a year and a day to show you are new and learning our ways, customs, and rights." Cor waited until Lev had finally selected a weapon and was tottering on his feet. Cor smiled, looking forward to the next part of the initiation.

 

"You still have one more test you must pass before being allowed full entry into our society."

 

Cor grinned at the look of shock on Lev's face, and his grin grew even wider as a large Aiel stepped forward holding a bag of oos'quai. Downing half of it in a single swallow, Cor held it out to the newest member of the finest society of the Aiel.

 

"You must face our friend here in a drinking match and enjoy the night and remember it as your first night as a member of Shae'en M'Taal."

 

OOC: react tell us what weapon you picked etc. then you're a full Stone Dog. 8)

Glowing with pride at having completed all of the tests, Lev followed his Society Leader to the armory. He had worked as a blacksmith’s apprentice for a while back at the hold where he was born for some time, so he had a familiarity with weapons and armories. Still, the sight of this one almost took his breath away. It was stocked with every kind of weapon but swords. Daggers of all sizes, heavily adorned short and long spears, and he was sure he even spotted a few axes here and there. Though he was tempted to pick one of those up, he settled for a long dagger instead. If nothing else, it would come in handy when he needed to skin a rabbit.

 

Still weighing the dagger that would be his for a year and a day in his hand, Lev completely missed the grin on Cor’s face. In fact, he almost missed the fact that the shorter man had stopped right in front of him. Lev came to a full stop just short of bowling the man over. Now that would have been embarrassing. For a moment Cor just stared at him. “ehm… what?” Lev asked. Then Cor spoke of a final trial, and Lev found himself nailed to the ground. His arms felt as if they were made of anvils, about to fall from his sides. “Great.” He muttered.

 

“Great!” he exclaimed when he found out just what the test was. Downing the other half of the bag of oosquai without much effort. Then the festivities began, and it didn’t take Lev long to forget that he still wasn’t wearing a single stitch of clothing. It didn’t take him long to forget about the hardships of the day either. One thing he remembered though. Well, two, if you would care to count the fact that he remembered his own name as well. He remembered the shape of the brand that was on his chest. He was a member of the Shae’en M’taal. These were his brothers. He would die to protect them, and all Aiel. He was a Stone Dog.

 

~Lev Costin

Shae’en M’taal