Characters: Kivuli and Nodah (13 Nov)
Nov 12, 2014 22:17:14 GMT -5
Post by Miguen on Nov 12, 2014 22:17:14 GMT -5
These are some characters that I have been thinking about, and mostly been keeping in my head. The creative-factory in my left brain isn't the best. I can't draw for nuts, so the pictures of the wolves will probably be screenshots from WolfQuest and images from Google. I suppose this is more about the characters' personalities rather than their appearances, so I'm sorry to disappoint if you were hoping for artwork. 
Kivuli
Name: Kivuli
Gender: Female
Age: 3 years
Breed: Grey wolf
Status: Lone wolf
Physical Description: Has a solid black pelt, and a rather small build and slight frame, which gives her an advantage in speed, though less so in intimidation and brute force. She is relatively un-extraordinary, with few distinguishing markings or additional features.
Personality Description: As with her physical appearance, Kivuli is not a wolf that sticks out particularly in one’s mind after brief interaction. A quiet persona who believes in being seen and not heard, Kivuli is like to keep her thoughts to herself and not voice her opinions often. (She leaves that task and privilege for the more outstandish wolves) With a cold exterior and often emotionless expressions, she is not an easy wolf to interpret and her frequent bouts of silence may be incorrectly judged as evidence of dim-wits. Kivuli is a firm-believer in several principles, most of which involve equality, and to always be prepared against other wolves.
Gender: Female
Age: 3 years
Breed: Grey wolf
Status: Lone wolf
Physical Description: Has a solid black pelt, and a rather small build and slight frame, which gives her an advantage in speed, though less so in intimidation and brute force. She is relatively un-extraordinary, with few distinguishing markings or additional features.
Personality Description: As with her physical appearance, Kivuli is not a wolf that sticks out particularly in one’s mind after brief interaction. A quiet persona who believes in being seen and not heard, Kivuli is like to keep her thoughts to herself and not voice her opinions often. (She leaves that task and privilege for the more outstandish wolves) With a cold exterior and often emotionless expressions, she is not an easy wolf to interpret and her frequent bouts of silence may be incorrectly judged as evidence of dim-wits. Kivuli is a firm-believer in several principles, most of which involve equality, and to always be prepared against other wolves.
Whilst one would be hard-pressed to find Kivuli exceptional, her ways might leave a faint impression afterwards. To some wolves, she might be vaguely intriguing. To the rest, she is simply boring. It is all a manner of perspective, as Kivuli has come to mark in her brief years.
Personal Background: Kivuli was born into a small pack of roughly fifteen wolves (the number often fluctuated due to the harsh conditions of the environment the pack was at the mercy of). Her parents were subordinates that ranked neither high nor low, and her other littermates perished not long after birth, leaving her without blood brothers or sisters.
She did have pack members of an age with her that survived better than her original brood had though. However, Kivuli was marked separate from the rest and did not often play or tussle with her pack mates. Instead, she developed an accustomed preference for sitting by the side-lines and learning how to fight by observing.
Once she crossed the brink of teenage-hood, Kivuli left the pack. Strong feelings neither spurred nor hindered her decision. On the contrary, it was the lack of attachment that led to Miguen’s swift departure; she hoped to find something more outside of her pack that would bring her heart purpose once again. She was beginning to tire of the deadened feelings in it.
Sample of Miguen: The harsh bitter wind had risen. Kivuli could feel the nip of it, especially on her nose. Before her, two wolves snarled and tumbled, a rolling ball of brown and black. The brown wolf lunged to the side, leaving his flank open. But the chance slipped by; the black wolf did not go for it. Once again, they were locked in an embrace of fangs and accidental scratches, growls rising like steam into the air.
It will be a long brawl, Kivuli thought, rising to leave. She had seen enough. The two wolves were the same age as she was, and it was tiresome to watch them forego opportunities that would have secured them easy victory. The rest of the pack stayed rooted to where they were, some leaning away as Kivuli passed them. Whether they were simply parting the way for her to leave, or maintaining their distance from her, she could not say.
