How the Norn gained their shapeshifting

[Excel]

I was originally going to post this in the appropriate thread in the Durmand Priory, but my little story became a bit longer than I expected, so I'm posting here instead.

Here is what a Norn skaald I met had to say about where Animal Forms come from:


"Long ago, when the Norn were greedy and deaf to the calls of the Wild Spirits...

There was a particularly greedy and gluttonous hunter named Skoll Oxeater who paid no heed to the moaning wind as he felled wolf, bear, boar and all animals in his path, and feasted upon them all, spitting on their bones. This angered Bear Spirit and she appeared to him one night.

'You kill too much, hunter' ,she told him, 'Already this mountainside has fell silent. You will learn to respect your quarry, and take only what you need.' And she turned him into a bear!

As she left, Skoll laughed to himself. 'I am now even stronger! What a strange creature; I shall use this power and do as I like!' But his confidence would be short-lived, for the very next day he met a hunting party of other Norn. They were very hungry, as Skoll had already eaten all the animals, and the moment they saw him they mistook him for a real bear and gave chase!

After three days of pursuit he finally lost them, and took shelter in a cave. The forests were silent, save for the screeches of evil spirits. His power was meaningless, with his own kind hunting him. His hunting skills were useless, with no animals to hunt. 'Perhaps I have hunted too much.' ,he thought, 'I shall seek that strange spirit and tell her I have learned my lesson.'

The next day he set out, but try as he may, he could not find Bear. Night was falling and Skoll was getting discouraged when Raven appeared to him. 'Do you think it wise to wander by day, O furry beast', he said, 'in these lands that are surely unsafe, to say the least.' And Skoll told the strange bird of his plight, and asked if he knew where to find the Bear Spirit. Raven cawed in laughter and answered, 'I am no hunter you see, but I have sharp eyes. Perhaps I shall help you, by changing your disguise.' And with these words, Raven changed Skoll from bear to raven, and flew off.

Skoll took to the air as well, and scoured the mountainside. But darkness was falling fast, and the cruel North Wind forced him to land and hide. The next day, no longer afraid that he would be hunted, he set out early, unaware that wicked eyes followed his every move. Near midday, as he flew round behind the mountain, he heard a powerful howl. Such a howl could only belong to the king of the wolves, surely! With bad weather setting in, Skoll decided to seek out the best of hunters, and flew towards the howls.

He landed near the corpse of a bison, but stayed well out of reach of the pack of wolves feeding upon it, which included the biggest and mightiest wolf he had ever seen. Skoll knew better than to disturb a whole pack of hungry wolves while they were eating, and waited. Finally, Wolf turned towards the small raven-like form. 'You have been watching us for a while now, little raven.', he said, 'What is it you seek from us?' Skoll told his story again, and when he was done, added, 'Mighty wolf, I would be in your debt if you could help me find the Bear.'

The Wolf snorted and answered, 'You shall find her yourself, cursed one. It shall be up to her to see if you have learned your lesson.' Still, the spirit turned Skoll into a wolf before returning to his pack, and Skoll ran away through the forest searching for Bear's scent.

Night was falling once more when he found her trail. He was close! Skoll ignored the setting sun and pressed on, eager to finally end his search. This proved to be a terrible mistake, as his watchers chose this time to reveal themselves. As darkness wrapped the mountain, a darkness deeper still came forth from the mist. Skoll found his path blocked by wicked vaettir and stopped his run. A murmur spread through the dread creatures as they surrounded Skoll. 'Begone, evil spirits!' , he barked, 'I have no business with you. Clear my path or I shall clear it for you!' The vaettir cackled with screeching voices, 'You shall join us in darkness.', they said as they closed in around him and grasped for his pelt.

Skoll leaped up from their claws and trampled several as he escaped the mob. Spinning around, he struck a leaping monster aside and slashed at the living tide threatening to submerge him. The wolf form he had was strong and quick; but bit by bit, the dark monsters were sapping away at his strength as Skoll jumped and weaved between outstretched claws. He growled at the hissing and advancing wall of dread creatures, but he knew his time was near... Then, he suddenly felt himself growing. Power welled inside him, strength returned and he felt heavier. He was turning into a bear again!

'You are a strange creature, a strange creature', hissed the vaettir, 'First bird. Then wolf. Then bear. What is your magic? What are you?' They demanded. Skoll lifted himself to his hind legs and roared: 'I am NORN!' And he swept the evil spirits aside with a mighty swing. He crushed the vaettirs with his claws, and charged through their ranks until they fled back into the mist with angry screeches. Skoll sat down to take his breath and looked behind him. There stood his savior: the Bear Spirit had given him strength to fight.

Skoll approached her as she looked at him curiously and said, 'Mighty Bear, I have come a long way to find you. I have searched the whole mountain, and gone through hardships. I have learned my lesson. No longer shall I kill without thought. The beasts of the wild are my kin, and I shall sing their praise, even as I hunt for my meal. Please undo your curse, so that I may return to my own kind.'

And Bear smiled upon the Norn and answered: 'You have shown bravery, strength and patience, hunter. Go back with my blessing, but you shall keep your powers of shapeshifting, to remind you of the lessons you have learned here.'

And so Skoll was able to return among his own, and he abandoned his old ways to tell to his people of what he had experienced. So did Skoll become the first Skaald.

So did the Norn eventually all earn the right to call the wild their home, and the beasts their kin."

True story.

[spaceman236]

wow nice work
maybe this could be a new article on gw2 wiki ^^
but is till dont know how they all got their forms... skoll had sex with all teh female norn or what xD???

[Huginn]

Originally Posted by spaceman236

wow nice work
maybe this could be a new article on gw2 wiki ^^
but is till dont know how they all got their forms... skoll had sex with all teh female norn or what xD???

He clearly passed on the knowledge how to gain the blessing/transform.

Nice story, though I feel that Skoll is to evil for a Norn

[spaceman236]

no... skoll (was that his name) got the powersfrom the bear, the other norn didnt got that power...
so how do the other norn get them?

[Huginn]

Originally Posted by spaceman236

no... skoll (was that his name) got the powersfrom the bear, the other norn didnt got that power...
so how do the other norn get them?

By following the way of their totem animal and be granted its blessing.