Kalani

Kalani: | Cautious | Sarcastic | Cynical | Dark Sense of Humor | Pessimistic | Intelligent | Prideful | Independent | Mindful of Others | Caring but has a hard Exterior | Standoffish | Childish/Soft Underneath Exterior | Fears Looking Weak | Bottles up Emotion | Quick to Push People Away | Internal Cuddle Bug |

Kalani wasn't lounging on her bed of pelts, feathers, and moss for very long when she heard the soft sound of claws clicking on stone. Closing her crimson eyes, her ears pricked up and she listened to the stranger weaving their way and squeezing through the narrow passageway that led to her sanctuary. A small fire burned in the cave. Her ink and parchment lay scattered across the stone floor. In carved out slots in the walls of the cave she had stored bottles of ink and blank parchment. In a pile next to her nest was a conglomeration of filled out parchments. She had documented quite a lot in her short time in the far North. 

When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a dark, yellow-eyed she-wolf. She blinked slowly and smirked ever so slightly at the look of shock on the stranger's face. "Have you come to gawk?" she inquired coolly. Kalani's voice was clipped. Her red eyes narrowed as she measured up the intruder. She wasn't all that worried about the intrusion. Toying with another wolf for a few moments would liven up her otherwise boring day.

"I have come to seek your assistance, actually," the black and brown hued wolf admitted. Her voice was nearly as cold as Kalani's. There was no humor lacing her tone. "My name is Dyani. I am the Queen of a small pack residing in the mountains not far from here."

Kalani perked up a bit. She was unaware of this new pack that was forming. They were so close to her ancestor's old home. Perhaps this was a chance to restore what once was. "My name is Kalani," she offered quietly. "I was unaware that any wolves were crazy enough to wander this far."

"Speak for yourself," Dyani huffed softly. "I've heard tales of you, Kalani."

"All good, I imagine," Kalani chuckled lightly. Her crimson gaze shifted to the scattered pieces of parchment on her cave floor. "What would you have me do?"

Dyani's gaze didn't waver. "We need a lorekeeper and a huntress."

"What's in it for me?"

"What do you want?"

Kalani's crimson gaze sharpened. "My ancestor's lived here once... long ago... I want to help restore this land to its former glory. These are The Banished Lands... I want them to be great once again." Her tone picked up a note of passion. 

"The Banished Lands..." Dyani's voice echoed through the cave. "It has a ring to it..."  A small smile wove its way onto her face. "We will help you, if you help us. I imagine we will be good friends."

Kalani was born in a rather medium-sized pack known simply as Forest Pack. Her great, great grandfather was the leader of the pack at one point and the direct descendent of one of The Banished Lands' princes. She was the descendant of a line of Forest Pack leaders, and she was the descendant of one of the most infamous wolves in both the land of Vale and the old Banished Lands. Stories and tales were passed down of her father, most bad, a lone wolf named Rhovanion. It was her understanding that he was promiscuous, sadistic, and altogether a formidable male. It was her own ancestry that prompted her to become a lore-keeper. As a young pup, her pack took good care of her. 

Though she heard few good things about Rhovanion, she became quite obsessed with documenting what she could find out about him. Her desire to learn more about her heritage caused her to leave her pack. She kept quiet about the harassments she suffered because of her unique appearance - a direct tie to her most well-known ancestry. When she left, she parted ways on relatively good terms. Kalani had few ties to wolves in her old pack. She found it hard to make lasting relationships with those related to her by blood. An obligation to love someone is something she never fully understood. 

It wasn't long before Kalani's search for answers led her to the far North. Past the mountain ranges and into the cold, desolate wasteland. She went further than most before her. To her demise, he found the ruins of the Kingdom of her ancestors. Burned to the ground and collapsed into rubble was the place where Rhovan was supposed to lead. For months she stayed and dug through the rubble. The stories she uncovered were documented as she tried to piece together whatever history she could. During one of her trips to the ruins, she ran into a thin, nearly dead wolf who rambled on and on in the shadows. When he saw her, he cried out and fell into hysterics. Though she tried her best to help him, he fled from her in terror. New thoughts spun in her mind as she tried to piece together his rantings.

After this encounter, she went back to her cave in the mountains. As she was documenting her work, she heard scuffling in the long hallway leading to her den. Dimly lit with a flickering fire, her cave was only visible if someone got almost halfway through the winding, twisting corridor. It was here that she first met Dyani. The female was seeking a lore-keeper and huntress. Kalani soon fell into this role and she helped to name the pack as The Banished Lands. 

Kalani is a relatively tall female wolf. She is thin, lithe, but athletic and muscled. She gives off an aggressive, intimidating aura. With her outwardly cold, sarcastic exterior and her bone-chilling appearance, she often scares most well-meaning wolves away without even opening her mouth. It can be hard for her to make meaningful connections with other wolves, which is part of the reason that she delves so deeply into lore and history. With a pale grey pelt that's ticked with white, black, and red, she is a unique canine. Her crimson eyes are off-putting, but they mark her as a direct descendant of Rhovanion.

Her job within The Banished Lands is quite a unique one. While she does function as a chaser within the group of huntress', she also is the pack's primary lorekeeper. She documents the stories, interactions, and overall beliefs of the pack. Without her, The Banished Lands wouldn't have a name or a known history. They are trying to create something from the ashes of what once was. 

Kalani is often known to leave the pack for long periods of time. She ventures deep into the frigid North in order to try to find more pieces of her past and the past of the wolves who once lived in this area. She often returns with new stories or new ideas to help the pack survive.