Post by Glowy on Aug 30, 2011 17:56:56 GMT -10
Name |
Gender |
Tom
Age |
Forty-three moons
Rank |
Warrior
Clan |
StreamClan
Beliefs |
Sootnose was always taught to value justice above all else. This may be part of the reason that he stuck with the Lawman when he found him. In any case, he couldn't tell you if justice comes from the world or if some higher power ordains what is just or not. If there is some sort of power out there, he doubts that they care a whit about him. They might have spared him some of his heartache if they did care.
As for StarClan, he doesn't care one way or the other. The clan cats can believe what they want to believe. If- and he emphasizes the if strongly- StarClan does indeed exist, then they'll not care about him either. He has no blood ties to the clans. They're not his ancestors. If some inquisitive soul asks him about his beliefs, he will normally fix them with a cold stare and dismiss their questions. His inferior companions have no business knowing what he believes in.
Parents |
Parson; father, np
Elizabeth; mother, np
Siblings |
None by blood
Virgil; adopted brother, played by Pyro
Mate |
Not yet
Crush |
Not yet
Kits |
Not yet
Apprentice/Mentor |
Sparrowpaw, played by Blaze
Appearance |
Sootnose, at first glance, is simply your typical tom cat. He's about average height, average weight, average build. Even his short pelt is fairly nondescript, being a solid gray- excepting his muzzle, which is a paler shade of gray than the rest of his body. But, oh, does he think he's special! His head is always held high and he walks with a distinct air of nobility about him. Pay no attention to the fact that he's missing part of an ear, or that the only remotely handsome thing about him is his face; Sootnose is nature's gift to the forest, and he knows it!
His yellow eyes are typically cold and carefully removed from the situation, but he cannot conceal himself from everyone. If privileged with the opportunity to see Sootnose displaying emotion, one will see moons of turmoil and pain coming through his gaze alone.
Personality |
"My good opinion, once lost, is lost forever."
Sootnose believes in justice above all things. It is the driving force of nature, it keeps all things working exactly the way they ought to work, and it is perfect. He cannot abide it when anybody behaves in a manner that is unjust. In his own words, "I find it hard to forgive the follies and vices of others, or their offenses against me." He does see how this could be unjust in certain situations, but his pride often causes him to overlook his own actions and focus solely on those of the others around him.
"I do not have the... talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before."
Having had very little socialization during his childhood, Sootnose finds himself trapped behind a wall when it comes to conversation. It matters not how deeply his desire to speak to somebody may be, or how intrigued by them he is; during the first conversation, he often comes across as unsociable and taciturn. Once he has had some exposure to his acquaintances, he finds it much easier to speak to them. However, he dreads making new acquaintance above all else. It unnerves him, to say the least. If he is approached by somebody new, he will not reject their acquaintance in most cases. He will regard them with a smooth, detached civility until he has formed his opinion of them- an opinion not easily changed.
"I did it for his own good!"
Sootnose, believing that he has the right to decide what is just and what is not, is highly self-righteous. It is almost to the point where he believes that he can do no wrong, so complete is his understanding of justice. He can justify everything he does in some way, and will often not listen to arguments against his actions. Those who accuse him are nothing- they have not had the fortune to be granted the depth of the understanding of justice that he has, and can therefore have no opinion on the matter.
"Did you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your circumstances?"
As you may have guessed, Sootnose is not the cat to call upon if one wishes for their past to be overlooked. Not only does he hold intense grudges against those who wrong him and the ones he cares about (yes, he does have the ability to hold others close to his heart), but if he finds a blemish upon the past of anyone, it changes his entire perception of them. Even his friends are not exempt from this rule, although he does make a concerted effort to dull the effects of his disdain for them.
"You must know... surely, you must know, it was all for you."
Self-righteous Sootnose may be, but selfish he most certainly is not. It partly adds to his feeling of self-righteousness, in all honesty, but it is more than that. He desires to be just in all things. If he sees a poor soul needing assistance, he will pour himself into the enterprise of aiding them. Asking nothing in return for his kindness, he will do whatever it takes to complete the task of helping whatever poor soul needs it. It is his small way, he feels, of repaying his debt to Virgil, who came to him in his darkest hour of need.
Skills |
Sootnose's greatest skill, as can be ascertained from his name, is tracking. He can track a cat for days across open wilderness with very little difficulty. When tracking he relies not only upon his sense of smell, but observations about his surroundings- a broken twig here, disturbed pebbles there. Those signs never fail him, whereas scent trails can run cold after a time and disappear into nothing.
Fighting is most certainly not a strength of his. He was not raised to be a brute. Virgil's training has helped him get up to the point where, after quite a bit of effort, he can drive an enemy away, but he much prefers to fight with a partner.
As for interpersonal skills, Sootnose is lacking on the surface. He is offputting to most everyone he meets. It is difficult for him to make friends, especially in a new environment in which he feels uncomfortable.
History |
Sootnose's father, Parson, was the leader of a group of rogues- however, he was an honorable tom, and in his leadership of the hooligans, he attempted to curb their violent tendencies. This went well for some time and he earned quite the reputation as a peacemaker. He was respected and loved by all. It appeared that the forest was to be free of terror for years to come, but things are not always that simple.
