Chapter 5: The Eternal Quarrel

You hear a shout from below; is that him? In the shadows of the lowest branches above the forest floor?

It’s a long way down, but you make your way into the darkness and find a stag who looks like he’s been lost in the wilderness for some time. His thick beard is full of twigs and leaves and his legs are scratched. This is the Stag of the West, and you help him climb the tangled branches back to the canopy where the Winter Doe awaits.

He hardly knows any more about what happens than you do. There are some ancient beings that live in this realm; the does and stags who maintain Yggdrasil know them but can’t always fathom their motivations or predict their actions. The Stag of the West tells you that the great Eagle knocked him from his perch to the dangerous ground below, but he doesn’t understand why.

He blinks at the dappled light that begins to gleam through as you ascend and greets the Winter Doe as an old friend. You can see the relief in her eyes; all is not lost. With enough effort, order can be restored.

The Winter Doe tells you that a mortal stag has found some answers in your absence, or at least hints. The stag Orvar has been blessed for his accomplishments:

Orvar uncovered that Rataroskr the squirrel has been spreading rumors and seeding dissent between the great Eagle of Yggdrasil’s highest boughs and the serpent-like dragon Nidhogg who lives at Yggdrasil’s roots. The squirrel is a messenger, running between the Eagle and the Dragon across the tree to pass their spiteful words to each other so that they will work to tear down the world tree quicker in order to get at each other. He’ll usually add insults and lies to get them angrier and more destructive, and this time he spread a rumor to each that the Stags were agents of the other, working to undermine them.

Obviously restoring the Stag of the West to his post in the branches will not solve Yggdrasil’s ailments if this trio of ancient beings keep continuing to destroy Yggdrasil from within and attack Yggdrasil’s caretakers on sight. Do you feel up to helping the Stag of the West stop them?

The Eagle cast the stag down. Start with him.

Entry Requirements:

• 800 Word Story or Fullbody Colored with Complex Background

• The Stag of the West and the Eagle must be pictured at least 50% or significantly involved in the story

• Tame Rukaan' handlers may be included but are not required

• The entering Rukaan and/or their handler must be confronting the Eagle

• Entries must be made entirely by the Rukaan's owner

Who Can Enter:

• Each Rukaan may only enter each chapter once

• One Rukaan may enter per piece, though others may be included for rune marks

• There is no deadline, the event will remain permanently open to enter

• In order to enter Lore Storyline Events, the Rukaan must have entered all previous chapters. Rukaan must have completed Chapter 4 to participate in Chapter 5.

Rune Mark Bonuses for Entries:

• All entries for this chapter get the Event rune mark bonus (link this journal) (only for the Rukaan entering the event, not for any additional Rukaan included)

• All entries for this Lore Storyline Event get the Lore rune mark bonus for featuring The Stag of the West.

• All entries for this Lore Storyline Event get the Lore Location rune mark bonus for featuring Yggdrasil.

Reward

For completing this chapter you will receive:

• +1 Stamina

• Feathers

• Leaf of Yggdrasil

• The ability to proceed to Chapter 6

How to Submit Your Entry:

Fill out the following form and submit to the "Lore Storyline Chapter 5" gallery folder to be rolled for rune marks.

Submission Form:

Fill out the following form and submit to the >> THREAD << to receive the reward for this chapter. The entry must have already been accepted into the gallery and rolled for rune marks before being submitted to the thread. 

Journal Thread Form: