Shifter/Starwatch

ST'd by Silverfall

Note: Umbral, Lost Spirit Gate

Summary

Plot Summary

Starting 5/25/25.

A long, long time ago, there were Spirit Gates within the Umbra that were once common and were guarded by Lunes, allied spirits, or other Shapeshifters. In our day and age, many of them are gone, and the lost doorways are rumored to be of legend. No one knows how they were made, or crafted. Many old lore keepers say that the mysterious portals of old were mistrusted, and rightly so, by mostly the Werewolves. With the lost lore, they could no longer be regarded as safe methods of travel. One would never know where they'd end up if they stepped through one. The old star maps that contained such gate mapping has been lost over centuries.

Plot Details So Far

Detail 1: A secret in the umbra has been found.
Detail 2: Poppa Joe has asked Che Vuoi pack to start preparing for an umbral mission that is coming! He won't say what it is yet.
Detail 3: Father Abe has been getting dreams from Momma Rat. Are they prepared for what's to come?
Detail 4: Todrick has been building war art and showed it off to Poppa Joe. PJ has asked him to build more ambush art against enemies. How many? A horde... he said.
Detail 5: Momma Rat has visited Brent. Are the Bone Gnawers getting visions for the near future?
Detail 6: Poppa Joe announces the secret finding of a Lost Spirit Gate - 5/25/25
Detail 7: Packs are requested to submit action plans for getting down into Hungry Mountain within the next few weeks.
Detail 8: A Spirit Gate is said to be located at the bottom depths of the mountain, where the Zarak-Ur currently live.
Detail 9: The Zarak-Ur are thought to be cannibals who have warped over time from living too long inside the Mountain.
Detail 10: Mountain Travel - A transportation pillar is located in Juniper to travel to the Mountain directly.
Detail 11: Sept Council asks to keep this a secret from Spirits and have the Wyrm not overhear by talking in the streets.
Detail 12: Kristos and Poppa Joe sponsored an Action Plan contest for how to best handle the mountain threat.
Detail 13: Sept Alpha Meeting scheduled 6/15/25. See +events. Winners to be announced.
Detail 14: Sept prepares Juniper School Admin Offices for a Staging Area 6/16/25 and Forward.
Detail 15: Hungry Mountain Moaning Song Mission 6/19/25
Detail 16: Hungry Mountain Cinematic - SIEGE THE MOUNTAIN! 6/24/25
Detail 17: Hungry Mountain Siege - Base Camp Building 6/26/25

How to get to Hungry Mountain or The Spirit Gate:

Step 1: +hangout/jump juniper.
Step 2: Go into Juniper School and Enter the Admin Offices.
Step 3: Enter the Principle's Office. An NPC shifter guard is always present to help out PC's.
Step 4: Tilt the constellation painting on the wall askew in your rp pose.
Step 5: Pose opening the Closet Door and walk through. Type CLOSET. You are there.
Step 6: You are now visiting Hungry Mountain.
Step 7: How to get home - Use the exit Pole in the room.
- The Memorial Pole has now been moved to the Spirit Gate entrance.

IC Rumors

Rumor: Poppa Joe returned in the early Spring to the Sept of the Holly King after he completed his challenge for Athro. There's been no story for his winning the rank, and when asked about it he chuckles and shakes his head. "You'll know soon enough. At the next Sept Meeting, there will be an announcement." There's subtle rumors that he was sent to seek something lost to the Gaians, and was challenged to find a way to help turn the tide of war against the Wyrm.

Rumor: Back in the day, the old timers, would say stories have been passed down that when Spirit Gates were used properly, they allowed instant travel from one area to another, even between the Near Realms. At one time, it was thought that all the Near Realms had Gates leading to other Realms at one point. Yet like all war casualties, such gates have mostly been destroyed by the Weaver or the Wyrm. And with the lost knowledge, their secrets were lost as well.

