Feeling lighter than he had in a long time, Pyrrhic strode into the heart of the runestones and sat down. It was settled. Eligos would be taking the pack anf Pyrrhic would be filling whatever role his brother thought best. It was better this way. In his heart Pyrrhic knew he was made to serve his people and he'd thought for the longest time he was meant to serve by leading, but he knew now that was not the case. He would do his part, give of himself what he could, but he would not be at Risen's helm.

He stood again and shifted his weight from paw to paw. Nerves had settled in and it took a moment to quiet them. All eyes would be on him. Possibly judging him. Scoffing even. That thought shamed him, but Pyrrhic knew he would have to live with it. Their disappointment - if they were disappointed in him - was a price he was just going to have to accept.

Again he sat down. This time a deep breath centered him. Pyrrhic let the silence ring for a second and then he called for all of Risen to come to him. He wanted every member. This was important; they all needed to be present.

OOC: posts are due by the 26th!

With the loss of his father Iroh felt like Pyrrhic was a completely different wolf, he still held his trust in his older cousin. He’d long earned his respect and admiration many times over. Now that he had his real rank and real responsibilities he didn’t hang off his cousin as much as he used to. He patrolled often and was still aiming to become a better fighter. His huge frame was perfect for that course of career. From a very young age the once barrel bodied boy knew he wanted to be a warrior. He was proud of his position and he hadn’t stopped training.

Sarabi was riding on his back, though she didn’t ever spar with him she was invaluable to his learning. She taught him the theory and he figured out the practical usage. She didn’t just teach him about battle tactics though, and often her lessons about tea or food preservation tied in with what he was learning on the battlefield. The two of them shared an incredible bond, and Iroh was again thankful for his cousin, he wouldn’t have her were it not for Pyrrhic and Benkos.

The two of them were quick to arrive as the young Emperor called the pack together. It had been a long time since they’d all been gathered. His mother had still been alive.. He hid his emotions as his huge body settled close to where his cousin sat, he perked curiously as he gave Pyrrhic a quick smile. He stayed silent though and got comfortable while he waited.

Since the passing of his mother, Zagan had become incredibly withdrawn. He avoided nearly everyone, unsure what to do anymore without her here. He had grown accustomed to taking care of her, helping her, and learning from her. While it was mostly history and herbal things, he had taken every word to heart, even if he didn't have an interest in healing. His mothers sickness had rendered her weaker by the day, and her blindness had made it difficult for her to do much on her own. She had always felt bad that she hadn't been able to spend more time with him and his brother...or at least, teaching them the things they wanted to know.

And while Iroh spent his time with Pyrrhic, Zagan had spent his time with her. She was his mentor like Pyrr was to his brother, but in a sense, he felt a little resentful. About what exactly, he wasn't so sure. Maybe he felt like Iroh appeared to be more self absorbed in his own things rather than helping, but at the same time, he couldn't blame him could he? It wasn't anyone's fault. But he just couldn't help it he supposed.

So to grieve, he continued to keep to himself and didn't bother talking to much of anyone. Brother included.

When he heard the call for a meeting, he reluctantly got up and headed over, a grim expression on his face when he saw that Iroh was already there sitting and waiting. Zagan moved to sit at the edge, quiet and unapproachable as he offered a quick and curt nod to Pyrrhic before staring at the ground between his paws.

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

Aureus was returning from northern territories, his mind wandering as it often did these days. Kali walked along beside him. He'd visited the northern territories taking in the damage the volcano had caused and making note of where the edges of its main damage seemed to be. He hoped to perhaps create some sort of map in the future but for now he had to trust his mind. He had no idea what the make up of the Boreas' packs were now. No doubt some had been scattered. He was just reaching the edge of the Runestones territory when he heard his brother's call. He knew what was coming. He was there when Pyrrhic and Eligos discussed the future of their little empire.

He altered his plans to take a nap and headed toward the call of the meeting. When he arrived a few of their younger members were already there. Aureus nodded to them and moved to sit near his brother but a respectful distance away to make it clear who was in charge, at least for now. He offered Pyrr what he hoped was an encouraging nod.

Eligos should have felt... anxious, or tense, waiting for the pack to be called together after he and his brothers had come to an agreement. Instead, in the short time since he'd excused himself from the twins, he'd simply gone hunting. He'd come across a small family group of tapir in short order and wouldn't have considering going after any of them alone - adult tapir could get quite large and were difficult to deal with, and the mother would surely protest him taking a calf - but there'd been a young yearling female there who'd been injured, so he had taken the opportunity nature offered and neatly separated her out and taken her. Even as young as she was she was she was quite heavy, so he'd needed to resort to rigging a temporary travois and lashing her half on, half off, to drag back to the pack. And just in time, too, for his brother's howl rang out to call the Empire together, and Eli compressed his lips with a grim smile, and set to dragging the tapir faster.

