Among the Steam Vents
The ground here is hard and rocky and barren, unlike the greener swath visible through the steam to the north. Small, narrow cracks network the area, steam trickling out of many of them, probably at least partly fed from the stream flowing underground from the east. The warm circulating steam fills the air around here much more thoroughly than most of the rest of the caern, leaving a thin sheen of dampness on almost everything around, and making the rocky ground that much more slippery. Sometimes, a blast of hot steam bursts up from some of the cracks, making the temperature that much the hotter, and that much more uncomfortable.
The old growth forest surrounding the caern has been hewn down out to 150', leaving only stumps as tombstones for the mighty trees that once sheltered the caern. The ground has been salted and otherwise rendered poisonous to anything that might otherwise grow.
Through the mists, you can see the caern circling towards the walls of the crevice, north towards the rocky slab; east, you can hear the waterfall; the caern's center lies to the northeast. The valley continues towards the southwest.
Contents:
Luke
Obvious exits:
WaterFall Down the Valley Center Rocky Slab

Into the valley Yi comes, looking very thoughtful, but not overly oblivious of her surroundings. Ever since that sniper from the trees left a silver plug in her shoulder when she was investigating some outer bawn conditions, she's wary wherever she is. The steam around makes it harder to see though, and she sidesteps one of the vents on her way towards the caern's heart.

Luke is sprawled out on a rock near one of the vents, his t-shirt rolled up a short distance away. It's a cool day, but the steam has him sweating. All-natural sauna, and the Fianna needs it after his workout this morning.

Yi tilts her head, watching the Fianna a moment before slipping towards him for a closer look. Her path winds, and she clambers over the rock and looks down. "Hello Luke," she greets. After another thought, she adds, "-rhya."

Luke waves off the last. "Unless you're my cub, or we're in a formal situation, I'm not a big stickler for titles. How's it going?"

Yi straightens, finding it rude to keep staring down at the Fianna's face. "Things are well." An awkward pause. "I've been searching for someone who might help me in a spirit calling."

By the waterfall, Susan wanders into the caern and looks around to see who may be there.

Luke says, "Well, I can't do the actual calling just yet, but I can help out with that sort of thing once the spirit's nearby." Luke is sprawled out on a rock near one of the steam vents, speaking with Yi.

Yi nods in appreciation, though she smirks. "But you don't even know what I wish to try and call, and you offer help already?" Yi looks around, standing around Luke's sprawled out form. She puts out a hand, letting it steam gently over the opening of a vent.

Susan wanders her way over and nods to the pair.

"Oh, my mistake. I'm supposed to make you offer me something in return, right?" Luke asks wryly. "Well, if you had to do that, I probably wouldn't be interested in the first place. And I haven't promised anything yet. But I'm curious, and I'm probably willing." Susan gets a smile aimed up her way.

Susan glances towards her fellow no-moon. "Just what are you looking to whistle up?"

Yi turns when Susan arrives, dipping her head in a bow. "Good afternoon," she says by way of politeness. Her gaze flickers towards Luke first, then back to Susan. "A fox," she says simply.

Luke says, "Shouldn't be too hard, even if you had to hunt one down. Persuading it to help you could be a little tricker. Depends on what you want it for, there."

"That I know," Yi nods in answer. "A fox is clever, but isn't it a newmoon's goal to be more than clever?" She looks towards Susan, as if in confirmation. "I hope to convince it enough for a gift-teaching. I am just not sure how the spirits here may react, given the recent events."

Susan chuckles. "Probably fairly well, Yi. As long as you give it enough of a gift, they seem to be feeling pretty appreciative of us right now."

Luke nods. "All the more reason for me to help you out, then. I'm more of a direct-to-the-point sort, maybe I can pick up a few tricks from watching a more than clever new moon at work."

Adrian jogs up, the young Get doing his usual daily work-out. His brow is slightly sweaty, but he seems to be getting into better shape, muscles starting to show definate development. He smiles at everyone and nods respectfully to them. He kinda blushes as he smiles to Luke. "May I join you all or am I interrupting?"

Yi glances out into the caern, being slowly rebuilt. "As we should be of them. So many spirits gave their power to take back this place," she says softly in reply to Susan. She puffs out air at a slow rising tendril of steam. "I wonder what will be the new totem." As Adrian jogs up, the Gnawer bows her head once. "Hello." She doesn't have a problem with more folks coming, even though she glances down and thinks Luke might be trampled if he continues to lay there.

Susan just sorta shakes her head, lips curling into a smile.

Luke does sit up, though he doesn't go so far as to grab his shirt. Might as well keep soaking up steam while he can. "Nah, not interrupting." Responding to Yi, then, he says, "I'm hoping for Stag, m'self, but I'm a little biased."

