Sept 13, 2019 23:26:33 GMT -5
Light of distant firefly
Tribe of Twisted Roots ∙ Navigator ∙ male ∙ 45 moons
Appearance
Description sentence: A pitch black tom cat with yellow eyes.
Appearance: Firefly has a coat of black fur, nothing more and nothing less. He has no patches of other colors or any unique patterns. Like many other Tribe cats, he carries an ample amount of scars across his flank and chest. Such scars are the only markings that interrupt his sleek coat. Firefly is a bit less muscular than most toms his age. He is average in size but tends to look smaller due to his short fur. His eyes are a light yellow color, contrasting with his black fur and making it his most distinguishing characteristic. Round and rather large, his eyes convey a resting curious expression that makes Firefly out to be younger than he really is.
Personality
Positive Traits: • Loving • Reliable • Dreamy • Persevering | Negative Traits: • Sensitive • Insecure • Reticent • Competitive |
Personality: A flicker of yellow light in the darkness, Firefly is aptly named for his pitch black pelt. It is not atypical of Tribe cats to have darker pelts, but Firefly's yellow eyes are often the only visible reminder of his existence on darker nights. His personality is just as fleeting, silent, and peculiar. On the outside, Firefly is a rather stoic cat. He shows very little emotion and is able to put up with an amazing amount of hardship. On one hand, he is an uncomplaining, diligent, and hardworking Navigator. On the other, he is a cat of few words who appears stiff and serious. Perhaps one of his most notable traits is his reticence. Firefly hardly ever speaks unless directly addressed, and even then, scarcely says more than he needs to. Only his close friends ever have the luxury of conversing with him.
Firefly can be rather vain, and tries very hard to fit into Tribe life despite his soft heart. Since kithood, Firefly has admired and yearned to be like the Commander; imposing, decisive, and dignified were traits that Firefly wished he had. This poses a problem, because there is a clear distinction between the cat he wants to be and the cat he is naturally. He has always had a softer and gentler personality than most cats, garnering more pity than respect, and showing more love than composure. Therefore, despite admiring the high ranks, he never acquired a position. Firefly challenged high ranks often, nearly at every new high rank ceremony, and acquired an impressive number of scars. However, despite his aspiration for power, Firefly seeks only to make his mark on the Tribe, and would never seize power unfairly.
Firefly tends to be a romantic, seeing small bits of life as beautiful and moving. He is deeply pious and believes that the Gods set a natural order to everything. He sees his life as rather fleeting on its own, and often fears he is wasting his limited time here. While he yearns to have a mate, an experience when he was younger suggested that he is infertile. There is no true way to confirm this, according to the late Witch Scuttle, but the implication has dug its way into Firefly's mind and caused quite a bit of insecurity. He fears he will never be able to have kits and thus be unable to secure a mate. Since receiving this news, Firefly has mostly closed off these aspirations and confined his romantic ventures to his imagination. He has also since then become quite insecure about his shortcomings, including his less muscular build and plainer pelt. Perhaps the Gods simply did not have greatness in mind for him. Firefly often wonders if he is doomed to live a life of normalcy, one of his greatest and most persistent fears.
Firefly can be rather vain, and tries very hard to fit into Tribe life despite his soft heart. Since kithood, Firefly has admired and yearned to be like the Commander; imposing, decisive, and dignified were traits that Firefly wished he had. This poses a problem, because there is a clear distinction between the cat he wants to be and the cat he is naturally. He has always had a softer and gentler personality than most cats, garnering more pity than respect, and showing more love than composure. Therefore, despite admiring the high ranks, he never acquired a position. Firefly challenged high ranks often, nearly at every new high rank ceremony, and acquired an impressive number of scars. However, despite his aspiration for power, Firefly seeks only to make his mark on the Tribe, and would never seize power unfairly.
Firefly tends to be a romantic, seeing small bits of life as beautiful and moving. He is deeply pious and believes that the Gods set a natural order to everything. He sees his life as rather fleeting on its own, and often fears he is wasting his limited time here. While he yearns to have a mate, an experience when he was younger suggested that he is infertile. There is no true way to confirm this, according to the late Witch Scuttle, but the implication has dug its way into Firefly's mind and caused quite a bit of insecurity. He fears he will never be able to have kits and thus be unable to secure a mate. Since receiving this news, Firefly has mostly closed off these aspirations and confined his romantic ventures to his imagination. He has also since then become quite insecure about his shortcomings, including his less muscular build and plainer pelt. Perhaps the Gods simply did not have greatness in mind for him. Firefly often wonders if he is doomed to live a life of normalcy, one of his greatest and most persistent fears.
