This was it. It was finally time. Leading a pack had never become something she was passionate about until recently, but Medusa inspired her in a way. Originally she had planned to take over the old Klein stomping grounds, but after recently discovering these woods and an old friend, it didn't take much to convince the woman to move her future home to this dark, twisted maze of a forest. The only downside was the amount of packs in the area, but it was a smart move in the long run. Although she was by no means a few hour walk to Insomnia anymore, this would give them the much needed intel on what was happening on the southern continent.

Within the woods, Widow stood underneath the largest tree; an old wisteria that seemed out of place in the twisted labyrinth but would now stand as their meetings grounds... and conveniently her den, as the large open roots paved a way into an old burrow established by someone in the past. It would only require a few touch ups, but it was certainly fitting for a Queen... at least until she could take over that island out east.

Her companions had been instructed to guide those that would be joining her through the maze as they would arrive, and so with a nod to them they set off to wait. Widow wasted no time in dipping her chin back and calling to claim these woods and all of those that that would be joining her. She had laid out food and drinks for a feast after, a proper celebration for a bunch of sinners.

"Speech!"
ooc ─ First round will end Friday, June 7th! Sorry for the short time frame, however I would like to get this finished as soon as possible :)

Currently there are 12/13 slots filled, the last slot is open!

Members ─ Widow, Terror, Gruesome, Howl, Cryptis, Erebos, Stolas, Ravage, Mae, Reaper, Blackfoot

CODE © SKELLE/WITCHDOGTOR DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

This new windy territory would take some time for her to learn. She was a little afraid of getting lost. She could all too easily imagine losing her way, losing her breath, alone in these woods. She pushed aside the thought. She knew change could sometimes be scary, but she was willing to take this plunge, and support her mother for all she was worth.

She could only hope… couldn’t deny the little budding desire that Crux would find his way here as well. She had told him about her mothers pack, and when she arrived at the meeting place, she couldn’t deny the way her eyes skimmed across the area, looking for any hint…

Her eyes landed on Widow “Hey mumma” She said, trotting up to the gold trimmed queen and kissing the side of her head. “I’m so proud of you.” she whispered, before trotting a few steps back and sitting where she could see and hear everything.


"Cryptis"

((PP Permission granted by Virgil, confirmed with Sea he is free to join another pack in case he isn't fully removed yet.))

It had taken some time, conversation and discussion and then of course... Just how long it would take them both to walk all the way down to Auster, neither were exactly good at walking. But Crux had made up his mind. He was going to finally join Cryptis, he was going to end their having to say goodbye so often. But that didn't mean this was easy. The mists seemed to penetrate his pelt, chilling him to the bone as he and Stratum stood there in silence for a moment. "Tell dad I said hi and I miss him and he can find me here anytime." He finally managed before the pair said their goodbyes and Crux watched his brother turn around to head back towards the Hallows, feeling his stomach twist. This was such a change. Not only was he going to be away from his siblings for the first time in his life, he had uprooted himself, removed some of the things he'd once used to define himself.

And also he was terrified as hell by the idea this was going to be the first time he met Triss' mother. He swallowed hard, then with a nod to Riya he and the leopard followed their guide and finally as the mists seemed to reveal what would be his new home he felt a strange wave of emotions. The melancholy, the grief of losing what had once been his life and yet as his eyes immediately landed on her he couldn't help the joy he always felt when he saw Cryptis. Still no matter how much he wanted to rush over, scoop her up and let himself surrender to his excitement he was so aware of the other wolf present.

Taking a deep breath he forced himself to move towards her first. His hips were aching, a day of travel would do that, making his gait more uneven than usual and Crux was way too aware of that. He looked up at the woman he only knew as Triss' mother. "I'm Crux and this is my companion Riya." He began, dipping his head before gesturing to the leopard at his hips. It was very much "son of the warlord" coming through. Polite. Probably too formal but he really didn't know what else to say. "Cryptis has spoken of you often and it's a pleasure to finally meet you." He assumed he was probably going to be in for a real conversation with the woman sometime soon but for now he'd give her the time and space to address more than just him.

It was a relief to finally give one last dip of his head and then turn, to look directly at Cryptis. He couldn't help it. His tail started to wag and he couldn't help the smile that broke across his face. Still he forced himself to show restraint, moving to place himself next to her. Crux lowered himself down onto his stomach, hoping her mother wouldn't think him disrespectful but simply wishing to be at eye level with the small girl when he spoke to her. "Hey you." He said softly, words for just the two of them. He wanted to wrap himself around her but forced himself to be content to simply gently nuzzle her for now.

