Nox | Arcadian Equinox (DNP)

[RosslynRouge]

Corvus
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
Rank: Lead Hunter
Age: 6 years
Gender: Male
Siblings: None Living
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

Corvus is cautious, refusing to act without a plan. His seriousness is equaled only by his fighting ability. The strongest of the pack, he is the head of the other members, only below the deputy and leader. Although brave, he lacks the recklessness of some of his fellow Nox, and so rarely walks into a situation he cannot handle.

His unwillingness to act without thought has been beneficial to the pack in avoiding unnecessary bloodshed. His loyalty to the leader and deputy is unwavering, but he will challenge their instructions if he believes them to be dangerous or incorrect.

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

Corvus was once a member of one of the violent packs of the forest outskirts. He rose to one of the higher ranks among the feral Nox, his seemingly cold personality being valued by the leaders.

However, the Nox of the outskirts are vicious even towards their own pack members; the competitive atmosphere leads to fights over ranks, as none wishes to be the lowest. Corvus was attacked by a trio of outskirts Nox wishing to join his pack, hoping that defeating one of their best would demonstrate their power to the leader.

Although he escaped, Corvus was injured, and retreated deep into the forest, hoping to find a pack that could offer protection, without the risk of betrayal among the outskirt packs. It was then that he met Dante, and joined Arcadian Equinox as its third member.

[RosslynRouge]

Aquila
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
img

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
Rank: Pack Member, Healer
Age: 5 years
Gender: Male
Siblings: None Living
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

Aquila is friendly to fellow pack members, and patient and relaxed during encounters with outsiders. When it comes to healing, he is stern and strict, insistent that his patients listen only to his instructions. His kindness is widely renowned within his pack; he cares for each and every member. However, he is not the typical peaceful and passive healer.

Aquila regards every one of his duties with the utmost seriousness. He hunts for himself, as well as for every one of his patients who cannot hunt for themselves. He refuses to leave such necessities to the other Nox, taking his duty of care beyond simple medicinal assistance.

Unlike many of the other Nox in the pack, he is not initially aggressive towards strangers in the territory. He prefers to offer his help, or the safety of the pack. Only when absolutely unavoidable will he attack. When he does, however, there is no second chance given; for he is fierce in battle, and unforgiving.

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

His parents were pets in the local village, where Nox were allowed to roam freely during the day. His owners began packing, and prepared to move to the city as he neared four years.

The day that they planned to leave, Aquila's parents firmly told him to return to the house as quickly as he could that morning, so that they could leave more quickly. Heeding their advice, he rushed through his routine, saying his farewells to the other Nox he had befriended over the years.

Running into the forest, Aquila suddenly felt the ground below him disappear; he had fallen into a hole while focusing on returning as soon as he could, and, as his head hit a solid mass, he fell into unconsciousness.

Although his parents and owners searched frantically, they were unsuccessful. Heartbroken, the owners, believing he had run off, left without him.

He awoke, confused and in pain, to find steep walls enclosing him beneath the surface. He howled and whined, until a Nox approached the edge. Corvus, after checking the stranger wasn't seriously injured, ran to get help.

Once freed, Aquila was desperate to return to his home, certain his family would be waiting for him. With the pack Nox following, he reached the old house, and ran excitedly up to the back window. It was empty. Everything he knew, and everything he loved, had gone, leaving him behind.

Exhausted and defeated, he was approached by the leader of the wild Nox, and agreed to join the pack.

Through his expeditions in the forest, Aquila had taught himself which plants could be used to heal wounds and sickness. This became his primary role within the pack; to heal, and to help.

[RosslynRouge]

Boreas
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
img

The forest was in an uproar, creatures of all kinds scattering in terror. The thunderous sound of dozens of hooves striking the ground made the forest tremble as the soft topsoil was compressed into a solid, unforgiving surface. There was a spray of brown as some of the ground was kicked upwards and scattered across the trail. Birds took off in a panicked state, ragged feathers falling out en mass as their wings beat the air violently. The melodious songs ceased, replaced by the sounds of a chase.

There was a moment's peace after the herd passed, and then the Nox appeared. The bright white coat was of stark contrast to the darkened brown and grey of the forest floor. Sprinting, his breath came out as a harsh pant in between movements. He had been running for only a short time, but the uneven terrain had taken its toll and he leaped and ducked to avoid rocks and branches. He held his head low, his ears flattened against the wind.

He dared not turn around, but he could faintly hear the two Nox behind him still following, seemingly effortlessly. His eyes darted between possible pathways as he ran, choosing quickly and with little thought. His only concern for now was to evade his pursuers; he could find his way out of the forest once he was safe.

