THE HIERARCHY OF ANGELS / open && new body

[CELESTE G.M.]

Perhaps if Temulin was Catholic, she would have been a saint. Or at the very least, she would have aspired to be a saint. There are few examples of revered shamans in the practices of the Shamans of the Planes. Elders are teachers but never placed in a position above their station - the old can learn from the young just as much as the young learn from the old. To stop learning to stagnate, to hold one above others is to become less than others she was taught.

That being said, she had also been kept to a high standard throughout her life. When she was a child, she was pushed to take up arms and train to be everything her father wanted in his children. Djagatai wanted his children to be fierce raiders, skilled hunters and warriors that would strike fear into the plains. She couldn't help but feel she disappointed him in that respect, she never took to the violence like her brother did. It was perhaps why, when she showed promise with the shamanistic aspect, Djagatai never blinked. He gave her over to train as one without a second thought, although he loved her, he would not allow her to stray from that path.

She would make him proud. She would make him proud, she wanted that more than anything in the world. If her freedom, her happiness, her choice of a lover and of a life were forfeit for that, so be it. She would appease her tribe, appease her father and appease the gods. And Temulin herself, firstborn daughter of Djagatai Khan and the Shaman of her tribe - would be secondary to the needs and concerns of her people.

But nobility takes it's toll. As it always has, as it always will. There is only so much one can sacrifice before the sacrifices begin to define the person. Roles and orders and jobs can mold a person to fit them, rather than the person developing themselves and deciding what they wish and desire and want to be. Temulin was the Shaman, she was the Healer, the messenger of the Gods and enacted their wishes and wrath. She had blessed and cursed, weaving together prayers and magic as if they were one and the same, the land and the sky and the sun and the wind and the water and her in a conversation and a ballad. She would ask of the world, of nature, of forces primordial and eternal — and they would listen and grant her requests.

But not here.

Without her identity of that miracle worker, who was she? Her father was dead, her tribe was leagues across the sea and out of reach. Khasar was put to the sword because Temulin could not stay his hand from the violence that he took to so well. Her sisters had disappeared, married off to other tribes and never seen again. Her powers were gone and the Gods spoke to her not on this island. The land and the sky answered her not. The sea spoke to her in a language incomprehensible to her ears.

And yet she still prays. Incense is burned, offerings are left and she listens to the land and the sea. Again and again and again, she offers her requests for nothing more guidance from Umai, the patron of all spiritcallers. She asks for anything, a sign so small and insignificant. Just reassurance that she not fallen too far from grace. Why would the Gods allow her to be attacked and thrown out to sea like a common thief? Like a killer of kin? Not unless she had fallen from Tengri's favour. She grows old and her sight begins to fail her, her bones ache. Has Yer-Sub extinguished the spark from inside her? Umai answers her not and grants her no power to work her magic. The Earth Mother did not protect her from her attackers.

She breaks down in tears at night. She has lost track of when she arrives, but her vision blurs into nothingness and all she can smell is the heavy scent of incense. Her tears burn at her eyes and she doesn't move, clasping her paws together in front of the offering dish and recites her prayers, as shaky and uneven as her voice is. It comes out as nothing more squeaks, hushed noises and choked out words. She is sure that nobody is around to hear her so weak and helpful as she begs in her own tongue.

"Надад туслаач” гэж залбирлаа."

My child — who said you had been abandoned? Have faith, as you always have. And you shall be restored when you have carried out our work. But, you will not be alone — and you will not be unprepared.

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Temulin awakes at dawn. She recalls a dream as she begins to slip back into the waking world. She dreamt of home, of warm cooked food and laughs and stories. Temulin herself is telling the story of the Greatest Khan who ruled the world, of his conquests and of his trials. Some say he was the incarnation of Tengri himself, others say that he was the son of Erlik made into flesh, sent to purge the world and restore a bloody order as the tribes had grown too soft.

She awakes with a knot of guilt in her chest. Falling asleep during a ritual prayer is sacrilege — a taboo that is observed by every Shaman. The differences between tribes in worship and decorum change from tribe to tribe, but sleeping during the trance is one of the universal taboos. Heat rises in her face as she rises, but what greets her vision draws a scream from her mouth.

