Stormwind

Strength109Speed66Agility86Wisdom97Smarts96Total
454

It's a warm afternoon during springtime, and the vibrancy of nature is ever abundant in the depths of the woodland wilderness. In the skies, a mourning dove chases a fluttering white moth, while below, a wolf pack gathers around the day-old carcass of their most recent prey, strewing bones across a stony ledge. A great silver male raises his sleek head to the horizon, his keen yellow gaze casting across the curvature of the mountain range. His young pups race each other and play rambunctiously near the forest's edge, while their ever-watchful mother gazes from afar. 

Codes: (Lupa's Lineage: 🐺) (Natural appearance: 🌲) (Tier3 Base: ⭐️ )

Organization: Generation/# Markings/Base/Shade Genetics/Tier/Special Code

Deciduous Forest: Speed

Grasslands: Speed

Mountains: Speed

Coniferous Forest: Smarts

Prairie: Speed

Riparian Woodland: Wisdom

Desert: Strength

Taiga: Agility

Swamp: Agility

Tundra: Smarts

Glacier: Wisdom

Rainforest: Strength

Stalking: Smarts/Wisdom

Chasing: Speed/Agility

Finisher: Strength

The fields are green and the trees are still full, but the first signs of autumn can be seen in the orange tinged foliage peppering the ground of the deciduous forest. This territory is new to you, so you take your time as you explore, following no particular path through the dense thicket. The air is cool and crisp, and the light breeze carries the many scents of seasonal life. You smell apples, and marigolds, and wafts of pine. You smell creatures and birds of all kinds, carrying flavours of the sky and land, and the rich, earthy odours of fungus growing under the mulchy groundcover. You pass bushes coloured with ripened berries, and you catch sight of small mice feasting in the shadowy undercarriage. There are feathers and fur all around, evidence of the many fauna who take advantage of the easy pickings.

You step forward to nose at a bramble, seeking your own sample of the dark, ovular berries that grow there. Sour-sweetness coats your tongue. You hear a loud chatter and see a flash of vivid red as a handsome male cardinal suddenly bursts from the brush, startled by your intrusion. You watch as his scarlet body disappears through the lush canopy. You wonder what it is like to have wings, to be able to lift from the ground with such ease. A hidden bluejay cackles from the treetops, as if in answer. You pad onwards.

After a time, you come to be within a grove of several huge oak trees. You sniff curiously at the base of one, catching the stale musk of a dog fox long gone, and the odours of rats and voles. A shift in the branches above teases your sensitive ears, and you tilt your head upwards, spotting the dark shape of a barred owl perched high up against the trunk. It regards you shrewdly with one dark, squinted eye, and you take a moment to admire the clever camouflage of its striped plumage. You dip your head to lap rainwater from a shallow divet within the roots of the tree before moving on, stepping deftly across patches of acorn caps. Leaves flutter down around you, golden orange and yellow brown, and plumes of floating dandelion seeds brush your fur.

Eventually, you come upon a small clearing. It is a suitable place to rest, but you aren't tired. The daylight has only just begun to wane, and you are eager to continue your exploration. You sniff the air once more, undecided on which direction to take. Your moment of quiet is startled by the mocking chatter of a squirrel as it races across the grass, darting between your paws before disappearing into the nearest shrub. You huff in annoyance, watching for another flash of its auburn tail, but it has gone.

You decide to continue on straight ahead, beyond the grove and though a damp stretch of soil. You switch directions when the earth turns muddied, and decide it is time to seek something of substance to eat. You ponder about if you could find a nearby rabbit warren, or perhaps a nest of grouse; easy choices for a lone hunter. With some luck, you might even be able to fetch yourself a yearling doe. Your salivate at the thought. It is then you smell the wolf.

The sweet odour of your fellow kind is alluring, and you can't help but follow it. By the direction of the wind, you are certain they scent you long before you are visible. You move cautiously as you approach, wariness making your fur stand on edge. You finally spot the she-wolf standing on a rocky outcrop overlooking the lower part of the forest landscape, tucked near a line of dense vegetation. The afternoon sunlight combined with the overcast branches creates a beautiful dappling of golden light and shadows across her fur. She is tall and sleek, with long, graceful legs suited for speed, and you decipher she must be very quick-footed. As you move closer, you catch sight of a trio of pups racing around her, too preoccupied with chasing eachother to notice you. You slink forward, belly low and tail tucked humbly. You are curious to meet the local pack, but you don't intend to start an altercation over territory.

She tilts her head in acknowledgment as you approach, her body language confident, but relaxed. As you come closer, you see she has a furry body clamped between her maw, and you feel an inkling of satisfaction when you recognize the mischievous red squirrel from earlier. She drops the carcass, and one of her youngsters takes the opportunity to snatch it from her feet. The other two pups yip loudly and chase playfully after them.

"Good day, traveler," the she-wolf greets. She has bright yellow eyes and an aura of calming, steadfast wisdom that immediately puts you at ease. "I am Autumnfrost. What brings you to this territory?" You take note of her upward curled tail; she is an Alpha.

You dip your head in respect. "I seek adventure in new lands, whatever that may bring."

Autumnfrost flickers an ear in acknowledgment. "I see." She regards you for a long moment, and you get the sense she is judging your character. Her yellow-gold eyes have an intensity about them that both draws you in and sends shivers down your spine. At least, she yawns, and sends a glance towards her nearby pups.

"The Cold Time comes sooner and sooner every year, it seems," she says gravely, and squints to the sky, as if seeking answers. "My young ones endure the sweltering heat and then must quickly steady themselves for the heavy snows. It was not such in my time of birth." She releases a low sigh. "I fear for the future generations. The signs are all there; our weathers become more volatile, more unpredictable."

I have lived long enough to know how to read the signs the Earth gives us. There is a heaviness , awaiting it's time. Soon, it will burst, and we will revel under its weight.