SUFFERING
Something of an empath, fragile Suffering is unreasonably affected by the emotions of others. When alone, he is perfectly lucid; when other kimeti intrude upon him, even with the best of intentions, Suffering shifts: he becomes driven to extremes, either laughing crazily or sunk down into a killing rage. Either of these things can happen within moments. He can't always help it. When he finds someone relatively stable he tends to latch onto them and not let go, regardless of whether or not he is actually welcome.
CROOKED GRIN
He presents nothing but good humor and wry amusement to the world. Even if he didn't, he's a consummate actor. He is also extremely lucky, and though he expects that luck to falter (because wouldn't that be funny?), it never does. Because of this unrelenting luck, he's extremely superstitious. He won't cross under mangrove roots and avoids black owlcats, for example.
With this luck in mind, he has committed himself to the life of a roving gentleman: a charmer, quick to flash a wry smile and tell an amusing story. He's also something of a trickster, though his tricks aren't usually malicious. They're just designed to seek attention.
shadows in winter
stretch out their long arms, raking
cold claws in the earth
Wintershadow's secret claim to fame is his singing voice. His cautious, deliberate nature doesn't find him singing all that often, but most kimeti are surprised by his talent. He has a brilliant, clear tenor voice that is the envy of any songbird in the swamp.
Shadow is quiet but outgoing, with a no-nonsense nature. He's asexual, but homoromantic, and prefers bucks who are tall, dark, and handsome.
Good at delegation, he is the lead Caretaker for the Vale.
SPREAD FEATHERS
Spread Feathers was the leader of a rather large harem -- until the Flood happened. Swept off his feet (quite literally) and washed into the swamp, he is now trying to reconcile himself to a new way of life. He can be damningly charismatic, but that is tempered with a very wide streak of misogyny that he can't help. His harem was the best and the happiest, because they wanted for nothing -- he was in absolute control. After all, who would think to leave those decisions to a doe?
He suffers from crippling OCD and must keep himself clean all the time. This, combined with his rampant misogyny, makes him a nasty sort for all but a few other types.
CHRYSALIS
An odd sort of hypocrite: Chrysalis is addicted to dreamgrass while simultaneously working without end to cure his uncle Bitter Harvest's insanity through medicine. He is vastly intelligent, but often too busy with his trials to do more than snark and shun others.
HAILSTORM
Hailstorm is in an odd relationship with her brother, Frostbite: the two kimeti stalk through the swamp in their shared bad mood, usually taking it out on whoever is unlucky enough to cross their path. On their own, they are bad -- together, they are worse. It's questionable whether they even like each other, though Hailstorm does do her best to please her brother, even when he does not immediately reciprocate.
It will be interesting to see what becomes of the doe if her brother is not around to inflict his personality on her.
EMBERDANCE
Spiritual and wise, but weirdly evasive, Emberdance is the swamp's equivalent of a creepy old voodoo priest. In truth, his rituals and performances to appease the swamp are largely ridiculous farce, but he does know much about the Motherfather, the turn of the seasons, and how to influence others.
GROVEKEEPER
The mysterious Grovekeeper -- no one is quite sure whether that is a name or a title -- lives in the lush Northern reaches of the swamp, tending a small island in the middle of one of the wide, shallow rivers of the region. The island is ringed around by apple trees which he carefully tends. No one even knows how old he is; perhaps he has tended his small island since the beginning of the swamp. Kimeti have been known to approach Grovekeeper with questions: which berries are good to eat, when to best store herbs for the winter, or how to avoid wolves or caiman. He seems to pass his days alone, connected to some mystical source of knowledge or energy that apparently comes from the small island.
MANY VOICES
The authoritative older sister of the Borderwalkers tribe, Many Voices has taken it upon herself -- and herself alone -- to ensure the continued existence of her family and way of life. She is a stalwart protector of her siblings and utterly loyal to her family, and she has a ruthless streak only barely tempered.
But such things are hard to undertake alone, especially when you are young and still questioning your own path in life. Lately it seems like Many Voices has begun to split into more than one person: the businesslike, maternal side of her, and the side of her that is driven to whatever extremes necessary to make sure she and her family succeed and survive.
MOONFIRE
Not often seen during daylight hours, some would call Moonfire lazy, or just odd; in point of fact, she is largely nocturnal, and explores the dreamworld when she sleeps. She has journeyed farther in her dreams than she has in waking life, keeping to the northern reaches of the swamp where the apples are sweet and the water plentiful.
Moonfire is fearless and adventurous, though perhaps not adventurous in the sense of the world that we know. While hard to find, she is easy to approach, and makes friends easily.
ENDS-THE-CHASE
He is a hunter and tracker, usually always alone, relying on hooves and teeth to kill his prey. His voice is rough and hoarse, and he doesn't speak much, though he tends to talk down to most kin he meets and can be rather arrogant and surly.
Chase is far more athletic than most kimeti, possessed of great speed and endurance; his mother was a kiokote.
Last edited by phoe on Sun Jan 19, 2020 12:32 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 70
ABOVE IT ALL
Flighty, out there, and a little stuck up. Pretends she's not as absolutely clueless as she is, but is too proud to ask for help, and ends up coming off dismissive and snotty.
BROKEN HEART
Eminently trustworthy and seemingly chaste, her heart has never been broken, but she'll help you pick up the pieces of yours. Broken Heart makes it her business to provide comfort and support to the brokenhearted of the swamp ... particularly the ladies. As a true diplomat, however, she does not discriminate -- at least not outwardly.
SPEAKS ONCE
This totoma came by her name late in life, having seemed perfectly content with being Nameless. Some wondered at her silence and lack of ambition. Others wondered if the Nameless totoma was mute or slow. But instead, it seemed that she was saving herself up for one opportune moment -- and it came on the journey to the swamp, when others, tired from the journey, nearly blundered unknowingly into a river full of caiman.
The only thing Speaks Once has been known to say out loud is "stop," but one word saved more than one life.