Some pups from a recent brood were squirming about on the hard ground, whimpering or yelping noisily, waiting to be fed. At some point or another, Kivuli had felt warmth coil deep and hot behind her ribs when she saw young wolves that had made it this far. Now, she experienced but a pang of satisfaction that melted sure as ice in late spring. That should not be. Kivuli knew as much, and a sharp tang of fear and confusion rung again. But even those feelings did not linger long.
She paused in her steps, and realised that she had walked forty metres away from the ring of wolves clustered near the den site. A snarl and a whine announced the finish of the play-fight. She had all but dissolved into the shadows, but could still see her pack. Her pack. They were preoccupied with pups, mates, and friends. Not for the first time, Kivuli remembered that she was by herself. However, she had never not felt a drop of loneliness at her solitude. This time, she remarked matter-of-factly on the lack of sorrow.
What have they done to me? she wondered dispassionately, before she turned her tail and left for the pack borders, and what lay beyond.
Gender: Male
Age: 2½ years
Breed: Red wolf
Status: Pack wolf
Physical Description: Copper pelt. His fur perpetually looks windblown and ruffled. There are several scars up and down his front legs, and one long scratch below his left eye. He is not particularly large, but is an oddly lanky wolf.
Personality Description: Nodah has an attitude, which would be described as carefree by more gentle-tongued wolves, but is rather, in all honesty, infuriatingly free of concern for others. Snarky, sarcastic and aloof, Nodah exudes confidence that is almost sickening for others to bear. However, behind cold chiselled ice, there is a match waiting to be lit. Once struck, the flame will reduce Nodah – this ticking time bomb – to rubble. There is much and more beneath his smarmy lopsided smiles and bemused grins that he is unlikely to divulge to most wolves, partly because he is as clueless as they are.
Personal Background: Nodah’s parents were both dispersal wolves that decided to form a pack together. It consisted of the breeding pair, Nodah himself and his brothers and sisters. Nodah was the runt of the litter, and it was not expected of him to survive. His parents often disregarded him, and even after he pulled through and escaped from the danger to evade certain death, the other pups did not accept Nodah. He learnt to live his life on the fringes, taking his meals last and running with his family’s tails snapping in the air before his snout. He would watch soundlessly as his parents taught the others how to sneak up on prey and when to wait for the right second before lunging, and join the fray belatedly so as not to get in their way and rouse his father’s hackles and invite snaps or snarls.
Nodah chose to boost himself up in their esteem with words, rather than actions because he could not come up to par with his larger, stronger siblings. He sharpened his mind and tongue, like swords to a whetstone, but even then it was not enough to hold their attention for long. Quick words and sharp retorts were not highly-valued among the blood of his blood.
Nodah enjoys trotting away from the pack, sometimes breaking into a canter and running as far as he dares before circling back to where he last left his family. These solitary runs help build up his stamina as well as stringy muscles for sprinting, so that now it is almost difficult to tell Nodah had been the runt. During his rounds, he might come across small prey, or, less frequently, other wolves.
Sample of Nodah: He broke through the trees into a small patch of cleared forest, and realised that he had been holding his breath only when he was surprised by a wolf that he had not smelled, standing in the middle of the patch.
She spun around, and her eyes went wide at the sight of Nodah. With a piteous whine, she averted her eyes, submissive at first go. "Is this your pack territory?" she asked shakily, having taken note of the scents of his family on Nodah's coat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"No," Nodah replied evenly, standing tall before the wolf. "You happen to be just outside of it. Tread carefully." He sniffed, and smelled the mixed scents of a pack wolf on her. "And who might you be, fair lady?"
Looking uncertain, the wolf said, "A wolf, from a passing pack." Becoming bolder, she straightened herself. "What are you doing away from your family? I don't smell anyone else nearby."
"You don't say?" Nodah played the courteous, and regarded the wolf with a sweetened expression. "I could ask the same of you. You are far from your travelling herd. That is, if there is one at all, and not simply a ruse to keep me occupied."
She was quelled by the volley. "There - There is a pack behind us. I swear it!" She tried a snarl on for size, but Nodah only raised an eyebrow at it. "If you hurt me, they'll come for you. You and your pack."