Adrian Looks at Luke sitting there shirtless and blushes hotly. He turns away quickly and starts his warm down excercises to destract himself. "May I ask what you're all talking about?" He lunges over his right foot, stretching out his calf. He is obviously looking away from the group.

Susan shakes her head. "Stag just doesn't seem right for the caern." To Adrian she says, "We're discussing which Totem will answer the call from our caern."

Yi nods at Luke. "The Walkers seem to support Stag as well, as a Wyld spirit-creature," she says to indicate the multi-tribal support of that totem option. "Though there's also Wendigo, and Bear." The Gnawer no-moon shrugs. "Maybe this caern will have three totems again like before."

The Fianna ragabash just looks at Yi and Luke. A certain amount of frustration seems to have been built up over this topic, because she finally bursts out with "But it's /food/!" Susan runs a hand over her braids and just looks baffled. "I mean, it's strongly tied to the Wyld, and is a symbol of fertility and growth, but it's still something that you eat."

Luke asks Susan, "And why not? Stag is the cycle of nature, of death and rebirth. I'd say that's very fitting, given the history of this place. Stag celebrates life in times of peace, and when the time comes for battle, the Wyld Hunt rides and no one can escape it."

Susan doesn't look convinced.

Adrian continues to warm down, but the expression on his face makes it clear he has NO idea what anyone is talking about. He lunges over his left leg, stretching it out.

Yi just blinks at Susan. Food. Uhm, yeah. "You do not support Stag as the totem? Then which one did you vote for?" Adrian gets another look. And the Gnawer thinks vaguely she should be exercising too. At least the city trek was something.

Susan settes down onto one of the rocks that is out of the way of the steam before she answers. "Any spirit who answers the call and is willing to serve this caern will, I am certain, do an excellent job. I will support any not of the wyrm that answers." She growls under her breath and nibbles on her forearm, biting after a flea. "But my voice spoke for the spirit of the Wyld that dwells in the center of this place. Following that, I would see Wendigo serve here."

Luke asks, "Have you ever run with the Wyld Hunt? I have, once. Let me tell you, if you think Stag is only prey, nothing is farther from the truth. You've got one story you've got to tell for Eamon; that one's gotta take priority, obviously. But once you've finished it, consider me to be pulling rank on you. I want you to learn as much as you can about the Wyld Hunt, and tell me. Might not change your mind, still, and that's fine."

Susan shrugs at Luke. "Stag is not weak prey. He is strong and capable of taking down the unwary. Trust me, I've heard tales of the Wyld hunt. But stag is still prey."

Adrian listens quietly, respectfully. He drops to the ground and starts doing his push-ups. His long blonde hair falling into his face as he does so. He keeps looking up, obvuiouly still listening to his elders.

Yi hides her fascination with the mention of some odd Fianna cultural event, even though Adrian exercising can be distracting. Movement and all. "A strong prey, though. One that fights off wolves even when surrounded. And even then sometimes the wolves give up." She sounds like she's recalling this from watching a TV show.

Luke says, "Prey is an aspect, yes. It goes right along with life and nature, because it's prey that gives us all life. But it's not the _only_ aspect. It would be like calling one of us human or wolf, just because we look it. It's partly true, but it's leaving a lot out." This time he doesn't join the Get in the pushups, though only because he's otherwise occupied.

Susan nods to Yi. "True. I'm not saying that Stag is weak. I respect the totem of my Tribe and feel that what He offers to his children is more than worthy." The no moon shrugs. "However, I don't think that what he offers is what this caern needs at this time."

Adrian counts off quietly, trying not to disturb and still listening, "25...26...27...28..."

"And you think Wendigo might do a better job now, because of the war?" Yi asks of Susan. "Luke does have a point, though." Yet, even the Gnawer looks well and undecided.

Susan shakes her head. "I feel that neither stag nor Wendigo is the best choice. They are totems of a tribe, and that may only serve to divide us." With a grimace, she gestures to the center of the caern. "The Wyld spirit that has aided us twice now, has offered to take on a Name and become the totem of this caern. I see it as the best choice."

Susan says "It has plans for this place. Why not allow it to act as totem so that we may help it rather than work around it?"

Yi looks around. "True. The Wyld could probably be the best thing this caern has, next to us. The ground needs to be..." Yi pauses, searching for the words, "Needs to be replanted." No, wait. "Cleansed. Purified."

"Transformed," offers Susan.

Luke says "The Wyld is the high-risk choice for this place. In some ways, I like it a lot. In others...it worries me. I'd want to know a little more about its intentions before I could support it, personally."

Susan chuckles. "Let me see if I can remember the exact words...

Susan pauses for a moment and then shakes her head. "I can't recall exactly what Jade said. However, I believe it was close to 'it comes seeking renewal. The rebirth of the two through the Phoenix."

Yi nods a little. "Yes, transformed." Not quite the word, but sufficient. "Well, I must be going. I have a fox to catch." She grins mildly.