His lungs burned, and his muscles screamed in protest as he refused to slow down. His joints began to feel unsteady, wobbling with each step, and he struggled against the inevitable fall when the last of his energy faded. Throwing himself over the short ledge that lay before him, he winced as his side hit the ground.

No longer were the steps of the other Nox audible; he had finally lost them. Crawling over to duck beneath the ledge, he noticed a depression in the solid slab of earth. He pressed his body into it, feeling a small pile of dirt rain down on his light fur as he brushed against the top.

The indentation in the underside of the ledge was just large enough for him to hide himself for the moment; the other Nox had been too far behind to have seen where he went. His breathing slowed and calmed, his head clearing while he lay still and silent. He felt his eyes slowly begin to drift shut from exhaustion, and lay his head on the ground to rest for a moment.

He leaped up in shock to the sound of snarling, smacking his head and back against the top of the shallow hole once more. The Nox had found him;

[RosslynRouge]

Dante Meets Seraphine
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄


Howling a final goodbye to her brothers, who had given up their freedom to live in the village, Seraphine began her search further in the forest to find a new den for herself. The one she had shared was unsafe for a lone Nox; there were too many outskirters prowling the clearing. She didn't need anything large or easy to access, so she knew it would be fairly simple to find a new home.

Although she had never been this far into the forest, it felt secure and peaceful. The savage Nox stayed near the village so they had food scraps to scavenge when hunting became difficult, so none had even bothered to investigate this sprawling landscape of dense trees and abundant shrubs. Hearing the birds whistling above, and the rustling of rabbits and mice in the brush, she could tell this was a bountiful hunting ground. There were no Nox to hunt them, and plenty of protection offered by the flora; the perfect environment for prey to thrive.

As she reached the heart of the forest, she began to find a number of potential den sites; none of them were what she needed, though. Some were too low, and at risk of flooding in the rains; others offered no protection from the cold, or were too unstable to be secure. Continuing into the clearing she could faintly see ahead, she knew she had found the ideal home.

A massive tree was sprawled across the clear ground, on the smallest of hills that kept it raised above the surrounding landscape. The leaves burned a vibrant red, although the rest of the forest was lively and green during the Spring. The tangle of branches formed near solid walls with a roof above, and near the trunk, as the leaves became scarce, were two entrances. It was far more than she needed; yet, here she had no one to guard it from, not another Nox that needed it.

She trotted across the grass covered ground, pausing halfway to search for weak spots, places where she needed to improve the place. She noted where the branches were just too high to cover the edges of it, and where the ground dipped, creating trenches where water could collect.

Seraphine whipped around as she heard a voice behind her. There was another Nox; baring her canines, she let out a warning growl, her tail raised stiffly. He did not look remotely scared, however; he simply waited patiently.

"Who are you? No Nox live in this forest," Seraphine asked, suspicious.

To her bewilderment, the stranger sat down before her, stating, "I'm Dante. And, actually, I live here. In that tree, right over there," he gestured with his muzzle, "But I am the only one. So what exactly are you doing here, whoever you may be?"

Her eyes narrowed at his casual, unbothered mannerisms. He was an idiot to be this comfortable around a Nox he didn't know.

"My name is Seraphine. I'm looking for a den, but clearly, this one's occupied. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be going," she said, preparing to leave. She needed to find a den before the night came if she didn't want to freeze.

"Where exactly do you plan on going?" Dante asked her, seemingly amused.

Her ears twitched in irritation, but she grudgingly replied, "Wherever I need to. I don't exactly know the forest well."

The other Nox looked at her for a moment before he responded.

"Why don't you stay here?"

"Why would I want to live with a complete stranger? I know nothing about you!"

"Do you have anywhere else to go? By nightfall, it'll be too dark to keep looking, and trust me, there aren't any other dens around here. I've checked. Besides, what would I gain from attacking you? A nice fur rug?" he paused, grinning at his own comment, "Plus, you gave me an idea. I didn't think any other Nox would come here, but you've just proven that to be false. So, why not build a pack? Any Nox that come here are welcome, provided they're friendly. There's plenty of room in the den, and more prey here than anywhere near the village. There aren't any other packs, either, so it'd be perfectly safe for us all."

She huffed, fighting off a smile at the joke. He made a good point; she had nowhere else to go. Plus, he didn't seem awfully threatening. The word 'pack' reminded her of the reserve she had once lived in with her family; she had felt secure, and enjoyed the company of others. Perhaps this would be a good idea, helping others like her to live somewhere free from the violent outskirts Nox, without the risks of starvation and disease. Her mind was made.