"What a pleasant thought," Nodah quipped dryly. He nodded his head to the right. "Go that way, and give this area a wide berth. I cannot promise that my pack members will be quite so...forgiving of trespass."
Regarding him carefully, the wolf gave Nodah a puzzled look. He was about to repeat what he had just said when she piped up, "Why don't you join my pack? You could be useful to us."
And talk my way out of skirmishes Nonetheless, Nodah was flattered. And intrigued. He imagined a life where he might not be ghost, where mistakes drew as much attention as tasks done well. Magnetically, he was drawn to it. His mouth opened; it was an offer that seemed too good to pass up. What would his family say? Nothing, if truth be told. Or perhaps a gruff Oh, he's gone and life would continue. For them. For Nodah, it would begin.
But the gracious words of acceptance would not come. Instead, they obstructed his throat, made it difficult to inhale or exhale. His breaths rattled, and the wolf gave an alarmed look as the careful facade came crumbling down.
Before he could contemplate more, Nodah turned on his heel and dashed away from her. He found his family just as they were about to leave. No words were said about his absence, or his return, and they took off, Nodah at their heels. Each step they took put more distance between Nodah and the wolf that had extended a route of escape. And inexplicably, Nodah had slammed the door in her face, only to lock himself back in the cell he despised.
Personal Background: Kivuli was born into a small pack of roughly fifteen wolves (the number often fluctuated due to the harsh conditions of the environment the pack was at the mercy of). Her parents were subordinates that ranked neither high nor low, and her other littermates perished not long after birth, leaving her without blood brothers or sisters.
She did have pack members of an age with her that survived better than her original brood had though. However, Kivuli was marked separate from the rest and did not often play or tussle with her pack mates. Instead, she developed an accustomed preference for sitting by the side-lines and learning how to fight by observing.
Once she crossed the brink of teenage-hood, Kivuli left the pack. Strong feelings neither spurred nor hindered her decision. On the contrary, it was the lack of attachment that led to Miguen’s swift departure; she hoped to find something more outside of her pack that would bring her heart purpose once again. She was beginning to tire of the deadened feelings in it.
Sample of Miguen: The harsh bitter wind had risen. Kivuli could feel the nip of it, especially on her nose. Before her, two wolves snarled and tumbled, a rolling ball of brown and black. The brown wolf lunged to the side, leaving his flank open. But the chance slipped by; the black wolf did not go for it. Once again, they were locked in an embrace of fangs and accidental scratches, growls rising like steam into the air.
It will be a long brawl, Kivuli thought, rising to leave. She had seen enough. The two wolves were the same age as she was, and it was tiresome to watch them forego opportunities that would have secured them easy victory. The rest of the pack stayed rooted to where they were, some leaning away as Kivuli passed them. Whether they were simply parting the way for her to leave, or maintaining their distance from her, she could not say.
Some pups from a recent brood were squirming about on the hard ground, whimpering or yelping noisily, waiting to be fed. At some point or another, Kivuli had felt warmth coil deep and hot behind her ribs when she saw young wolves that had made it this far. Now, she experienced but a pang of satisfaction that melted sure as ice in late spring. That should not be. Kivuli knew as much, and a sharp tang of fear and confusion rung again. But even those feelings did not linger long.
She paused in her steps, and realised that she had walked forty metres away from the ring of wolves clustered near the den site. A snarl and a whine announced the finish of the play-fight. She had all but dissolved into the shadows, but could still see her pack. Her pack. They were preoccupied with pups, mates, and friends. Not for the first time, Kivuli remembered that she was by herself. However, she had never not felt a drop of loneliness at her solitude. This time, she remarked matter-of-factly on the lack of sorrow.
What have they done to me? she wondered dispassionately, before she turned her tail and left for the pack borders, and what lay beyond.
Nodah
Screenshot from: WolfQuest
Name: NodahGender: Male
Age: 2½ years
Breed: Red wolf
Status: Pack wolf
Physical Description: Copper pelt. His fur perpetually looks windblown and ruffled. There are several scars up and down his front legs, and one long scratch below his left eye. He is not particularly large, but is an oddly lanky wolf.