Reaching the runestones, his gaze traveled over the few who had gathered - other than his brothers, only Kasdeya's two yearling boys had showed up so far. Without a word, he shrugged out of the uncomfortable makeshift travois at a short distance and moved smoothly and quietly up beside Pyrrhic, cleaning the remains of blood from his jaws as he did. He supposed if no one else made the meeting, at least he'd know who was loyal... and they'd all be able to gorge themselves in feasting on the creature who should have made simply a respectable meal for the full pack. He swept his eyes over the yearlings' shoulders searchingly as he seated himself just back from Pyrrhic's shoulder, looking for the rest of the pack to appear.

Thalia wasn't quite sure what to expect from Pyrrhic's call but she hoped it was something that might give her an answer to the uncertain question: what was the Empire doing? It was hard to decide properly what she herself needed to focus on when she wasn't entirely sure where the rest of the pack was, mentally-speaking. They'd been lingering near the Runestones but judging by the relatively scarce scents of her packmates, she found herself wondered just who was left, out of everyone. She knew her siblings were gone, but who else had abandoned them? An angry scowl touched her lips at the thought - once their abandonment had saddened her but over time it was hard to look at their departures with much more than irritation. Her parents had a good enough reason, she supposed, but Dion and Saren had left her with nothing at all.

Today would surely prove who was still loyal to their God, and to their family. She only hesitated for a short while before heading toward Pyrrhic's call, gathering her composure and heading to the small gathering. And it was much smaller than she'd hoped, at least so far. Thalia straightened her spine before continuing forward, loping to sit somewhere near the others and making a conscience effort to keep her expression guarded, despite her inward frustration. Someone needed to step up if Pyrrhic wasn't doing anything - had he even wanted to lead in the first place? - but she knew she wasn't suited for it, but she hoped desperately someone had an answer to ease her anxious mind.

Proserpina had been in and out of the pack boundaries for a while. Mostly doing her own thing while quietly doing her duties that needed to be done. It seemed she wasn't the only one doing that, but at some point, the pack scents were getting smaller. Scarcer. Did some of the Abraxas clan decided to abandon the empire? While she couldn't deny she often wished for more to happen, it seemed that Malleus' death had thrown them far into a pit and they were having trouble finding their way out. Of course, she had other things on her mind, too. As she got older, she began to question things. Mostly who her father was...she had to have one, right? Her mother didn't just get pregnant out of thin air or by some God that didn't have a physical form. Or at least, not that she ever saw.

With a guarded look on her face, she returned to the empires claimed lands and found a very small number of Abraxas there. She looked around, surprised at the lack of bodies. Didn't they have more than this before? The pack seemed significantly smaller than she remembered, and had a feeling that the others did abandon them. Frowning, she moved to sit among them while offering a nod to Pyhrric & Eligos.

Everyone arrived in an orderly fashion. It was a much smaller gathering than last time. First all the elder Abraxas, then Rain, then Tsarvix, had disappeared with nary a word. The family leaving had been hard, but none hurt like the loss of Tsarvix. Pyrrhic had thought...well, honestly, he couldn't pin down the specifics of what he'd thought, he'd just thought more of the man. The first wolf he'd ever recruited who had taken to their ways as though he'd been made for had just, what? Lost faith? The fact that Tsarvix had pledged himself to whatever future Pyrrhic decided to build and then promptly disappeared was what left a bitter taste in his mouth. This was proof, perhaps, of Pyrrhic's ill suited nature.

Pyrrhic looked at those gathered, noting the overwhelmingly youthful faces. Ruefully he considered his father's words; how it had been his job to stoke the Abraxas' future at home versus abroad. Malleus hadn't been wrong. Here, now, the youth who had a chance to grow during his rein were the only ones left standing. The useless, purposeless chaff had been sifted from the grain, leaving behind the seeds to their future. "Thank you all for coming."

His gaze roved over those gathered as he sought to get a feel of the "room". "Since our last meeting I have put a great deal of thought into our future. We've had more than our fair share of difficulty this past year." They'd lost people to fire, to illness and to cowardice. They'd lost their land to natural disaster. "And I have had a chance to further evaluate my role in our rebuilding. I've seen my place with new eyes." Pyrrhic took a deep breath and glanced at his followers with an impassioned expression. When he spoke again his voice was rough. "I wanted to thank you all for putting your faith in me when my faith was shaken. You will never know how much that meant to me. How it made it possible for me to be here now."