"Alright, I'll join your 'pack'. Although, two Nox isn't exactly a pack."

He led her towards the tree as he spoke, eager to no longer be on his own.

"We'll make it work. There are bound to be more Nox eventually."

"I hope so. A pack would be nice to have again."

[RosslynRouge]

Demeter
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
Rank: Pack Member
Age: 6 years
Gender: Female
Siblings: None Living
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

personality

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

history

[RosslynRouge]

Aquarius
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
Rank: Pack Member
Age: 5 years
Gender: Female
Siblings: Unknown
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

personality

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

Aquarius was born on the banks of the river running through the forest, among the reeds. Unusually, her sisters had pale tan coats like their mother. She was clumsy and awkward on the ground, often tripping and stumbling. As a pup, she would run to play in the river at every chance, swimming and splashing while her sisters ran between the trees. She learnt quickly that she had an affinity for water she did not share for the land, able to move with elegance and grace when not on land.

Her blue brindle coat camouflages her perfectly in the water, so she appears to be a part of it. Instead of hunting, Aquarius fishes for her food, finding it far easier to dart through the water than to sneak across the land. While she remains rather uncoordinated in the forest, her inexplicable talent for moving through the water bewilders the other Nox.

She was initially seen by the other pack members as one that had to be cared for herself, due to her bizarre gait and difficulty hunting. On her first hunting expedition, she injured herself after falling from a high ledge, which also scared the prey away.

Thoroughly embarrassed, blaming herself for ruining the hunt, she limped out of the den, believing she didn't deserve to be a part of a pack she was of no use to. However, as she left the clearing, a Nox approached her; one of the best hunters. He asked to join her as she walked through the forest, not knowing her intentions to leave. She accepted, if only to be polite to one from the pack that had tried to accept her.

The two conversed, and Aquarius began to realise just how much she wanted the company of other Nox. The other canine had indirectly convinced her to stay; but she knew that she needed to find a way to support her pack. She led her new friend to the river, explaining that she needed to return with something.

As they reached the river, Aquarius leaped into the dark water, and the other Nox yelped in shock; he had noticed her difficulty moving on land, and ran to save her from drowning. Before he could act, she resurfaced before his eyes; joyous, and finally in her element, she dove under the surface in bursts as she searched for fish.

The Nox watched in awe from the banks as she emerged effortlessly, carrying a huge fish in her jaws. Her eyes had lit up after being in the water.

This was how her talent was revealed, and she finally felt she had earned her place among the pack. Other Nox no longer doubted and pitied her, for no other could swim as she could. She simply had an ability different to the rest; she belonged in water, not on land.

[RosslynRouge]

Fornax
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
Rank: Pack Member
Age: 8 years
Gender: Male
Siblings: Unknown
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

Fornax is often initially viewed as young and cute by other Nox, due to his size. This, unfortunately, is a serious mistake: he is fiery and determined, and quick to snap at others after being raised around Nox who would bully him, seeing him as an easy victim.

Nox who choose to mock his size are not only socially rejected by the other pack members, but they are also under threat of Fornax himself. Easily antagonised, he will not only directly challenge others, but he is also more than happy to ensure they get the worst meals, or are prevented from going on expeditions and hunting trips. He is close the the pack's leader and deputy, and so they are more than willing to help him through his troubles.

While sharp and irritable, he is also enthusiastic, amiable and encouraging to those who treat him as an equal. He is witty and quick to action, not one willing to relax whilst others take action for him.

When injured, this is the part of his personality that is the most prevalent; he is troublesome and impatient to heal, preferring instead to sneak away from the medicine den to hunt or fight.


┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

Fornax was born to an outskirter Nox without a pack; the only one of his siblings with dwarfism, he was constantly the last to be fed, pushed aside by the larger pups. His mother thought him to be not only a runt, but also deformed. Although she still cared for him, she trained the other pups to hunt and fight, leaving him alone in the den for the day. He was given no name, believing he would die soon; he was simply worth nothing.

Knowing he would soon be forced to leave his mother, whether he could survive or not, he began to train on his own. He would swim in the nearby river until his legs shook from the strain, and hunt mice or even rabbits to feed himself. He grew stronger in time, able to fend off his siblings to claim the best food and the warmest sleeping spots.

He soon left those who he didn't recognise as his family, living as a solitary Nox among the outskirts. Years later, he heard the howls of a pack deep in the forest. His investigation led to him joining the pack, more than willing to help other Nox who had struggled as he had as a pup.