LunarTotems/Deer
Introduction
Roark's breathing came heavy, thick plumes of mist, as he stood in the snow, eyes careful on the pine trees nearby. His bow crackled in the cold as he tightened the string.
There was a rustle, and his body tensed.
Snow crunched beneath his feet as he gave chase. He had lost track of time, knowing that day had gone to night which had gone to day, but he would not give into exhaustion. Blonde hair flowed out of his furs as he purued his prey, intent on capturing the beautiful specimen.
He found it, standing, waiting in a clearing. The moon shown through his antlers. Roark had never seen such a glorious rack, literally unable to count all the points on the magnificent stag.
He lifted his bow, aiming at the unafraid animal, and fired.
The man that was the deer caught the arrow before it struck, looking down upon the lowly hunter. The man's silvery antlers gleamed in the moonlight, his face glorious, his broad chest powerful.
Roark realized he stood in the presence of divinity, and he collapsed to his knees, certain his death would come soon for his irreverant attempt to slay the god.
He felt the man touch his head. "Rise, brave hunter. You pursued me where others would have given up. You hunted when others would have surrendered to sleep. You saw through my deceptions and trickery to hunt me true. You are the greatest hunter of your tribe."
Tears streaked the man's face at the praise, and he looked up to behold the god, who smiled down at him.
"And I have need of you."
Cadogan the Silver Crowned
Symbology : Instinctual energy, independence, regeneration.
Graceful, swift and elusive, the deer has symbolized the powers of nature that are not easily subdued. A deer's antlers, which are shed and regrown each year, are specifically associated with regeneration and renewal. A swift deer with golden antlers was sacred to the Greek goddess Artemis, whose realm was the wilderness and instinctual, untamed things.
A deer is also a symbol that summons an individual to a calling or a journey; it has frequently appeared in legends and myths as a creature which lures a hunter or a knight into the wilderness. In the legend of King Arthur, a deer leads Gawain into the wood to begin his adventure.
Charms :
Finding the Spirit's form: Stag
Unspeaking Aura of Dread
Attention Demanding Presence
Tale Spinning Mastery
Emotion Shaping Technique
Beast Instict Method
Sealsking Endurance
Steel Paw Style
Ox-body Technique (4 x -2s)
Stag Form : Strength 3 Stamina 4, can run faster, run longer, has antlers.
Tell : Silver antlers.
I'm a big fan of the whole "horned god" idea, so I siezed ont he idea of a Lunar that "summons" heroic barbarians to do his bidding, setting them on quests to prove themselves. The charm selection is rather broad. Cadogan is decent in a fight, able to beat an armed mortal while unarmed, quite good in the social arena, and good in the survival arena as well, making him a very solid Lunar. However, this Lunar would probably be stoked on backgrounds, having a cult and several heroic mortal allies.
Other concepts are very possible, or course. A vicious full-moon stag is possible, as well a sleek, quick footed changing moon doe. You could further play up the sacred god of the forest idea by making a no-moon sorceror.
