Want to know what has recently been going on in the world of Haurah, without digging around through the forum? This is the place to look. This space will be updated with the biggest news from Haurah, keeping you all up to speed with the state of affairs on the other side of the Wavering Tunnel. When articles are removed from this space, they will be moved to the Archives board on the Murrah forum...just in case you're curious. The Latest Events... -- Dragonkin! Early one extremely foggy morning, the kind that blankets the pandemonium of the Solace Camps with an ethereal silence, something came through the Tunnel's less-frequented mouth and broke the peace. No one had expected it. The Guardians were the most surprised, since they had been reassured--after the surprising appearance of the Wetland and Plains Murrah--that there were no other types of Murrah on Pelmei. The Haven clan tried to keep the arrival quiet, but all it took was one Runner spotting the silhouette of a crown of spikes, and angry word exploded through the mist. The vicious shouts stirred the Guardians immediately, and among many questions that were thrust upon the furious Murrah from their human companions, two were repeated countless times. "What is everyone so angry about?" and "I thought you said there were no other types of Murrah on Pelmei!" Well...the answer to both questions was that the Murrah don't consider the Dragonkin to be Murrah at all. It is common knowledge among the Murrah--and never spoken of, especially to guardians, until now--that these nearly reptilian creatures are nothing but Murrah-hunting monsters, Urhein conspirators, Murrah who have turned against their own kind. So...why are they here? Why has the Haven clan--much to the horror of the majority of Solace--let a group of them through the Tunnel and into Haurah? Who is this band of Dragonkin? That is what everyone wants to know.   The Dragonkin have arrived in Haurah, throwing the Solace Camps into even more of a discontented frenzy than it already was. Dox and his troupe was the first, but others have been trickling in as word has spread through Pelmei. --Bondmates, Drawn Together There has been another unforeseen trend forming amongst the Murrah of Haurah, something that may effect the formation of future clans...if they are ever allowed to form. Murrah who are bondmates--meaning connected by a common guardian--seem to tend to seek each other out, sometimes live together, and even occasionally form a sort of family amongst themselves. As more Murrah flood into Haurah and find guardians, and as individual guardians are beginning to be bonded with many Murrah at once, this tendency is becoming more and more apparent. On Pelmei, bloodlines and families tended to stick together exclusively in their clans, but with the total disintegration of most groups on the other side of the Tunnel, the Murrah way of life and family has been turned on its head on Haurah. For a long time, it was completely unknown as to how the Murrah would deal with this uprooting, but it seems that the guardian factor has given guidance to many Murrah who feel particularly lost. Since a guardian is a common ground between bondmates, and a way to expedite communication between a group, it gives many Murrah something to focus and build a life around. Something they were previously sorely lacking. Orphans are being taken in by adults, potential mate bonds are blooming, and unofficial mini-clans are forming, all because of a common guardian's connection. How will this effect the future of new clans? Will we see a new trend in the formation and substance of clans-- a drift from common background and bloodlines, and toward the simple fact of a common guardian? We can only speculate now, but it seems that guardians will have at least a substantial effect on how the clans of Haurah will differ from the clans of Pelmei. --Surge of Animal Companions A torrential wave of seasonal rain caused Solace's nearest river, the River of Daylight to flood the wetlands and other low areas of the surrounding wilderness, which turned out to be a boon to the concerned Camp. While normally a flood of Scurries pouring into Camp would have caused much tribulation in times past, the recent lack of food sources changed this. As the rodents swarmed into the Camps, which happened to be on higher ground, Murrah banded together and capitalized on the surge of rodents, and replenished their food stores for the upcoming weeks. Though the off-camp hunters had to deal with lost traps and game trails due to the flood, they made up for it by finding stranded prey animals. The gatherers looked forward to when the flood waters lowered, when the new plant life would crowd in around that which was drowned, soaking up the water and providing a new crop of harvest. Finally, and perhaps most strangely, was the flood's effect on the Solace pet population. Those Murrah who have turned their talents to capturing and training wildlife, for the purpose of turning them into pets, stumbled upon a treasure trove in the form of