Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

"I'm only saying, it's been far too long since we've tasted shorelander blood." Menopeira's complaint glided across the waters, to her two sisters. "You've got the chain flail, for grabbing them, I stab them, we all dig in!" Menopeira licked her lips at the very idea. Food was a very important matter to Mer. They could eat a great deal of fish and other meats everyday, if the supply was there.

Caphinkla always did what she could to keep Menopeira's bloodlust in check. They were not declaring Reisah on any shorelanders, and to attack a shorelander in this region meant to make an enemy of the rest. Which was not something they wished to have happen if they intended to coexist with them. Caphinkla took up the vanguard of their formation, as they swam through the waters, searching for signs of a good place to make berth and settle. There were places farther out to sea where the fish was more plentiful, but Caphinkla insisted on finding a spot closer to shore. Although it increased the chance of clashes with local fishermen, it was the way of the Tidewhispers to take up residence nearer to shore. It was a tradition. As the spiritual leader of the sisters and the remnants of their tribe, Caphinkla took those traditions , "We must abide by the shorelanders ways." Ink told Menopeira. "We've already declared Reisah against one great power, shall we now doom ourselves by doing so with another?" Caphinkla let that sink into Menopeira's skull, before pondering the makeup of their school.

Where had Lyriope gotten off to? She only saw her two sisters, Nerostreia and Menopeira with her...

The thought seemed to be vocalized on their telepathic link, as Nerostreia answered Ink's curiosity, "She went off, wandering again. Head half above the shore always, that one."

Ink frowned. It was true, Lyriope wasn't a very... intelligent mer. Naive to say the least, but her beauty and voice gave her status in the remnants of their tribe. Qualities that were essential to the Tidewhispers for generations of swarmings. Caphinkla had had to stay the cruelty of Menopeira against Lyriope many times, warning her that she represented those key qualities of their tribe, and must at least pass on her those traits to the next swarm, whenever it came. Sometimes Ink thought that Menopeira was less a siren, and more a shark. But she served a valuable role in their small 'tribe' as well. That of defender. The edge in her attitude gave her a killer instinct that was useful to have around. And so Ink had to play mediator between the egos that emerged from their small tribe. In time, mediating such disputes would become less of an issue, as their numbers grew. But for now, every female mer of Tidewhisper blood was a precious commodity that must be preserved.

Which brought her back to the thoughts of Lyriope, and where she might've gotten off to. "Nero, where did you last see her?"

"Near the shore, the ice shoals to the west." She thought to Ink, pointing in the direction she'd seen the beautiful mer swim off to.

Thus their destination was chosen. Ink would allow Menopeira to beat some sense into Lyriope this time, if only to keep the air-headed mer in line and tighten her leash.

Along their heading, they began to notice aberrant behavior among the animals surrounding the waters closer to shore. They were approaching thte ice flats of the lands to the south of where they'd spent much of the past few seasons wandering.