"Speech"

Art by MarkLix

Navigating the Wraith's Woods was always a challenge, but thankfully Stolas was slowly growing accustomed to it. Still, the aid of Widow's companions was a welcome assistance, and soon the dire brute arrived at the heart of the sinister forest. An ancient wisteria tree occupied the massive clearing at the center of the woods, and positioned beneath it was the Queen of Hell herself. Stolas' gray eyes lingered on Widow for a time, still regarding her with the same old pain her absence had scarred his heart with, but also with new memories they had made together here in these very woods. This would be his next step in life. Hellborn would be the next chapter in his story.

Already two other wolves had gathered for the founding of the new pack—a young woman that looked strikingly similar to Widow, save for a darker coat, and a young man cuddling up to her who wore the traditional colors and markings of a Fatalis wolf. That piqued Stolas' curiosity. The Fatalises were a strongly family-oriented collective. To see one of their own away from the Armada was a rarity. Keeping to himself, Stolas moved to sit close to the wisteria tree, and by extension Widow, dipping his head in reverence to his queen. Haunches dropping to the leaf-littered grass, Stolas settled in, sitting proud and proper to the right hand of the queen, a stoic and somewhat dour expression on his face while he waited for the meeting to begin in proper.

"Stolas"

Reaper felt off joining another pack so soon after being misplaced from his old one. However he missed the structure, the duty of it all. So when a new pack was formed in the lands, he could hear the calls for miles. He decided to give it a go. Moloch had helped him navigate through the odd forest, taking little time to get to the celebration. When he arrived, he didn't know a soul there. He watched with curious eyes as wolves gathered around. His gaze eventually fell upon the leader of the group. He gathered up some courage and walked over to greet her. He gave a respectful bow of his lower body before getting up and speaking. "It would be quite the honor to be accepted into this new kingdom of yours." He began. "I am Reaper Malice Bloodjaw. Reaper for short. I heard your call from afar." He stood now, his attention on the queen before him.

The young womans ears perked at the sound of a song sung for miles around. Paws were set into motion as her head was held high but respectful. Wraiths Woods were new to her, she felt as if it welcomed her in a sense. Although she was new here, following with Reapers respectful movements. Her skull and upper frame gave a respectful bow to the woman before her. "Greetings. I come to congradulate you, as well as wonder if you would accept me within this pack." She spoke with confidence, but also respect. She was shy though which one couldn't blame her. The scent of others danced around, mingling together. "I am Mae Torres, but called Mae." Mae had given another respectful dip of her cranium to the others before her.

The news that mom had won a pack was exciting but the fact that they had to trek all the way down to Auster was much less thrilling. With Rory safe in his scruff, Gru had followed their mother down past the Bifrost to a woods that might be considered dark and scary by many. For the large pup, it is actually pretty cool and unusual and he keeps stopping to point out stuff to his smaller brother.

Easy distracted? Yeah but, well, can you blame them? Everything here is new and all the strange scents have yet to be discovered by the pair. Luckily, their mom’s companions find the wayward pups and guide them to where Widow is waiting, pretty much the rest of the pack already there and waiting. Lowering himself to the ground, Gruesome allows Terror disembark if he wishes or stay right where he is.

Looking to where Widow stands underneath an old wisteria tree, Gru offers her a grin as he waits to hear what she has to say.


"Gruesome Nightwing"

The news of his mothers victory was exciting and he wasted no time in following his family down to Auster. He had said his goodbyes to Medusa and the rest of those he considered family before making the trek further South. It was a whole new world to him, but no doubt there would be much to explore here as much as there was back near Insomnia. The quiet boy quivered with excitement, curious to see what all his mother had in store for them. He had fallen behind a time or two as things on the journey distracted him, namely the scent of a pack or two on the winds nearby, and while he was curious about them, he'd wait before finding out who they were. Catching up and finding his mothers companions near the woods, they directed him to where his mother waited. He arrived just in time to hear her call, and he couldn't help the slight grin that tugged at his lips as he managed to find the gnarled wisteria that stood over his mother. He waited with anticipation, attention on her as he wondered who else might be coming.

The news had spread like wildfire, though it wouldn't take long for it to reach him. He had been lingering on the outskirts of Insomnia's borders and in the neighboring lands, wanting to reach out again to Widow, but admittedly, he wasn't the best at reaching out. His family was a testament to that, of course. He had even pushed away his own sister, but she seemed to be doing well enough on her own...much better than he'd be doing, so perhaps that's why...

