LONG AUTUMN
The season of plenty won't last forever. It's time to put one foot in front of the other and prepare for the worst. Long Autumn is practical, stoic, and weathered - she'd get along very well with Bitterleaf. In Long Autumn's world, there are no wants, only needs.
MURKWOOD
As befits his name, Murkwood lives in a place full of fog, moss, cobwebs, and bats: a beautiful, if entirely treacherous, part of the swamp. His domain is beautiful, but unfortunately it is only so on the outside (much like the buck himself). He is prejudiced against totoma in particular and will not tolerate their presence. In the company of kimeti or the few beings he chooses to stay near, he is wise (if a bit dour) and regal (if too tightly wound). He can be quite sociable, but it's only done on his time and on his terms. However, he is loyal to his own children and wishes to protect them from harm and the nastiness of the outside world.
WILD GROWTH
Wild Growth is has a knack for gardening -- well, he has a knack for plant growth of every kind, whether it's desired or not. Much of his time is spent ripping weeds out of carefully tended plots of land -- more than once he has blistered his tongue or split his lips from tearing up or spitting out ill-tasting weeds, or prickly weeds, or thorns. He does enjoy his work and he is reasonable about letting other kin buy his berries, fruits, and herbs with favors or tasks; however, if a kimeti decides to shirk his end of the bargain, Wild Growth's brutal honest streak will quickly set them (and their reputation) straight.
RUNS-FARTHEST
Runs-farthest is a capable worker on the beach, if an overly thoughtful or considerate one. His unsure nature stems from one distinct problem: Runs-farthest is gay, and isn't quite sure how to break the news to his father, Longstride. With Longstride's reputation as a womanizer and his entire brood of kids, how will he react when he hears one of his kids doesn't like the female specimen? He is torn between making his own way on the beach and seeking guidance and being told where to go.
EEL
Aptly named, Eel is slippery and slithery, and overwhelmingly forgettable. It's hard to remember whether she shirked her duties or not; it's hard to remember whether she worked or slept, or whether she was even around on a given day. The doe uses this to her advantage to spend whatever free time she has in the shadow of her twin, Pike. Her brother's influence means that Eel's slipperiness extends to her morality, too; she sees nothing wrong with being just a bit closer to Pike than she ought to be, and no one has discovered that yet. It will be interesting to see what happens when Eel is forced out into the open.
SAND SNAKE
Sand Snake and her brother Red Viper are part of a "bad cop, worse cop" act. Sweet-spoken Sand Snake will lure unsuspecting, well-meaning kin in by feigning illness or injury, and Red Viper will then extort them for food, supplies, or information. Sand Snake sees no harm in doing this, because she herself does not actually harm anyone -- that much being left to her brother -- but she has a curiously uncalibrated sense of morality, for all of that. Perhaps she has inherited some of her mother's casual disregard for life. However, she has a strong bond to her siblings and is loyal to them to the end; she and Red Viper work hard to keep their sister, Little Island, from having to go to any of the lengths they themselves go to to survive.
SWOLLEN JOINTS
Even as a filly, Swollen Joints moved with the gracelessness and caution of an elderly doe, her joints always tender and painful. She is one of those kimeti who came out of their sac feeling a thousand years old, and her hoarse, deadpan voice just helps the illusion along. She understands she is not capable of some of the more athletic pursuits, but so far that has not stopped her from merely continuing to plod along, moving ever forward.
PULSE
Pulse seems to shirk gender norms. They spend much of their time with the brood mothers, taking care of the small children (a typically feminine pastime) and they also don't seem to mind spending time with lovers of either gender.
SING OUT
It's always the quiet ones who surprise you. Sing Out is a good, good girl -- always polite, always dutiful, a hard worker who functions as a Scout for the Vale and thinks (perhaps wrongly) that she has to work extra-hard to make up for her father's angry, unable-to-be-tied-down nature. She usually quiet until she chooses to make an intelligent observation, doing so in a voice that immediately commands attention. She just doesn't like to command attention, though if it's for the good of the Vale, of course she will...
HONEY TRAP
Wood Spider's daughter (by an unknown father) is very much like her mother -- sweet, social, petite and pretty. Unlike Wood Spider, however, Honey Trap has a keen understanding of when to sever relationships when they turn from honey to vinegar, and knows how best to get people to do what she wants (which is often what she thinks they need). One can count on her to be caring and gracious, but also not to pull any punches -- she says what she wants when she wants, and always means it.
KILLING FROST
Everything Frost touches, he ruins or breaks. This has left him a bit .. broken. He is quick to laugh (though it's a touch hysterical at times) and quick to anger, but always sees the worst in everything and grows increasingly defensive the more upset he gets.
Were Frost a human, he would likely have Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
LESSON LEARNED The white doe turns and flees through the underbrush, heedless of branches that slap her, puddles she runs through, or where she is going. All she knows is the horrible thing that swirls around in her brain, the harsh words that cut her, flayed her, reduced her down to her essence.
No matter how long and hard she runs, she can never run from the truth.
It is a lesson learned ... just like any other.
---
She is not quite sure who the white doe in her dream is. She is certain that the white doe has just learned something of very, very vast importance. While smart herself, Lesson is left with a lingering haunted feeling that there is just something else she should have known...
VICIOUS
Vicious's MO is to live fast and die young. He's a bit of a bitch, ready with sharp-worded comments that are this close to being insults. He usually has a posse of hangers-on to back him up, but they're just decoration -- he's self-confident and he knows what he wants. He also knows, quite well, how good-looking he is, and isn't afraid to rub someone's nose in it. He is best friends with Gem, and the pair have a clutch together that they ... well, sometimes fail to parent. Is leader of an as-yet-unformed tribe of rockstar kiokote.
