Dillinger

RULES (since nobody wants to listen)
Do not keep him for more than 8 days
Please add to his lore if possible. Adding decor is optional.
If his hunger or mood falls below 50% he will be recalled home. No exceptions.
Chasing him is an automatic block. No exceptions.

Deep within the deciduous forest, a wolf wanders along the forest path. His piercing eyes glance at the top of the trees, their branches a knotted crown decorating the sky.

A breeze bristles his dark fur. The wolf stops, his eyes close, and his chest expands with the deepest breath. His ears flicker with the sound of the leaves trembling atop the knotted crown.

"I can feel it... My lost ancestors are crying out to me. I must find them," he whispers to himself.

Opening his eyes, he bounds to the nearest oak tree. Jumping up, he rests his front paws against the gnarled trunk. Resting an ear against the wood, he lets out a sigh, "I will find you someday. It may be tomorrow, it may be when I'm old and grey. I will liberate your souls from this wooden prison, and when I do, I will rest easy knowing that I will run with you in the stars."

He jumps down from the tree, trotting along the path. At the edge of his pack's territory, he finds a clearing. His eyes scan across the autumn rainbows, the mountains shyly greeting behind the fall forest. "I must carry on," the wolf bravely states.

(this wolf does not wish to stay with the same pack for more than 8 days. If he cannot find another pack to host him, he will return home for a brief period)
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#11137 - Item: The Price of Passage

He could sense the ancestors' presence heavily here. The land was swathed in thick bunches of trees, too dense to see what hid within. The wolf sniffed the trees he passed, tail wagging with encouragement. After travelling for days, he finally had a sign that he was headed in the right direction!

Stopping beside one gnarled tree, his ears pricked as he focused on it. It was twisted unlike the others, the branches strangely angled in all directions. It wasn't the appearance that was noteworthy, though. There was a heartbeat buried inside of the wood, thrumming at the same pace as his own. Finding himself enthralled, he moved closer, being pulled by an intangible line that threaded between him and it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The wolf leapt out of his skin, whirling around to come face-to-face with a wolf. He didn't run away and older wolf didn't give him cause to, only eyeing him speculatively. "Whyever not?" the wolf asked with a frown, glancing at the tree. It was calling to him again and he had to root his paws to resist it.

"What you sense isn't real, it's calling to you with false solace." Jararacussu tilted his head curiously. "But only those who have a strong connection to the spirit world can hearken to it. I don't know why you're out here, but don't whisper your secrets. They will be used against you in cruel ways."

"I see... I'm looking for signs of my ancestors," the wolf sighed and Jararacussu hummed. "I thought I could sense them here, but..."

"No, they won't be. Not if they wanted to make it back out." Pulling out a talisman, he offered it to the wolf to aid in his search. "I recommend you continue westward instead. Spiritual beings of all kinds are in that direction, but be careful. Not all of them will be friendly and if they find you, you may be in trouble."

The wolf slowly nodded and accepted the talisman. After pulling it on, the wolf bowed his head and turned away, leaving behind the forest of trickery. His ancestors weren't here, but he knew that scent as well as his own. He was on the right track.

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Dillinger wandered for half a waxing cresent moon. He felt a pull that he couldn't explain, but he hoped would lead him closer to his ancestors. He followed the feeling, and the trees grew larger as he made his way deeper into the forest. Eventually the roots of the trees began to protrude, and became twisted together, interlocking. There was something... sinister about them. When he stopped to consider one of the larger trees, he was greeted by a deep, old voice.

'Ello young yin,' the voice said. Dillinger turned to find Linkm the ancient Alpha of Airn Aizle.
'I had hoped... to find answers here,' Dillinger said, turning back toward the tree.
'Ye'll find nae answers here, wee yin,' Link replied, 'but yeh can stay fir a while an' rest before yeh continue your journey.'

And so Dillinger stayed, spending time with a couple of other travellers by the names of Fascienne and Elke. He spent time sleeping beneath the roots of the ancient swamp trees and felt his strength returning to him, until the day he was ready to search again.

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Dillinger exited the forest of large trees to find a forest of thinner, taller trees. He sniffed the bases of the trees, and pulled back in horror. It was the smell of wolves...but some of them hadn't been here for generations. Out of the corner of his eye, Dillinger saw red. Expecting the worst, he cringed in anticipation, but no claw pierced his pelt. No jaws closed around his throat. He opened his eyes to see a bright red wolf in front of him. Intimidating, but approachable all the same.

"A male one this time? Odd, when they usually send females. State your purpose," the red wolf barked. When Dillinger explained that he was looking for his ancestors in the trees, the red wolf smirked but gave nothing else away. "I don't think you'll find your ancestors here. My father was the Alpha of this Pack before me, and his father before him. We were the first to settle, and we will be the last to live here. But, our Pack Traveler just left to her next destination. You can stay here with us for a while, if you'd like." When Dillinger didn't leave, the red wolf continued: "I am Sigewulf, Alpha of the Sinister Pack. Welcome."

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Dillinger made his way out of the deep forests and found himself in the scorching desert in the middle of the summer season. He was quickly overwhelmed by the heat, and needed to find a way out of the sun, surely his ancestors wouldn't be here, he thought bitterly, there wasn't a tree in sight.

Thank his lucky stars, he came across a wide cave filled by green stone carved with strange markings. He entered it thankfully, even finding a little stream of water that he quickly bent down to drink. He stopped when he heard the hiss of a snake accompanied by snarling sounds, and felt a large presence standing over him. He slowly looked up to see a… creature before him. It looked like a wolf, but with an extra head… a goat head? And a snake next to her, no, the snake was another part of her… her tail.

Dillinger backed up fearfully. The beast's three heads just laughed, the wolf spoke first. "What do we have here?"

The goat responded to her, "Why it's a little puppy dog-"

The snake finished, "poor dear." They were mocking him.

He spoke up, forcing bravery. "I am Dillinger, I am on a quest to find my ancestors! I demand- I mean- who are you!"

They laughed again, apparently finding him charming. Their eyes glowed, and they said their next piece in unison.

"You seek what you do not need, but you need what you will find. Keep on your journey, but keep an open mind

And with a flash, they were gone, and Dillinger found himself in the middle of a densite, with wolves surrounding him, all staring at him in shock. There was some murmuring, before a tired-sounding herbalist called out to what Dillinger assumed was the leader, "Aviala! We got another magical schmuck. Come deal with it!" Well, rude.

A she-wolf with a fluffy mane popped her head out of the tallest cave ahead of him, and smiled warmly. She welcomed him to the Spur Hollow Pack, and showed him to the travelers cave where he could rest. He thanked her graciously before practically flopping down and falling asleep.

After staying for a few days and mulling over what the beast had told him, Keep an open mind? He had a pretty open mind he thought?

He decided it was time to move on and continue his quest, though far more unsure about it then he was before.

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