Rumor: The rediscovery of such a Spirit Gate, one may hope would lead from Wolfhome to Pangaea, or anything leading to the Summer Country, might yet tip the scales in Gaia's favor. And back in the day, activating a Spirit Gate was a simple matter, according to some legends. They opened to creatures with strong spiritual aspects, like Gaian Shapeshifters. One would concentrate, calling upon their Gnosis that ties a spirit to Gaia and the world. And once the Gate were to flood open, the traveler would experience sensations out of this world. Some might feel like they are sinking like they are riding a descending elevator. Others may sense a tingle, and a rising glare behind their eyes like a head rush. But it always ended in sending them to a new place. The first few trips through a Spirit Gate are disorienting, but eventually the traveler would learn to master the new sensations. -- Umbra * The Velvet Shadow Pg 40.

Rumor: No one wants to challenge CV for the first mission. Will CV go in guns blazing and draw all the Zarak-Ur down upon them with the fireworks and noise? Kristos awaits for a solid action plan. If it's no good, he's warned another pack will be chosen. No one wants to see packs fall, especially the Sept Leader. Everyone in the Sept is asked to help and create ideas and plans for all going to be successful. (OOC: Clearing Hungry Mountain is a Risk 3 Operation).

Rumor: Poppa Joe is circulating and listening to ideas. He's approachable and everyone knows he wants to see this done before he eventually goes on his Long Walk. This may be his last hurrah.

Rumor: Lucien went on a Mnesis quest to uncover memories of the mountain's past. His vision was cut short by the Na-Dene, but before it was he was able to learn where the Spirit Gate leads, and how it can be opened.

Rumor: Li also looked to the past for some answers. What he found was an old Chinese tale about the origin of the Heavens, the tale of the Empress T'ai-Shen, the ever-hungry serpent Kung-Kung and the wolf named Pan Gu - said to be the first Stargazer. It speaks of the hunger of the serpent and how it was defeated by the wolf.

Na-Dene is secretly visiting members of the Sept. Will you be one of the chosen?

Rumor: Li, Jean, Kira and Noelle were approached by Meridian and shown a vision from a firefly spirit. It showed more information about the gate, Starwatch, and the Hungry Mountain.

Rumor: Gabriel's challenged Poppa Joe for his Rank 3 Challenge. He now has to cipher the Moaning Song in Hungry Mountain with the help of the Ananasi and Rue. Will he discover Lost Lore in the enigma of the terrifying song?

Rumor: After the Sept War Council Meeting, Lucien told Poppa Joe He was visited by Na Dene. He's been tasked to investigate more into this mysterious masked spirit.

Rumor: Solidarity may have issues with the current plan with the mountain to genocide the creatures within. They follow Unicorn and Samson presented an alternative view with many questions that haven't been answered by recon teams yet. He may have been a solo voice in the room speaking with Unicorn's wisdom. Did anyone listen? Or is the prize so great a blind eye is being turned to look away? The spirit's are watching closely to see how this war plan evolves. In war who is right? Who is wrong? Is it more important to beat the Wyrm to the prize? So many questions evolve that gossip lingers for all who listens.

Rumor: There's a secret in play about the poison used. A Ragabash stole a load of it from the city. Who dun it? No one is sharing that news yet.

Rumor: Solidarity went to an abandoned soup can factory to find a lonely soup can spirit. There's a rumor that he goes by the name of Mr. Yummy and now is living temporarily to hang out in the Solidarity House kitchen. This spirit is the one who agreed to make the poison for Hungry Mountain siege more tantalizing and yummier to the creatures who were intended to eat the poison.