dozens of animals driven from the deeper lowlands. Swiftlings, Nightslinks, and--most surprisingly--Lashers, were gathered up and taken back to camp to be sold. Almost overnight, the pet population of Solace nearly doubled, marking the first time that pet-creatures were acknowledged as a mainstream phenomenon. While many of the new companion creatures displayed a level of vivid marking and coloration not yet seen, one stood out as a special peculiarity. One Lasher seemed to have markings that resembled intentional symbols, which shimmered in the shadows and nearly seemed to have a light of their own. The Lasher hunter who captured this individual insisted that he found the creature that way, but of course, this story must be a falsehood. Mystics, jewelers, and wildlife experts are still taking turns inspecting the Lasher, attempting to find out exactly how the hunter marked the animal with these symbols. --The Haven Clan's Reign Since the first expedition by Teg, and formation of the Solace Camps, the entirety of Murrah life on Haurah has been run by the Haven clan. It was the Haven clan's adventurous endeavor to leap through the Tunnel, and set up a place for other Murrah to escape to, when others were too afraid. On Pelmei, the clan had been famous for being entirely made up of Rebels, and for their powerful strikes against the Urhein. Once moved to Haurah, their compassion and insight into tough survival become just as apparent, and many of their rough and deadly members turned around and became surprisingly skilled caretakers. It was the Haven clan who formed the idea of, and housed all the members of, the invaluable Runners. Teg, the first Murrah through the Tunnel, still remains as the Lead Runner, and runs his unique group with surprisingly capable leadership. Without another form of government, the Haven clan retains jurisdiction over the Camp, even though Solace is beginning to become much more like a city than the temporary refugee camp that it started as. Tension is running high, however, and the Haven clan's protective hold over the Camps is slipping. There is a collection of Elders, Mystics, and representatives, who are not part of the Haven clan, that have been serving as the Counsel for Solace Camp decisions. There has been a push among them to do something previously unheard of in all of Murrah cultural history: To form a clan to rule all clans. To form a truly encompassing Murrah government. A clan formed specifically to judge rule over Solace and the Tunnel. Times have changed, they insist. The Haven clan should no longer hold sway over Solace. While the Haven clan is widely respected as one of the most revolutionary and self-sacrificing of clans, a few points of contention against Haven have been rising up among the common people of Haurah. Because of the Nyanid threats of further violence against the Murrah, if they push out further into their land, the Haven clan have prevented other clans from forming officially on Haurah, and setting out beyond the boundaries of the Camps. This decision stands, they say, until they can find a way to successfully combat the Nyanid, or come to some other safe solution. The patience of the refugee Murrah are short, however. Families are beginning to want to form clans and set out on their own, restricted by the protective laws that Haven have laid down. ...Some disdainful whispers say that the law may be just a way for Haven to keep competition at a minimum. Whatever the reason, this important point is the Counsel's main piece of leverage, that they are using to begin prying Haven's grasp from over Solace. --Other Connections with Earth?? Since the formation of the Wavering Tunnel, it has been common belief that the Murrah had no connection with the humans until the very first Bonding. However, several strange happenings have been causing confusion and rumors to circulate through Solace. While most are nothing more than wild and unexplained claims by scattered individuals, there is one striking phenomenon that is hard to ignore as coincidence. Many Murrah resemble patterns and markings of animals found on Earth, but there a some that go well beyond that. There are some Murrah that seem to so closely resemble creatures found on the human world, in more ways than just simple fur patterns, that their appearance alone has begun to stir up theories and confusion. If there is some significance to the fact that these Murrah 'mimic' Earth creatures, then that means that there is some connection to Earth that goes beyond even Haurah...and stretches all the way to Pelmei, where these 'mimics' were born. The Murrah were completely unaware of this phenomenon of course, until the humans (those that can pick up the images of their Murrah) pointed it out. The 'mimics' so far have come from all walks of life, and from varying tribes and creeds. The only common thread they seem to share, is that most know that at least one of their parents were powerful Mystics. Meet a few of these 'mimics'... Oriis  -  Jay  -  Sipho - Eko - Tzi'za ©2007 - Shannon Legler