Regardless, when he found that Widow and her troupe were heading toward Auster, he followed behind them. He was curious about what her plans were, but honestly, he was more enthralled with her than anything. She was beautiful, of course, there was no doubt about that. And he, of course, wanted to get to know her better. While he knew her on some level, it wasn't enough. Cerulean gaze often lingered hungrily on her form. But of course, he was raised to be a gentleman to some degree. So he'd behave.

As her call went out, he slipped into the woods, following the scents and the steps of the others that went before him until he found the small group. He settled in near the front and off to the side a bit, a grin on his lips as he peered at her. "Congratulations, Widow. Your victory is well deserved."

Terror considered himself to be a 'go with the flow' kind of guy, however it was only when the flow moved in his favor. Insomnia had been nice, not that he had anything to compare it to, but his own mother leading a pack benefited him in a lot of ways, or at least he so imagined. He was beyond proud of her for winning that challenge, and while others may be bothered by the long journey down into a land apparently called Auster, Terror hardly minded. Though, when you were asleep in the warm, comfortable scruff of your bigger twin for most of the trip only be roused when said twin found it important to detail something, the longer the trip the better.

It was only once Gruesome stopped and sat that Terror begrudgingly woke for good. Slumping off his brothers back, he nestled himself underneath his torso and leaned against the inside of a foreleg once working his way between them. There was a strange man beside her, one he'd never seen before yet looked familiar at the same time. Terror was certain he'd never seen the man before, but took a moment to look around. Howl was here, but Cadaver and Illusion were not. Cryptis joining them was no surprise, either. The rest were new faces, though he was sure that it wouldn't be the case before long. Once this all got started anyway.

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

replies are not mandatory! However, feel free to make a thread approaching widow and tag me if you would like. you're also encouraged to make threads with other founding members during the feast :)

Widow was not left waiting for long and others quickly started to arrive. First, of course, was her beloved daughter Cryptis that congratulated her before taking her seat before her, seemingly as eager and excited as she was. She offered her eldest daughter a warm smile, happy to have her here. Next was a new face, though as she caught the quick glimpse that he and Cryptis shared, she could only assume this was the man she had told her about. Crux, he then clarified as he introduced himself. She was not blind to his obvious ailment, though couldn't judge too harshly considering her daughters own troubles. She imagined that they bonded over it, something that they shared in a way that she couldn't understand.

"I'm glad to finally meet you, and your friend," she smiled with a nod towards both the man and his companion before he found a place next to Cryptis. She could tell that he made her happy, and Widow herself would be foolish to not believe in love.. especially now as a very familiar face made his entrance. Widow couldn't take her eyes off the man as he approached and so brazenly sat beside her - not that she minded, of course. Though, she could only imagine what her children would think.

She was briefly distracted by two new faces, a man and a woman that requested to join before even knowing what exactly they were joining. She smiled at the both and gestured for them to take a seat before her. "Pleasure to meet the both of you, take a seat and we'll be going over everything shortly. If we seem like a good fit for you both, you are more than welcome to stay," she smiled, happily willing to accept strangers into the pack. It felt good knowing that it wouldn't just be her children and the men she fancied.

Finally more of her children arrived, though she was disheartened to see that Cadaver and Illusion weren't among them. Gruesome, Terror, and Howl however all joined her and for that she was grateful. She could only hope that the others would at least visit, and perhaps time would heal the scar that was still healing between them.

Then, Ravage. A man she hadn't seen for some time, but she was more than happy to see him again and have him here with her. While she was already feeling a deep love for Stolas that never really left her, there was still a place in her heart for Ravage... She certainly hoped he hadn't come all the way down here for nothing if he wouldn't accept some sort of open relationship. But that hardly mattered in this moment, and she smiled at him as he too congratulated her.

"Thank you, Ravage, it means a lot to me that you're here," she said before clearing her throat and looking across those that had joined. It was a small gathering, but that was fine.

Looking to the man beside her briefly, she smiled before turning her gaze back towards the small crowd. "Thank you for coming. My name is Widow Nightwing, and we are Hellborn." she announced proudly, a smile fighting its way onto her face before going on into detail about the pack.

-- ooc: pretend widow went over everything; read the page, dm me if you have questions or suggestions! --
With all that out of the way, she answered questions and finally took another deep breath. She was tired of speaking now, and decided that it was time to mingle and eat! "Now, I have prepared a feast for everyone. Please, spend tonight getting to know each other and have some fun! We have a lot of work in store for us over the next few days," she said as she gestured towards the food and drink laid out around them.


"Speech!"

CODE © SKELLE/WITCHDOGTOR DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION