He-Tastes-Ashes, a Great Wolf

[Lxndr]

In the spirit of Kraxx, I give you He-Tastes-Ashes.

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He-Tastes-Ashes was not always the name of this wolf - it was the name he took upon himself when the Men caught him and took him in.

But I get ahead of myself. Nine years ago, a pup named Black-Silver was born to a Great Wolf pack in the mountains. Black-Silver carried the Mark of the Ancient, but with the help of his mother managed to keep it hidden from the pack for almost three years. Black-Silver was, in fact, on the verge of becoming the pack Dominant when the mark was discovered.

He spent a few months trying to regain status in the pack, but his Mark had been discovered, and soon he abandoned his pack, deciding it would be better to be a Scavenger than the Last Wolf. He grew into the loneliness, and after some time actively sought the dark and forlorn places, looking for some answer to the mark put upon him.

The glowing eyes re-named Black-Silver, calling him Fire-Tongue, and taught him in the ways of the Dire Haunt. Fire-Tongue journeyed through the world, learning the old ways and the speech of the Ancient One. But he was Chosen by the Spirit Hunters, and one day they came to claim him.

Fire-Tongue went willingly, spending a year amongst the Spirit-Hunters as they tried to cleanse him of the teaching of the Ghosts. When they discovered he would not recant - that he chose to walk the fine line between the two philosophies, they turned on him, and tricked Fire-Tongue into going too close to the human haunts, and being caught.

Six months of cages, and Fire-Tongue was all but broken. His barks were no longer fire, and all he could taste was ash. He was taken far away, to be displayed in the great cities in the center of Man's domain. But some good came out of all this, for in the cages, he met his mate - a beautiful young Hunter called Sister-of-Ravens - and has managed to make her gravid with child.

Just today, He-Tastes-Ashes and Sister-of-Ravens have happened across a lucky break, and have used their cunning to break free. Now that they are outside their cages - where will they go? Will they survive long enough to create a new pack?

He-Tastes-Ashes is an 11 lifepath character who is 9 years old. The path he took is:

Born to the Pack -> Yearling -> Hunter -> Last Wolf -> Scavenger -> Lone Wolf -> Wandering Lost -> Dire Haunt -> Ancient Journeyer -> Spirit-Chaser -> Captured and Broken

Stats:

Perception B4, Will G2, Agility B6, Speed B6, Power B3, Forte B3

Reflexes B6, Health B4, Steel B5, Mortal Wound B10

Skills: Begging G1, Brawling B5, Dog-Wise B2, Foraging B3, Hoof-Wise B2, Howling G1, Hunting B3, Intimidation G1, Nature of All Things B2, Pack Etiquette B2, Pack-Wise B2, Scavenging B3, Scent-Wise B2, Stealthy B4, Territory-wise B2, Tongue of the Ancient One G6, Tracking B2, Village-Wise B2, Wolf-Speak B2, Man-Speak B2, Savage Attack B4, Old World-Wise B2, Primal Bark (4 Syllables) G2, Way of the First Hunter B2, Cage-Wise B2, Man-Wise B2

Instincts:
* Lock Every Bite
* Always Protect Sister-of-Ravens
* Always Look Behind You

Beliefs:
* It's Not Over Yet
* Spirit Hunters and Ghosts can be reconciled
* Men cannot be trusted, not even the good ones

Resources:

Spells: Waterwalker, Ancient Grip, Fear, Witch Flight

Packmate: Sister-to-Ravens, Hunter (and mate)

[luke]

Neat character, great name with cool feel to him. But I would veto his ass so fast you'd taste ash. No way you'd be playing a wise old 9 yr old wolf in my game with an exponent 2 Will and most of his skills at exponent 2 and 3!

Uh uh.
This guy has the potential to be mentally potent (Pe 5/7 Wi B6) and compenently skilled with lots of B3-5s. But that's just my preference. To each wolf his own scent!

[Lxndr]

Well, the Grey Will is the most easily discarded part of the whole character. Do that, and the exponents go up. I don't mind getting rid of it, just wanted to see what a Grey Exponent would look like.

[luke]

it wasn't the shade that bothered me, actually. It was the ludicrously low exponent for a wolf of such experience.

[Lxndr]

And conversely, the exponent is low because points needed to be sunk into the shade.

Would Perception B2, Will G4 have made more sense? I'm doubting it, perhaps unfoundedly, but a lower perception would have demolished a lot of his skill exponents even more strongly.

So I'd have to conclude that the only way to "fix" the character would be to go back to a black shade will, and have the points available to spend.

[Lxndr]

And with that, I give you He-Tastes-Ashes, Mark II:

Stats:
Perception B6, Will B5, Agility B6, Speed B4, Power B4, Forte B4

Reflexes B6, Health B4, Steel B5, Mortal Wound B10

Ancestral Taint B2 (The original He-Tastes-Ashes had it at B1, I forgot about that)

Skills:

Ancestral Jaw (Will x 2) B2, Begging B2, Brawling B5, Cage-Wise B3, Dog-Wise B3, Foraging B3, Hoof-Wise B3, Howling B2, Hunting B3, Intimidation B2, Man-Speak B3, Man-Wise B3, Nature of All Things B3, Old World-Wise B3, Pack Etiquette B3, Pack-Wise B3, Primal Bark (4 Syllables) B4, Scavenging B4, Scent-Wise B3, Stealthy B4, Territory-wise B3, Tongue of the Ancient One G6, Tracking B3, Village-Wise B3, Way of the First Hunter B2, Wolf-Speak B3

(Everything else is the same.)

It should be mentioned: according to the rules, his packmate should be three lifepaths, the last one being Hunter. But his story requires her to have the last lifepath being "Caged and Broken". As GM, I'd allow it, but it's not completely kosher. Just FYI.