There was no beating around the bush. The longer he waited to say it the harder it was going to be to say what needed to be said. "I will be stepping down as Emperor." Pyrrhic gave that a second to settle over them before continuing, "But I'm not going to leave you high and dry. You'll be in my brother's," he gestured to Eligos, "capable paws. I have no doubt he will see us to prosperity and be a worthy successor to my father. Extent to him the respect and mercy you showed me as he is far more worthy than I."

"Eligos." Pyrrhic stood up and stepped aside with a dip of his head. "The pack is yours."

When it became apparent that no one else was coming, Pyrrhic began. His words were succinct, but heartfelt, and it was sooner than he'd expected before the meeting - and the pack - was his. Eli paused to center himself, taking a deep breath and drawing himself in. He wasn't nervous. He'd prepared for this. He wanted this. He was ready.

He stepped forward, facing the pack, then nodded respectfully to the now-former alpha. "Thank you, Pyrrhic." He swept his gaze over the few assembled for a moment, then spoke quietly, intimately. "We have all had a difficult time with the death of Malleus. He was a great leader of our people, and he will be missed." More than most of you could ever understand, he thought to himself as his eyes passed over them. To most of them he was simply their alpha, the leader of their family. To him, to Aureus, to Pyrrhic, he was so much more. He closed his eyes briefly against the rush of emotion before tamping it down.

"But our grief cannot hold us back from living. We cannot simply pull our horns in, huddle in our dens and wait for the end to come. We must thrive, not simply survive. We need to go out into the world as a unified force, as family, walk among the packs in this place and be known to them as more than simply a frightening rumor. We need to become respected, not simply feared. To become a part of the bedrock of the world. When one speaks of us, the listener should know us as mighty, but not feel so threatened as to push the other packs together to destroy us. For far too long our Abraxas brethren have been run amok among the packs of the north and smeared our name in the mud. My father died ending Archon's ruinations, but he is all they of the north know now. We must put an end to it."

He turned his head to the north, blood-red eyes staring off into the distance as though to see all the way to the other continent. "We will be moving to Boreas, to the western regions. I will be sending scouts while we prepare to move, to report back on the current dispensations of the packs already there, but we will be leaving in short order. Our time of hiding in the south is at an end."

Looking back at them with eyes that blazed fiercely. "Malleus' death has brought us lower than we have been at any time since the Abraxas came to this land, but we will rise from the ashes of his pyre stronger than before. This is a new beginning, my family. Do not cling to the corpse of what we were, but embrace our future. Risen died with my father - like a phoenix we rise as Aerie. We are predators, raptors, keen eyed and fleet and powerful as the birds of prey who keep their own aeries, and the world will know us."

He stopped, reining in the fires that raged, then continued in a voice quiet once again and less expressive. "No more will Abraxas be allowed to fly about recklessly, murdering and raping on a whim. Present to the world the mien of a gentleman. Let them see the velvet glove - but do not fear, they will know that there is steel beneath it. Let them hire us to do the things they fear to do themselves so that they see what we are capable of, but cannot protest because they ask it of us. Our trade will be in knowledge, in sabotage, in death, in kidnap and ransoms. Every paw, every skill will be needed to ensure we insinuate ourselves into the inner working of the world until they find that they simply cannot do without us. We will be the neutral party that all can turn to if they have need, and know that we will keep to the contract. Always, always they believe us their friend. Their potential ally, because the Abraxas always keep their contract. Show an honorable face to the world, and earn their respect. Above all else, however, is loyalty to the Aerie. If you turn on us," his voice went to ice. "A betrayal of the Abraxas will not go well for you. We will have no more Archons. You do not turn on your family."

He spoke at length, describing the ranks and rules of the pack. The rules were pretty straightforward. The ranks less so, but not terribly complicated. Any member of the pack was to give their full loyalty to the pack. They were a family - even those cousins who were not Abraxas, but had chosen to become a part of the extended family. The pack would be run on journeyman system so that wolves who rose through the ranks were those who had truly earned it by proving the skills they honed. Traders and crafters were as welcome as healers and fighters, and the darker saboteurs and spies would be sought as well, because they supported the pack as much as any fighter or healer. They would hire out as mercenaries, as spies, as negotiators, as whatever was needed. He talked about how betrayal of the pack would mean maiming, banishment, or death. He kept his descriptions as succinct as possible.

"If anyone has any questions about Aerie, please feel free to speak up now," he concluded quietly. "If you wish to know where you fit into the pack now, or to begin on a path of your choice, we can get that figured out. If you do not wish to be part of this new way, you are free to leave now."