Poppa Joe requested Shop Dogs work on creating barricades for the tunnels and for Hungry Mountain Base Camp. He also asked Solidarity to finish their Sentinel Machines to give further defense protection, and be brought to the Mountain. Meanwhile, Lucien was tasked to investigate the mysterious appearances of Na-Dene to members of the Sept. However, rumor is that he's been called away from Houston, and now Poppa Joe is looking to Li and Etienne to fulfill this task. Has anyone else had dreams or visions sent to them by a spiral plume of whirlwind black smoke? Thread Walkers and Unconquered Suns were requested to aide with Juniper Defense, keep the Wyrm out and make sure they aren't snooping into our school to find out what we're doing. Archimedes and Jean have been working on tunnel defense. CV Pack was also asked to watch out for Juniper Defense in the interim, and help lead the other Wargs to work together with all the tasks that need to be performed, and to rally everyone to the cause. Kinfolk assignments were requesting them to help out with the school launching ground for the portal. A triage medical area, and bunks are now built in one of the empty classrooms. Patrol groups stand at the ready to answer a call if things start to go south at Hungry Mountain. The plan, is to starve the creatures out for a 45 day siege, and then open up the mountain again to remove the remaining enemies, and then get down to the Spirit Gate to claim it.

The Mountain Siege began with summoning Lord Earthquake to request him to landslide the mountain and cover the entrances and exits for the next 45 days. This was done successfully, but a huge battle waged from some of the creatures escaping out before the exits were completely covered, including an abomination of a floating head with many eyes, that shot radiation light beams from its many eyeballs. The Gaians successfully cleared the battlefield and took down many enemies, but at a great cost. Many Gaians returned home again seriously wounded, and battle scars were obtained. Poppa Joe also returned not looking so well, and was on the verge of death. Will the old man Shaman make it to see the Spirit Gate opened, as his last final wish?

Siege Patrol Sign Ups are posted for Hungry Mountain Base Camp.

After a considerable amount of Siege time, the Ananasi in camp worked on the Moonstrung Harp as being a communicative device with the Forest Sept being its receiver. While working on this cipher code, the creatures in the mountain responded to the Moaning Song being played. Eventually after First Contact began with the tones, there was a series of sounds that made them passive. Theories along these lines fall that the Spirit Gate might have once made these sounds, or the original Gate Builders may have used them for defense to defend the Gate itself. Is that true? It's still a mystery.

After tests were run with the Cipher Code and the Harp's Moaning Song that made the creatures passive, the Sept Council believed it was time to Crack the Mountain. A Recon Team went into the mountain and they were not attacked as long as the song continued to be played, and the group eventually had to sing it back to pass over the last obstacle to get down to the Gate itself. They had to traverse down a 100 drop sheer cliff. But once they made it, they were able to investigate the Gate and provide a report. Later, Poppa Joe took a secondary team down to investigate the locking mechanism. Wind spirits were summoned by Ashton, and they helped assist the team in finding maps that lead to the elements to make the Gate Key, and form it into a fetish. The unlocking mechanism seems attainable at this point. Three missions are now underway to obtain the Celestial Crystal, The Heartstone, and to seek the ancient Wind Spirit called Nanoo.

Li began a quest to research Na-Dene and the visions and dreams people have been having related to water and the Gate itself. On 8/13/25 Na-Dene visited the Luna Beach and those present. Communication started first with the new Stargazer in the city, named Ren. Does he have something to do with Na-Dene? The spirit gave Etienne, Li, Ryen, and Lana brief visions. Sweet was harassed and tested for his strength. It seems Na-Dene will test Gaians for their fears to see if they are strong enough to overcome them. Will you be tested next?

Archimedes held a Sept wide crafting event to forge the key. Artisans came to assist: Chance, Medina, Lana, Ryen, and Etienne. It is one of the most pristine artifacts remade that the Sept now owns. Archimedes has it in his current care as its Guardian.

The Spirit Gate was opened by: Etienne, Archimedes, Li, Tori, Samson, Chance, and Poppa Joe. They solved the powering issue and Etienne, Archimedes, and Li spent a permanent gnosis to further power the gate. An alien unknown voice came through the gate prompting the powering issues. Did the group receive disembodied spiritual help, or was that simply Gate programming?

