[cult] THIS IS HOME.

[mysteryfaith]

(This is the current 'base camp' for the Cult. Any member of the Cult may post here. It is a shallow cave made from the rocks, just big enough for a few creatures to sleep in, with a large clearing in front of it and water close by. Your characters don't have to live or sleep here, but as members of the Cult they should visit here occasionally.)

Apani stretched out her legs, and sighed; she was growing now, from a very weak young sapling into a grand, majestic feline. Already, she had stated her claim in the world - after meeting up with Arya, a female with like-minded interests, they had started up their own meeting. The Cult, they had decided, was a good name for such a gathering; on that day, the Cult was born, and since then they had rounded up a few followers.

With a smile, she rolled over in the leisurely sun, and let it graze over her soft fur; this was perfection, she realised with a sigh. Together with Arya, she could rule creatures just as she knew she was born to do; it was unlikely that they would find her pleasant, with her strict mannerisms and strange quirks, but they would have to respect her if they wanted the protection of the Cult.

Around her, Cult members should be gathering; they should be relaxing around her, with her, in awe of her. She was their leader, and they were her subjects - although she wouldn't reveal it to their faces, she would be controlling their every move so long as they were in her sight. They could lead other lives away from the Cult, of course - but when it came to the essentials, she would have them wrapped around her paw.

The feline smiled with the comfort of power, and stretched once more. This was a place for Cult members to gather, enjoy themselves, or simply talk; when Cult action was required, such as to engage in warfare or take on a new task, then every member of the Cult would be called. As for now, though, it was simply a sunny day which should be used to relax and have fun . . .

[Meesh]

Silva happily lazed on a rock outside the Cult cave. She didn't live their, but visiting occasionally to meet new friends was oh so fun! She remembered the day she met the Cult leaders. They had been hosting a meeting, and Silva, then still a barely coordinated sapling had been eager to join a place where she could make new friends. She was quickly assigned a rank: Two Star Emerald, Recruitee 002. She wagged her tail. Silva liked her rank. Emerald was her favorite color, after all~

[mysteryfaith]

Seeing Silva approaching, Apani put on her best smile. Her sand-coloured pelt was well-warmed by the sun at this point, leaving her comfortably settled in her position; she wouldn't get up just to greet a two-star.

"Good morning, Silva," she greeted the female; happily, she'd remembered the canine's name. She didn't make an effort to do these things, but she supposed that the name 'Silva' just stuck in her memory. With a roll across the sand, she shot the canine another lazy smile. "What might you be up to today?"

This was more than just a casual question; Apani had been thinking that perhaps doing things that pleased the Cult could be rewarded. After all, she was sure that certain members - especially the heartbreakingly innocent Silva - would appreciate going up in rank. Little prizes and rewards could be handed out to those who complied with the Cult wishes . . . as of yet, there were none, but soon, there would be plenty of things that creatures could do to help.

[Deleted]

So this was the new group Silva was a part of.

Nerah approached the camp slowly, taking in the sights and smells around her. Everything was still very new to her, and the drive to discover things called strongly to her. This was a different situation, though. Here, there were rules and behaviors she had to heed.

Silva had discovered more creatures shortly after the pack left the orchard, and the black canine had introduced Nerah to said beings, who belonged to something called The Cult. Silva was a part of the group, so Nerah had joined as well, and was given a rank alongside her packmate. Now, she was here to attend the group's gathering. Here was where she would start to learn and perform her duties.

Spotting her friend immediately, Nerah walked over to Silva and sat dow beside her. Her tail was wagging, though a bit slower than usual. She then noticed the other creature nearby and dipped her head in what she had learned was a respectful greeting. "Hello!"

[alehue]

the canine knew she had a keeper on her hands when she met apani - the two were similar in ways that no one but they could understand, and they had purposes beyond the mediocrity of simply surviving. they were the inventors, the innovators, the ones who took the first step forward. they would be the rulers of this female-ruled army, the rulers of this empire soon to be born. they had the seeds of creation, and all those seeds needed was nurturing - nurturing neither of them backed away from giving. and thus, the cult was born.

arya knew that she should have stayed in plainer sight when she hung around the cult's proclaimed home, a shallow cave that would seem hard to hide in, especially with the strips of vivid white that adorned her coat. yet, the female found it easy to tuck herself away in a small nook about a foot away from the curved ending of the cave; it was about two feet wide, a crooked fit for the broad-shouldered canine (though a feline who discovered this well-hidden crevice would have no trouble slipping through it) and at least five feet deep. it was a comfortable hiding spot for when she did not wish to be found, and also a great way of mystifying new members - there was no trouble of them thinking that their leaders had the power to walk through stone.

the only thing that worried arya about said crevice was the fact that it may continue farther, far enough for a feline to access it from the outside, and that would certainly not bode well if the army-like cult came to war with a group that even had a single feline, for as soon as the cat was in, they could, and would, easily distract the members of the cult that slept in the cave (only arya at the moment, unless lpani had taken to that habit as well) and then whilst the cult members fought the intruders, the others could ambush. slipping out from between the rocks, now not feeling so well about the secret crevice, arya strutted out in front of the members, head held high, waiting for their submission - only apani was exempt from a display of respect.