Personality Description: Nodah has an attitude, which would be described as carefree by more gentle-tongued wolves, but is rather, in all honesty, infuriatingly free of concern for others. Snarky, sarcastic and aloof, Nodah exudes confidence that is almost sickening for others to bear. However, behind cold chiselled ice, there is a match waiting to be lit. Once struck, the flame will reduce Nodah – this ticking time bomb – to rubble. There is much and more beneath his smarmy lopsided smiles and bemused grins that he is unlikely to divulge to most wolves, partly because he is as clueless as they are.
Personal Background: Nodah’s parents were both dispersal wolves that decided to form a pack together. It consisted of the breeding pair, Nodah himself and his brothers and sisters. Nodah was the runt of the litter, and it was not expected of him to survive. His parents often disregarded him, and even after he pulled through and escaped from the danger to evade certain death, the other pups did not accept Nodah. He learnt to live his life on the fringes, taking his meals last and running with his family’s tails snapping in the air before his snout. He would watch soundlessly as his parents taught the others how to sneak up on prey and when to wait for the right second before lunging, and join the fray belatedly so as not to get in their way and rouse his father’s hackles and invite snaps or snarls.
Nodah chose to boost himself up in their esteem with words, rather than actions because he could not come up to par with his larger, stronger siblings. He sharpened his mind and tongue, like swords to a whetstone, but even then it was not enough to hold their attention for long. Quick words and sharp retorts were not highly-valued among the blood of his blood.
Nodah enjoys trotting away from the pack, sometimes breaking into a canter and running as far as he dares before circling back to where he last left his family. These solitary runs help build up his stamina as well as stringy muscles for sprinting, so that now it is almost difficult to tell Nodah had been the runt. During his rounds, he might come across small prey, or, less frequently, other wolves.
Sample of Nodah: He broke through the trees into a small patch of cleared forest, and realised that he had been holding his breath only when he was surprised by a wolf that he had not smelled, standing in the middle of the patch.
She spun around, and her eyes went wide at the sight of Nodah. With a piteous whine, she averted her eyes, submissive at first go. "Is this your pack territory?" she asked shakily, having taken note of the scents of his family on Nodah's coat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"No," Nodah replied evenly, standing tall before the wolf. "You happen to be just outside of it. Tread carefully." He sniffed, and smelled the mixed scents of a pack wolf on her. "And who might you be, fair lady?"
Looking uncertain, the wolf said, "A wolf, from a passing pack." Becoming bolder, she straightened herself. "What are you doing away from your family? I don't smell anyone else nearby."
"You don't say?" Nodah played the courteous, and regarded the wolf with a sweetened expression. "I could ask the same of you. You are far from your travelling herd. That is, if there is one at all, and not simply a ruse to keep me occupied."
She was quelled by the volley. "There - There is a pack behind us. I swear it!" She tried a snarl on for size, but Nodah only raised an eyebrow at it. "If you hurt me, they'll come for you. You and your pack."
"What a pleasant thought," Nodah quipped dryly. He nodded his head to the right. "Go that way, and give this area a wide berth. I cannot promise that my pack members will be quite so...forgiving of trespass."
Regarding him carefully, the wolf gave Nodah a puzzled look. He was about to repeat what he had just said when she piped up, "Why don't you join my pack? You could be useful to us."
And talk my way out of skirmishes Nonetheless, Nodah was flattered. And intrigued. He imagined a life where he might not be ghost, where mistakes drew as much attention as tasks done well. Magnetically, he was drawn to it. His mouth opened; it was an offer that seemed too good to pass up. What would his family say? Nothing, if truth be told. Or perhaps a gruff Oh, he's gone and life would continue. For them. For Nodah, it would begin.
But the gracious words of acceptance would not come. Instead, they obstructed his throat, made it difficult to inhale or exhale. His breaths rattled, and the wolf gave an alarmed look as the careful facade came crumbling down.
Before he could contemplate more, Nodah turned on his heel and dashed away from her. He found his family just as they were about to leave. No words were said about his absence, or his return, and they took off, Nodah at their heels. Each step they took put more distance between Nodah and the wolf that had extended a route of escape. And inexplicably, Nodah had slammed the door in her face, only to lock himself back in the cell he despised.