A new fort has been built near the old village ruins within Starwatch. Todrick renamed it Fort KickMoreAss, after the previous one built in Hungry Mountain. It's now a staging area for supplies, rest, and protection for all traveling sphere members.

Exploration parties are adventuring out daily to the ruins and parts of the island. The Ocean seems to be the most dangerous unknown territory and there's been warnings from the spirits and from some of the observed creature behavior to not be going out into deeper water. Some creatures even get up and leave the ocean at night and can be seen walking the shores or hiding further inland until daylight returns.

The green toxic gas on the cliffs that the Keep sits on is harmful to organic matter. That means you. The Gaians (Todrick) are currently scientifically testing it to find ways to handle this. Ashton discovered there's broken pipes in the cliff rocks, and bigger ones leaking out the gaseous mist into the bay on the opposite side. In the water in this saturated area, appears to be dead coral walkers under the water. It did not feel safe to be in that area.

During ruin explorations, Etienne went to dig up a mushroom and something odd and shriveled looking jumped out of the dirt and eeked at him. It went darting off into a Cliff Area, further off on the island in a patch of Mushrooms growing within the rocks.

Ashton, Todrick, Noelle, Chuck, Li, Archimedes, Etienne have started to befriend the dragons in the valley. These have been discovered to be mutated Mokole Kin. The growing faction between both parties has allowed the Gaians now to fly up to the Keep and see what was inside. Exploration parties have just started to explore the Keep within. There's enough trust now, that any Gaian who dares to fly on the back of a dragon, may now get around the toxic mist to land above the cliffs and enter the Keep area.

An ancient alien device was discovered in the Keep's courtyard. 10/2/25.

Those Currently Involved

Father Abe
Gabriel
Francesca
Enzo
Poppa Joe
Kristos
Todrick
Etienne
Lucien
Li
Brent
Namkhai
Rue
Todrick
Ryen
Maarten
Medina
Archimedes
Slouch
Kleio
Ryoko
Sweet
Maarten
Kleio
Kira
Noelle
Ashton
Samson
Jean
Chuck
Lana
Ren

Locations	Missions	Objectives	Rewards
	Spirit Gate (SG-1) Spirit Gate	Recon SG-1 Into the Depths
	The Other Side Through the Gate	Locked The Unknown

Past Scenes / RP Logs

How to Get Involved!

(Select What Applies to your plot)

Add yourself to the list, this plot is wide open to the entire venue.
Check the involved player list and see if any players currently involved can bring you in.
Check out your own skills and open a ticket for the STs with ways you think you could get involved.
If not selected for an Away Mission, you can contribute to the return team by offering aide.
This story has elements for Risk 2 and Risk 3.
Group Play +Request Tickets are encouraged! You earn more points for Missions if you display teamwork.

How to Utilize this Plot Page

I know things I want everyone to know. How do I get that out there?: Add an entry below, under IC Rumors. Feel free to specify a context under which you did or would tell people. Do you just tell every PC or NPC who asks, so the rumor is getting around? You don't have to post anything you don't want to, and are free to require people to seek you out for RP to get information, but if you're tired of explaining the same things over and over, put it up here.
I was just in a plot scene! Now what?' If you have a follow-up, submit a ticket! Even if you don't, it would be great if you could add to the Plot Details and Summary sections above to help keep everyone on the same page with what's being shared IC.
How do I connect with others related to this plot: Please review if the plot is open, and how to get involved. If you are already involved, please reference the list of other characters involved in the plot.
Don't assume everyone knows what you know, even if it was in a public scene. If you have plot detail that isn't listed below, add it.
- This is the documentation of your IC information sharing. Take ownership of it. Include important information that took place in scenes, even if there is a log. Not everyone reads logs!
Do I have to share what I know? Of course not. You're free to operate at any level of shady and secretive that you like, but generally the most people have fun when information-sharing is collaborative, and plot resolution tends to progress a little more quickly. The choice, of course, is yours.