Skills & Combat
Strengths: • Stealth • Fishing • Observation | Weaknesses: • Hunting • Public Speaking • Climbing |
Combat:
• Defense: (10+4) = 14
• Attack: 1d20 + (4)
Character Background
Family:
Mother - Gleam of Spider [Silk] - adoptable, senior Navigator
Father - [Ripple] on Clear Water - deceased
Siblings - [Nightingale] Sings at Dawn - adoptable, sister/brother
Past Swabbies - [Dragonfly] Hovers Over Pond - nifty
Father - [Ripple] on Clear Water - deceased
Siblings - [Nightingale] Sings at Dawn - adoptable, sister/brother
Past Swabbies - [Dragonfly] Hovers Over Pond - nifty
History:
Firefly had always had two ambitions. One, to make his mark on the Tribe, hopefully through leadership. Two, to find romantic love and have a family.
These weren't unusual aspirations. Firefly was born to a pair of loving parents, Silk and Ripple. While many cats' families are torn apart or become dysfunctional from the hardships of Tribe life, Firefly knew from the start that he was lucky to have such a beautiful family. During his Swabbie days, his father Ripple was lost during the Shrieking Storms season to the tide waters. It was a tragic but not unusual death. Firefly grieved but relished in the fact that he had supportive family and friends around him. He continued to work just as hard as the other Swabbies to hone his skills. Once he became a young Navigator, Firefly worked tirelessly toward his goals. He challenged at every opportunity he could, including when Tempest became Quartermaster, when Tempest rose to Commander, and when Tempest's first Quartermaster rose to power. He lost both these duels, but retained a prideful number of scars. Firefly was not the type to try and seize power, and once defeated he did not challenge the Commander and Quartermaster's rule. He believed in only fair ascension to power.
His kind and dedicated personality drew the attention of Moth Flutters by Moonlight. Firefly was absolutely mesmerized by Moth, and the two quickly became loving mates. This was probably a period of time that Firefly remembered most fondly. He brought her elaborate gifts and planned adventurous outings with her, bringing out the best of his poetic personality. Unfortunately, as they settled down to have a family, the pair found they were unable to have kits. After an embarrassing conversation with the Tribe Witch, it was concluded that likely one of them was infertile. As their frustrations grew, new problems arose between the pair of lovers, and the two began to argue more and more. Finally, after a particularly bad argument, Firefly broke off his relationship with Moth, which he cites to this day as his biggest regret.
While Firefly knew his days with Moth were over, his dreams of having a family remained still shattered. The beautiful Moth quickly found a new lover, a spotted tomcat named Ocean, and eventually gave birth to two kits: Monarch and Dragonfly. It hurt him every day to watch Moth move on and build her own life. To Firefly, it only confirmed that their previous failed attempts to have kits were his fault, more or less confirming his infertility. He felt inadequate. Maybe Ocean's striking patterned pelt overshadowed Firefly's plain black one. Maybe Ocean's fatherly demeanor made him more attractive. Maybe it was simply the fact that Firefly was not a normal tom cat capable of having kits. Even after Moth's death, Firefly never stopped comparing himself to Ocean and other tom cats in the Clan. He lost faith on his ability to find romantic love again, and even began to withdraw on many of his friendships.
But his entanglement with Moth was not over. The hard-working young tom was soon up for a Swabbie, and ironically was assigned Dragonfly, Moth and Ocean's daughter. Throughout her training, Firefly tried his hardest not to let his complicated feelings and history show. He grew to adore the young Swabbie, but still was unable to let go of his lingering jealousy. Dragonfly was a very aware cat, soon catching on that there was something unusual about this Navigator-Swabbie relationships.
Still yet, that was not the end of Firefly's bad luck. When Moth's son, Monarch, was appointed Quartermaster, Firefly challenged him out of desperation. Seeing as to Tempest and Monarch were both healthy leaders, Firefly saw this as his last chance to complete his first aspiration. The fight was a brutal one, and Firefly probably could have won.