[Deleted]

This was an exciting experience for Nerah. It was always a thrill to meet other creatures. At least, that's what it seemed. It had been a thrill when she met her pack, and she felt close to the same way now with this new group that Silva had found. Something big was going to happen here. She just knew it! She didn't know what specifically would happen, but it would be memorable and potentially world-changing. Then again, with her young age, everything was likely to change her world.

Another creature appeared, seemingly ghosting out of solid stone. Nerah stared at her in wonder, and bowed in greeting when she approached. "Hello!" She greeted the newcomer with a simple word and the wagging of her tail as well as the bow. She trembled, but it was with excitement rather than fear.

[nightrider]

Elena came upon the Cult almost by accident: she had been following Arya's scent, longing for company now that her world was expanding. When she came upon the small gathering of both canines and felines, she was mystified; what could the purpose of this little club be? She sensed that something was being organised here, something with a higher purpose, and it filled her with excitement. She had decided that she was a cat that needed a purpose, a vocation to still her anxious mind and quiet it's questions. What is the meaning of my life? could be answered with Them...whoever this 'them' turned out to be.

She mewed, hoping that Arya would recognize her.

[Meesh]

Silva blinked, finally waking up fully. "Er, sorrY" she grinned at the canines and felines around her. Twitching her nose, she grinned as she saw Nerah's telltale swish of brindled brown fur a little ways away. "Nerah, you made it!" the black canine barked joyfully.

she glanced around at the strangers around her, sure that there were a lot more then there were a moment ago

[Deleted]

Silva noticed her presence, and Nerah gave her a happy bark. She couldn't wait for this gathering to get underway! It was so good to be part of something, and even better to be part of two somethings. She wondered what would be discussed today. Would they be told to hunt? Perhaps they had peaceful duties the leaders wanted them to fulfill. Maybe it was just a massive playtime right now. She didn't know and she didn't really even care. Whatever it was, it was sure to be fun.

A new scent wafted toward her and she turned to Elena. Well, that was a new face. She smiled at the feline. "Hello!"

[nightrider]

Elena, slightly taken aback at Apani's friendly greeting, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Hello, my name is Elena. What does this gathering pertain to?" This sort of formal introduction sounded almost comical coming out of Elena's very young mouth. Her voice was still kind of, well, squeaky. Continuing, she said, "I have come upon this place by following the scent of my very good friend, Arya." Whether they were actually 'good friends' was up for debate of course, but in Elena's mind if she said you were her friend, you just were. To her, friendship was like a hook you cannot pry out of your skin no matter how hard you try.

[Meesh]

Silva blinked curiously, following Nerah's scent. Oh, a feline like her pack mate.
Barking her greeting, she trotted forward to give the stranger a friendly sniff "hiya~" she began "I'm Silva. Atre you new to the cult?" she wagged her tail, happy to be meeting someone new.
She sure liked meeting new people. Last time she met someone new, it turned out to be her three best friends in the whole world! Yup, she liked new people a lot

[Deleted]

Nerah trotted alongside her friend and packmate. "I'm Nerah! Always nice to meet someone new. You're here for the gathering too, right? That's what we're here for. We're really new to the group, so you'll fit in with us if not with anyone else, but I'm sure fitting in won't be a problem at all. Anyway, I don't know exactly what's planned. It's going to be really good, though. I can feel it!" She grinned. New friends always excited her, and it was hard to keep calm. Impossible, even.

[nightrider]

"Here for the gathering..." Elena mused, "Well, originally, I was simply following the scent of a beloved, but now that I have come across this 'gathering' as you call it, my curiosity will not allow me to leave. Besides, you all seem quite personable." Then, in direct contrast to her high-brow vocabulary, Elena began to purr and wrap herself around Nerah's legs just as she had with Arya. Actions of friendship thus completed, she continued speaking. "I do not know whether it will be good or not, but regardless, it will most likely be a good experience for all-" Elena abruptly cut off her increasingly philosophical rambling, distracted by a butterfly. Her eyes grew wide and she batted at it, revealing the kitten that she really was.

[Meesh]

Silva smiled at Elena "Good meeting you~ It's always good to have new friends" she gave a smile as she saw elena begin to purr and nuzzle Nerah. So cute~ Suddenly, elena's eyes widened. Blinking in curiosity, Silva was surprised to see a large, beautifully colored bug with pretty wings. it was...a butterfly! Wowsa!

[Deleted]

((Until the gathering ends, Nerah's still an aboriginal here. ^.^)

Nerah wagged her tail at the attention the feline was paying her. So many friendly creatures resided in the world. She wished she had been born sooner if it meant meeting all these awesome canines and felines that much earlier. Of course, they would have had to have been born earlier as well. Maybe they were the oldest. Maybe this was the beginning of all time. How cool was that?

The feline had been speaking, but another, smaller creature had distracted her. The feline then batted at it. Was it prey? It wasn't big enough to share if it was, and the feline saw it first, so it was hers.