He finally seated himself again, waiting to see how his new pack reacted.

OOC: please reply again to the thread by February 3rd even if your character has nothing to say. Paths are the Path of Fangs - fighters - the Path of Antlers - hunters - the Path of Leaf - healers - the path of Sun - negotiators/historians - the Path of Earth - traders/crafters - the Path of Moon - priests - and the Path of Shadows - saboteurs/thieves/spies. Will try to get the info up shortly but assume he explained about these. Everyone starts at the bottom of each Path until they can work their way up in their skills, so I suggest choosing Paths that would correspond to their skills to make it easier to move up in the ranks. Having higher skill points will move you up through the ranks but I haven't quite figured out where the requirements lie so I'll work on that and we'll just decide on Paths for now.

- edit to the ooc - the rules and shit are up now

Though Thalia had admitted she'd follow Pyrrhic to the ends of the earth, her promise hadn't been at all contingent on his place as ruler of the family. He hadn't necessarily wanted to rule them in the first place, had he? So long as they were serving their God and their family she wouldn't complain about who was in charge. She certainly held no envy toward whoever was chosen.. and that person would be Eligos, Pyrrhic's brother. He wasn't a male she knew particularly well but she had no reason to distrust him, as family. After all, these wolves were all she had left of her family, which had once seemed so much larger and more grand. A touch of fear suddenly overwhelmed her but she redirected her focus toward Eligos and the present moment as he began to speak.

His words rang true to her and as he continued to speak, she felt her worries regarding her future begin to ease - even if only slightly, the progress felt monumentous after so many months of intense anxiety regarding the empire and where her place fell in the world. They needed to become respected and known in the world, needed to thrive instead of simply exist. Eligos was right what wanton violence and treachery wouldn't serve them - it would simply make them a target. They needed to rule the world through admiration, mixed with a health dose of wariness, rather than be viewed as merely enemies who needed to be destroyed. Again she found herself chewing at her lower lip as she considered his words and what they really meant for their future. To weave themselves so carefully into the lives of the other packs in Boreas until they not only knew of the Abraxas name, but depended upon it...

There was much change coming. Not only in just how they ruled, and how they presented themselves, but they'd be moving to the continent to the north. Truthfully Thalia had spent more time there lately than across the Bifrost, and so she was pleased with the direction, nodding in quiet appreciation of his choice.

"The Path of the Shadows is what interests me the most," Thalia declared matter-of-factly after a moment of thought. She cared less where the others fell than in her own choice.. and her intent to remain here was evident in every fiber of her being, from her bright, attentive eyes to her steady posture, that she didn't feel the need to verbally confirm it. "Thank you, Eligos," She offered a moment later, more softly. She was glad someone was taking the reigns, and hard. The Abraxas were her home, and wherever they went she would follow - but she was pleased the path was shifting into something that felt far more befitting to them than the one they'd been traveling on.

Pyrrhic moved to sit among those gathered. He settled down quietly, his relief over being done bringing him back to earth gently. The weight of the world was finally, completely off his shoulders. It was a bit of a stretch to say he felt like a new man, but he did feel lighter. Like he had room to breath. Pyrrhic didn't know how long it would take to feel normal again, but today was what he hoped the first of many easier days. He listened intently as his brother spoke and his chest swelled with pride at how natural Eligos sounded. He was a better fit. That was much clear to Pyrrhic.

When it came time to speak of ranks it was easy for Pyrrhic to decide his path. He may not have been a leader, but he was a fighter. He knew it in his bones. That was something that had always come naturally. The struggles he'd been having didn't change that. He spoke up in a firm voice after Thalia. "Eligos, I wish to take the path of the fang."

Aureus listened quietly as the meeting began, sitting respectfully where he was. His attention moved from Pyrrhic to Eligos as the meeting continued and he did his best to absorb all the information. He liked what Eligos had to say and was curious about the move into the west. The idea pleased him. As much as he loved his homelands in Auster they were now filled with memories and pain that made it difficult to move forward. A new start could be just what he needed. He nodded as Eligos spoke, his brother's words striking all the right notes. He liked the sound of this pack born anew.

"Eligos, I too wish to take the path of the fang." Fighting was the only thing he felt he was any good at.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to work. Iroh looked confusedly at Pyrrhic as the once Emperor swiftly gathered the attention of those gathered and officially gave up his position to Eligos. Dark ears fell to his skull, ”Pyrrhic?” His question was soft as Eligos took the floor and explained his vision for the new Abraxas pack. Iroh didn’t know why, but none of it felt right. The boy had been sure that he had convinced his cousin of his position in leadership but one by one his cousin’s accepted and pledged their loyalty.