Parson fell in love with a shy she-cat named Elizabeth. Their romance was swift but violent, and soon she was carrying his kits. He began to spend more time with her than with his band. A few cats, displeased with his leadership (they wanted to return to their reign of terror, you see) attempted to stage an insurrection. Parson was given the decision to fight and regain his honor or leave and allow the upstart to take his place. He chose to fight, leaving his mate and infant son (for the rest of the litter was stillborn) behind to keep the forest in peace. Unfortunately, during the battle, his opponent was killed. The opponent's son, Lobo, vowed revenge upon Parson for the "murder" of his father.
Elizabeth gave every effort to teach young Everett about his father. She would tell him stories about the good old days, before Parson had taken his band away; she told him how handsome Parson was, how well-liked he was, but also how powerful he was. It was her intent to instill in him a sense of pride in his heritage. She could not have known the extent to which Everett would become prideful. Elizabeth told him he was destined for greatness, just as Parson had been, and that he would grow up to be as powerful as his father one day.
Everett began to question his mother's view of his father. If he was such a great cat, why was he no longer with them? A truly honorable tom ought to support his family. When he asked Elizabeth why Parson had left them, she gave no answer. Eventually she told him that he left because "He just had to," but that was no answer for little 8-moon-old Everett, struggling with feelings of abandonment and resentment. He came to the conclusion that his father simply had not cared about them. His mother, unaware of the change, kept telling her stories.
Elizabeth not only taught him to be prideful but to be proper as well. She did not want her son growing up like those hooligans Parson had associated with. Every day it was a constant battle with his mother. She wanted to keep him around and instruct him. He wanted to go and play with some of the other children that lived nearby. She wanted him to sit up straight. He wanted to roll on the ground. As much as he wanted to be free, he wanted to please her more. As he progressed in his training, she began to teach him other things. Tracking was his favorite, because Elizabeth set it up like a game.
During one of their tracking lessons they both noticed a strange scent. That scent remained for many days. Elizabeth sent Everett out on his own, bidding him to find the source of the smell. At the end of the scent trail, he found a shabbily constructed den, just large enough to house a cat, with rodent bones strewn everywhere. When he returned home to give his mother the news... she was dead. The reek of the strange cat hung about the den. After burying his mother he stalked off to the stranger's den, hoping to find him there and confront him. He wasn't there.
Everett followed the rogue's trail for five days, stopping only to hunt and take brief power naps. He allowed himself little respite from his task. He would catch up to this stranger. When at last he came across his quarry, he was greeted with a sickening grin.
"You know, you look just like your daddy. I'd know 'is face anywhere." The stranger dug his claws into the ground, still grinning. "Betcha you're wonderin' how's it come about I knew your daddy."[/i]
"My father was an honorable leader. He would never have associated with scum such as you."
Stranger laughed- a harsh, grating sound. "Your pretty momma never told you? Shame. I woulda thought she'd be more honest. You wanter know what your daddy was? Really was?"
Silence.
" 'im was a rogue. Just like me." More laughter, and stony silence from Everett. "Your daddy killed my daddy. My daddy was honorable too. 'E just didn't partick'lerly like the way your daddy was leading. So 'e rose up. And 'e was killed. Your daddy was nothin' but a self-righteous murderer. Didn't wanna lose 'is prrreciousssss followers."
"Obviously, grief has driven you insane. My condolences for your loss. That does not absolve you from guilt, however. You murdered my mother."
"I did." Stranger scooted closer, narrowing his eyes. "It was only fair. Cause 'im pain back. 'E didn't feel a thing. I'm goin' a make sure 'e does. And when you meet your daddy in the Pit, you tell 'im it was Lobo what sent you."
Before Everett could stop the stranger, he was on top of him, digging in with his claws, tearing flesh from flesh. Everett was completely unprepared. He'd not been trained for battle. Fighting back was completely out of his power. He was going to die and he knew it.
Another stranger stepped in then. His lazy gait and grim manner suggested he'd seen situations like this before. The last thing Everett heard before he lost consciousness was the stranger's drawling, "I wouldn't do that if I was you, son." He woke up the next day to find his savior peering down at him. Everett felt instantly grateful to this tom, and made up his mind to become his helper after he had healed. The lawman, Virgil, quickly became Everett's best friend and his only support.
The two traveled together for a few moons helping cats out of similarly sticky situations, asking nothing in return. Everett learned how to fight in this time, though he didn't develop any particular skill. He learned enough to help Virgil deal with unsavory fellows.
After a time, the two came across the largest gathering of cats either had seen in their lives. They learned that the "clan cats," so they called themselves, had traveled for moons to flee the rule of an unjust leader and wanted to start new lives in the area. Everett thought the cause noble- after all, the were fleeing from injustice- and so he encouraged Virgil to stay and aid them. He stood back while Virgil took the lead, earning himself quite the smashing reputation as he helped the weary clan cats clear their territory of badgers, foxes, and other unsavory creatures. When the time came for the clans to truly settle down, Virgil decided that he was going to join one of them. Being a loyal companion, Everett followed him to StreamClan, where they have resided as loyal warriors and best friends ever since.
Critique Level| Criticize all aspects of my character.
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