Her vision is still weak, but she sees limbs narrow and long, much longer than found on a siamese cat. Her claws are golden and are no longer retractable. Panicking, Temulin looks into the mirror that she has placed to repel evil spirits and catches her own reflection in the mirror briefly, soon finding that she is now much taller than she was before, so the mirror is at completely the wrong height.

Her snout is elongated and her eyes burn a brilliant golden colour. Her fur is a soft white, long and fluffier than it should be. Out from her head are two small antlers, similar to that of a red doe, but the same brilliant gold of her claws. White and gold, she catches the glint of gold in her teeth when she makes a distressed squeak. And then, there are the protrusions from her back. 6 wings with feathers of purest white and the same brilliant shimmering gold.

You are divine my child — you will reflect your own divinity and mine.

The voice is familiar to her, but not quite the same. It sounds like Umai, her patron goddess and the worker of her miracles but somehow... Different. There are no further answers from her though, as Temulin is left with her new form and the last simmering ashes of the incense that she burned.

tl;dr & body summary:

tl;dr — Temulin was blessed with a new body by a Goddess after praying for guidance. The body description simplified and not Temulin's fragmented perspective is below. Also holy hell this is long good god.

borzoi canine body, long legs & snout
gold glowing eyes
doves ( dove wings - 6 wings for a Sepharim ) - all on her back
antlers, have a golden sheen to them
golden claws, golden fangs

[goodsprings]

CAPTAINPAW

✯ — YOUNG LOVERS AND THEY ARE NOT SLEEPING

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captainpaw certainly had a long life ahead of him. he was just nearing seven months old, the tom had only discovered the world surrounding him in a short amount of time. all he knew was the small world of the typhoon, and it's outside enemies. to the striker's perspective, it was enormous. so much land and more to discover. once he was older, though, and out in the seas sailing with his crew, he would realize there was so much more to the typhoon than their islands and politics.

with his own father, planecrash, the spindly tom has done everything in his power to remain sure cap has always had the freedom to make his own choices. to lead on his own future and interests. he encouraged cap to grasp onto his passion for pirating. to gain the knowledge needed and provide him with the resources to do so. much different than what most children get here, captain was given the opportunity to be loved by, and supported. welcomed in and accepted by his guardians. vandal helped in a more hands-on experience with sailing, and planecrash provided what he would need to know surrounding it. how to read and write. mathematics. reading up on any book he could get his paws on and diving into it.

if he were to know that temulin had been shoved into a lifestyle since she had learned to walk, the calico would have felt pity. she was an adult now, though, so perhaps it worked out in the end for her.

the sound of a scream jolts captainpaw awake from his sleep, and the calico tom blearily steps out of the tree house and looks around, rubbing his eyes to wake himself up. his eyes narrow and he begins to climb down, heading off not too far before hearing some more faint noises from inside another crewmates home.

the tom hop up onto the windowsill, and peers inside. "what are you doing in miss temulins house?" he questioned with a frown, coming inside and looking around. so far nothing damaged or looked to be stolen... maybe he had just caught the invader right on time! temulin would be glad to know he fearlessly scared off this... very pretty robber.

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✯ — male. the typhoon. easy. REF. BIO. — ✯

#psychosocial.

[CELESTE G.M.]

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"Captain? What are you doing here?!" She sounds embarrassed to be found like this, which she is. Her eyes are still puffy from crying and her face is stricken in horror as she realises that she must of left the door unlocked too. That isn't beginning to discuss the new body, but her brain is going a mile a minute as she panics about multiple issues at once. "I'm... This is my house Captain, this is me." She reiterates in case the soft voice wasn't instantly recognisable as she lets out a string of curses in her mother tongue that are incomprehensible.

Her wings flutter anxiously, each not big enough to allow her to lift off the group, but still with enough force to send a downy feather or two to go flying. She now looks... Down at the calico, whereas beforehand it was a pretty similar height. "I... I awoke like this - I prayed for guidance, not this!" She states with a tone of an odd mix of surprise and mortification. She prayed for help - this would never the help that she expected, not by any means or standards. If the colour could of drained from her face, it would of minutes ago. It's almost as if she can't comprehend what has happened either.