Was there something wrong with him? He should have been overjoyed, and he did see the relief in Pyrr’s body as the tension and stress left him. But where did that put him? His whole life’s goal had been to become Pyrrhic’s general. Now Pyrr had stepped down from leadership and his coveted position dissolved. Iroh tried to hide his emotions as a feeling of helplessness washed over him. Iroh was suddenly lost.

”I… I have to think.” He offered hurriedly as he found his paws and made to back away from the gathering.

Ina listened intently when Eligos began to speak. While she sorely missed Malleus and his teachings, she had learned as much as her kin. His sons and daughters had been taught what she was taught, the group of cousins having learned together after Malleus had offered her a place with them. To be a closer part of the family when she previously felt lost. She owed it to her adopted siblings (technically) to support them and follow where they wanted to lead. And when Pyrrhic had chosen to step down and his brother took his place, in a sense, she understood. She devoured Eligos' words and her ears perked as she showed all of her attention. Listening. She hungered for a new world, after all the doubt and questions she had she sorely hoped Eligos would bring about the change they so desperately needed. As a few of the others made their sought after positions known, Proserpina chose her time to speak up. "I'd like to take the path of Fang. I promise not to disappoint." She had beaten Malleus once before, someone she had considered the strongest of his time. After all, he had eradicated the defective Abraxas, even if it cost him his life. She owed it to Malleus and to her blood to prove she could be a force to be reckoned with, the fire that would consume those beneath her and rent asunder her enemies and any who opposed them.

While it may not have seemed like it, Zagan listened quietly to every word being said during the meeting. Pyrrhic was stepping down and Eligos was taking his place. He heard every word that Eligos had to say, and while it was hard to get his thoughts to stray from the passing of his mother, well...safe to say that the more he listened to Eligos' speech, the more his head slowly rose to find the new alpha and all his ambition. Each word started to rattle him to his core, and he knew he owed his mother more than he knew. At least, that's how he felt. She had taught everything she could before she died, and even in death he swore he could feel her presence. While yes, he was hesitant when it came to change, he wanted to make his mother proud. Would she have liked the new changes? Something in the back of his mind told him that yes. She would. He could already envision her sitting among them with a light in her eyes and a grin splitting her lips.

The feather she had given him days before she passed gently brushed his fur and he felt perhaps it was a sign. The pack would be called Aerie, and he couldn't shake the feeling that she knew all along something like this would happen. That or her giving him the feather was just coincidence, but he firmly believed this is something she would have been supportive of. He glanced towards his brother who seemed unsure, though he wasn't sure why his brother seemed that way. Wasn't this a good thing? Why did Iroh look so uncertain? He made a mental note to track his brother down and get to the bottom of it, though he wondered how that talk would go considering they hadn't spent much time together during their mothers illness and even after. Putting that to the back of his mind for now, he turned his gaze to Eligos. "I'd also like to try the path of Fang, though if it's not too much to ask, maybe something in hunting too?" Fighting and hunting were his passion. Though perhaps later when he figured out where his true talents lied then maybe he'd end up in a different direction altogether.

Of all of them, only Iroh didn't react well to the change, and as Eligos finished speaking the younger wolf rose and walked out with barely an explanation. Eligos watched him go without trying to stop him - if he was overwhelmed and needed time to consider, trying to stop him would only cement his confusion into resentment. Let him have his time to think.

The others spoke up, his cousin Thalia, his brothers, his cousin Proserpina, and Iroh's brother, his cousin Zagan. He nodded gravely to Thalia in response to her thanks, and cocked his head to consider Zagan's dilemma. "I see no reason that could not be possible, if you are able to keep up on your duties in both. It would get more difficult for you as you rise in the ranks, but you could always choose later to concentrate on a single Path, or to remain a lower rank in one or both to balance the extra duties. I would hope, of course, that some of you have the drive to seek higher ranks, but holding the duties of two lower ranks at once would certainly be quite beneficial to the pack, particularly with our... current low numbers."

He turned his gaze to all of them. "I welcome you all onto the Path of the Fang, and I hope that those of you with more experience on this Path help to guide those of us who do not. We are small now, and must work together to raise ourselves higher. Work together, work hard, and we will grow, and our name will be on every tongue. Abraxas, and Aerie." He gave that a moment to sink in, then spoke again. "Pack whatever you wish to bring to our new home. We will all assist in building transportation and share the load of our supplies. I will personally assist where I can. If any have need of me, or questions, do not hesitate to ask. And... thank you for your trust in me." With that he nodded his dismissal of the meeting.