By Eric VanDycke
"Sit down children, and let me tell you the tale of a student of mine, he was Corax, like some of you. His name was Shadow-Under- Stars. This story begins with him recieving a dream-quest that sent him on a dangerous mission in the spirit-world. He was searching for the feathered coat of raven. He searched far and wide for this object, his journey was filled with much danger. He battled lone banes in distant hellholes and searched the aetherial realm for months at a time, he battled the stone-skinned-ones, and ended up sending their most powerful shaman back into the wheel of life after a sky-battle that nearly left him dead. As he kneeled next to the dead body of the shaman he saw several strange scars on the chest of the man. Immediatly he knew that they held powerfull spirits, he felt it in his heart that they deserved to be free from the shaman's body. For two days he chanted to the totem-fathers of raven and owl to grant him the power to rip the poor spirits from the body of the shaman. In a rare visitation, owl came to him and granted him the wisdom to help the spirits that were trapped in the shaman's dead skin. He chanted and burned tabbacco, with a single talon, he tore the flesh and released the spirits. He was supprised when two small vulture spirits appeared from the wounds. They stared at him for nearly a day, finaly he got the nerve to speak to them.
"Vulture-fathers, why do you stare at me?" he asked
"We wish to remember the face of the one that let the vultures live on, we are the last two of our kind, for no one speaks praise of our father, Vulture," they said in unison
"I will speak praise of him, if he deams me worthy"
From behind the kneeling Corax came a voice, and a hand was laid on his shoulder.
"You are worthy, my child, wear this feather with pride, and speak my name with reverence, so that my children may populate the skys once more," said the man that stood behind Shadow-Under-Stars.
The man was dressed in a black feathered kilt, his red painted bald head was held high with pride and respect.
"Go now, and continue your quest, for another of the feather needs yor help."
"and so he left, here the story ends"
"remember children when you see vulture in the sky, speak a word of praise so that his children will once again soar through the spirit-world's skys.
Totem of Respect
Background cost: 5
Vulture is the caller of the sun, he to which all birds owe their feathers, and he who holds his bald head high as a show of honor and reverence. He aids his children by teaching them Survival 3 and a point of permanant willpower. Each child of Vulture gains a one time bonus of +100 honor. One time a Year the children can call on Vulture to aid them in some way, similar to the Metis gift: totem gift (lv5).
Bans: During the new moon phase, the child must do a five-hour ritual ceremony where he gives a gnosis point to father Vulture (Not permanant). Also, the child must dedicate part of every meal to Vulture by casting the food into the fire, where it travels in the form of smoke to Vulture.