... But how could he harm Moth's son? And Dragonfly's brother? His hesitation was all it took for Firefly to lose the fight. It was a crushing blow for his ailing ego and confidence. Firefly accepted the new Quartermaster's rule, but never forgot the pain of losing his dreams that day.
Instead, he spent his days doting on his mother Silk and his sister Nightingale. Firefly could not help but wonder if this was all he was going to amount to: a lifetime of failures and defeats. His insecurities crept in and he became much more sullen and withdrawn. To this day Firefly remains incredibly confused about his lack of meaningful accomplishments. Was he a symbol of perseverance or an example of a foolish idealist?
These weren't unusual aspirations. Firefly was born to a pair of loving parents, Silk and Ripple. While many cats' families are torn apart or become dysfunctional from the hardships of Tribe life, Firefly knew from the start that he was lucky to have such a beautiful family. During his Swabbie days, his father Ripple was lost during the Shrieking Storms season to the tide waters. It was a tragic but not unusual death. Firefly grieved but relished in the fact that he had supportive family and friends around him. He continued to work just as hard as the other Swabbies to hone his skills. Once he became a young Navigator, Firefly worked tirelessly toward his goals. He challenged at every opportunity he could, including when Tempest became Quartermaster, when Tempest rose to Commander, and when Tempest's first Quartermaster rose to power. He lost both these duels, but retained a prideful number of scars. Firefly was not the type to try and seize power, and once defeated he did not challenge the Commander and Quartermaster's rule. He believed in only fair ascension to power.
His kind and dedicated personality drew the attention of Moth Flutters by Moonlight. Firefly was absolutely mesmerized by Moth, and the two quickly became loving mates. This was probably a period of time that Firefly remembered most fondly. He brought her elaborate gifts and planned adventurous outings with her, bringing out the best of his poetic personality. Unfortunately, as they settled down to have a family, the pair found they were unable to have kits. After an embarrassing conversation with the Tribe Witch, it was concluded that likely one of them was infertile. As their frustrations grew, new problems arose between the pair of lovers, and the two began to argue more and more. Finally, after a particularly bad argument, Firefly broke off his relationship with Moth, which he cites to this day as his biggest regret.
While Firefly knew his days with Moth were over, his dreams of having a family remained still shattered. The beautiful Moth quickly found a new lover, a spotted tomcat named Ocean, and eventually gave birth to two kits: Monarch and Dragonfly. It hurt him every day to watch Moth move on and build her own life. To Firefly, it only confirmed that their previous failed attempts to have kits were his fault, more or less confirming his infertility. He felt inadequate. Maybe Ocean's striking patterned pelt overshadowed Firefly's plain black one. Maybe Ocean's fatherly demeanor made him more attractive. Maybe it was simply the fact that Firefly was not a normal tom cat capable of having kits. Even after Moth's death, Firefly never stopped comparing himself to Ocean and other tom cats in the Clan. He lost faith on his ability to find romantic love again, and even began to withdraw on many of his friendships.
But his entanglement with Moth was not over. The hard-working young tom was soon up for a Swabbie, and ironically was assigned Dragonfly, Moth and Ocean's daughter. Throughout her training, Firefly tried his hardest not to let his complicated feelings and history show. He grew to adore the young Swabbie, but still was unable to let go of his lingering jealousy. Dragonfly was a very aware cat, soon catching on that there was something unusual about this Navigator-Swabbie relationships.
Still yet, that was not the end of Firefly's bad luck. When Moth's son, Monarch, was appointed Quartermaster, Firefly challenged him out of desperation. Seeing as to Tempest and Monarch were both healthy leaders, Firefly saw this as his last chance to complete his first aspiration. The fight was a brutal one, and Firefly probably could have won.
... But how could he harm Moth's son? And Dragonfly's brother? His hesitation was all it took for Firefly to lose the fight. It was a crushing blow for his ailing ego and confidence. Firefly accepted the new Quartermaster's rule, but never forgot the pain of losing his dreams that day.
Instead, he spent his days doting on his mother Silk and his sister Nightingale. Firefly could not help but wonder if this was all he was going to amount to: a lifetime of failures and defeats. His insecurities crept in and he became much more sullen and withdrawn. To this day Firefly remains incredibly confused about his lack of meaningful accomplishments. Was he a symbol of perseverance or an example of a foolish idealist?
Other Notes
Shop Purchases:
Tribe cat purchase!
Other:
none
