Populate The Gravesong War || Before the Storm [ ME Populate of Empty Hex ]

[Aether Verd]

F E A S T F I R E​

KALEVALA - BONFIRE

The firelight threw restless shadows across the clearing, flickering against armor and flesh alike as Aether settled back onto the log. His gaze swept the gathering, noting each face, each story written in posture and glance. It was the nature of these gatherings to bring many together, even if only for a short while, and he made it his task to remember.

He caught the sight of the young Mandalorian, Liorra, slipping away through the edges of the light. No words were exchanged, no call to remain was given. Some journeys were best taken in quiet, and so he committed her face to memory with the silent hope that Mandalore would bring her back to them in time.

The sound of laughter and the hum of a song caught in the air, mingling with the scent of smoke and the rich aroma of meat on the fire. Across the gathering, he saw Sanguina and Xasin together, spiritspeaker traditions unfolding like a dance between worlds seen and unseen. Aether’s lips curved, the small smile one gives when witnessing something sacred, the sort that did not need to be interrupted with questions. Let them have this moment, he thought, let their faith be as much a part of the feast as the food itself.

Nearby, Aren was sitting up now, cornbread in hand, the color back in her cheeks as she exchanged words with Ladante. Adonis hovered close, the careful watch of a man who knew how quickly revelry could turn, and Aether inclined his head to them both, a silent gratitude for caring for their sister when the Tihaar had proved itself stronger than expected.

Turning his attention back to Kayla, who stood before him with the bearing of someone uncertain yet willing, Aether set his plate aside and met her eyes. The Clan Ordo pauldron caught the light as she moved, a fragment of history she wore upon her shoulder, even if the stories had never been shared with her.

“You are a child of Mandalore.” he said, his voice warm with certainty, “That means you are entitled to a full stomach at this fire. You do not need to earn the regard of your family. It is yours because you are here, because you walk under the same sky and carry the same iron in your blood.”

He glanced toward Mig, giving the man a nod of respect before continuing. “Mig speaks true. There are many interpretations of what it means to be Mandalorian, shaped by clans, by the worlds we walk, by how we view the Force, by how we live. But what unites us are the Six Actions, the Resol’nare, and they are the foundation of who we are.”

Aether’s eyes softened as he recited them for her, voice steady, words carrying the weight of generations.

“Wear armor. Speak the language. Defend yourself and your family. Raise your children as Mandalorians. Contribute to the welfare of your clan. When called to arms by the Mand’alor, you rise.”

He let the words settle, then gestured to the fire, the gathered warriors, the plates of food waiting to be shared. “Stay among us, Kayla. Let yourself learn about your father’s world and your people, not from a datapad or rumor, but from the lives lived here, from those who will call you sister because you are.”

The fire crackled beside him, sparks drifting upward to join the stars overhead, and Aether Verd reached for his plate once more, welcoming her to join them under the sky of Mandalore.

Xasin Dyst , Ladante Mamba , Mig Gred , Adonis Angelis IV , Sanguina Krev , Aren D'Shade , Liorra + Open​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Her eyes slowly moved to see the approach of another figure. Since she was on the ground, he appeared taller than he might be to her. Looking back at Ladante, she smiled at what he said and nodded at his name.

"It is wonderful to meet you, Dante."

When Adonis asked if she would be fine, she gave him a thumbs-up sign, and then Dante gave him an answer that she would be fine as well. Saying the drink was a little strong for her was an understatement.

"That was quite the drink. I haven't had anything like it before."

She might be repeating herself, but there was an additional person present who hadn't heard her side of the story. Accepting the extended hand, she got slowly to her feet and held onto her plate of corn bread with her other hand.

The nod from Aether wasn't directed at her, and so Aren missed that, but the men with her might have seen it. His speech does not go unnoticed, and Aren turns slightly to listen to him. She wanted to know more about the culture, laws, and rules. This was just her introduction to them. If the chance came up to do this again, she would come, but definalty not touch the small bottle that knocked her on her butt.

Aether Verd Adonis Angelis IV Ladante Mamba

 

[Siv Kryze]

.​

​

The firelight dimmed momentarily as Siv Kryze stepped forward, his broad frame casting a shadow that seemed to make the flames themselves pause. The Kryze sigil on his pauldron gleamed like a challenge in the flickering light, its edges catching sparks from the fire.

" Aether Verd speaks of blood," Siv began, his modulated voice cutting clean through the celebration's din. " Mig Gred speaks of paths." He reached down, plucking a piece of smoked meat from the fire with bare fingers, unfazed by the heat. "Both truths. But incomplete."

He extended the offering toward Kayla Ordo-Shan , the juices still sizzling between his calloused fingers. " Aren D'Shade proved something tonight—that courage isn't born, it's chosen. She walked into a Mandalorian fire with nothing but her wits and stayed when others would've fled."

The Nite Owl helmet tilted slightly, studying the Ordo pauldron on Kayla's shoulder like a blacksmith examining raw ore. "You carry your father's steel but not his lessons. That means you get to write your own."

He took a deliberate bite of meat, chewing slowly before continuing. "Clan Kryze has held the line for generations. We know names matter less than what you do with them." A glance toward Aether. "The Resol'nare is our foundation. But the house you build?" His gaze locked onto Kayla's. "That's yours to design."

The fire popped between them, sending embers swirling upward like tiny stars. "So here's the real question, Kayla Ordo," Siv said, his voice dropping to a graveled whisper that somehow carried across the entire gathering. "When they tell stories of your name generations from now—what will they say?"

He didn't step back. Didn't retreat into shadows. Just stood there in the heart of the firelight, a living challenge carved from beskar and resolve. The message was clear—this wasn't about joining. It was about becoming.

Around them, the celebration continued—warriors laughing, armor clinking, songs rising into the night. But in this moment, at the center of it all, there was only the fire, the armor, and the choice waiting to be made.

 

[Delsin Shaw]

Runi Kuryida

As Runi continued to dance, changing up the pace and even adding more to this figure in which we performed with, I followed as well as I could. The dance changed to one more aggressive, but not in complexity. My eyes watched and took in the communication with which her body moved. As an Echani, we learned how to pay attention and keep pace with the other. Once the basis was formed, it was much easier to keep up and add to it if so desired.

A soft chuckle escaped my lips as we continued. Enjoying this dance thoroughly. The musical pace of it and the sounds of our feet stomping, sliding, movements and forms we took was enthralling me to this culture of the Mandalorians. While they were not "graceful" like the Echani, it was beautiful in its simple movements that were transformed and morphed into a performance of their grounded nature. It was not a flow of licking flames, but the solidity of iron, and the earth.

"Gar gursr cuyir eskrale!"