Aani Aston-D’Noires
Least Likely to Survive Another Year
Worst Role Model
“Snakes live among us, even wolves wear sheep’s clothing sometimes.”
Art by Despi
Salsola
Year IV of Queen Elphaba’s tumultuous reign began with heady mischief, and a night full of wanton revelry. With no bloody Wars to finish or menacing Curses to lift, the Kingdom was free to celebrate traditional Saturnalia with an unexpected choice: another servant taking up the thorny crown of the Lord of Discord, Odalis! Though some believed the choice to be a mockery of our rigid hierarchy, it set the tone for other strange events yet to come... And many small, insignificant troubles saw their beginnings with Winter’s end.
Deceit and lies are woven. A terror lurks thirsts for vengeance in the bitter cold. Enemies of the Crown meet in secret.
Salsola found itself once more graciously invited to attend another Call to Court in the Sun-and-Moon Kingdom of the north. Our regal delegation was welcomed, fed, entertained, and thanked for their barter and gifts, and the blossoming trade relationship with New Caledonia grew deeper roots fed by the flow of wealth from one palm to another.
Spring heralded a seasonal Last Supper, in which a surprise betrothal united the pregnant serpent, Aani, with the pristine rose, Eden. Their union, brought about by underhanded manipulation, was nevertheless fruitful in the birth of three heirs. Seeking to build on the pack's seemingly steady prosperity, our Erilaz guided the construction of a new landmark in the northern reaches of our territory - the Firehouse. This structure, built with a mind to house important merchant delegations and other key 'Outsider' dignitaries, was immediately put to use by an envoy from New Caledonia. In the first of its kind on our hostile soil, Salsola hosted a trade event, welcoming our allies to conduct business in the Thistle Kingdom's private Marketplace.
While this hesitant allowance boded a significant change for the most secretive of packs, it certainly did not soften our suspicious demeanor overnight. When an invitation to attend our long-time rival Casa di Cavalieri's new Olympic Games arrived at the border, it was summarily dismissed, with Salsola having no inclination to reveal so much of its strengths or weaknesses before the eyes of many.
Mid spring marked a very auspicious event: Salsola's decennial birthday! Ten fantastical years of secrets, snakes, sins and sorcery since the foundation of our infamous kingdom! The pack enjoyed a week-long celebration in honor of our ancestors and storied history, culminating in a grand feast to be remembered in our annals for all time. Familia Fortis Elegit!
For some Salsolans, however, the fun and good-feelings from the celebration were short-lived. During an outing far beyond the Kingdom's protective borders, Cleric Eden and her mate, Aani, tragically lost their daughter, Catalina de le Ulrich, who was — reportedly — lost in an accidental drowning. Further beyond, Emissary Kamari found herself entangled in a complicated web built on revenge for past wrongs of another. Though eventually rescued, the ordeal saw the unfortunate deaths of both Velimir Voronin and Larunda Mellon. The losses were mourned, and many secrets were kept.
Mid-summer saw the pack's subleader, O'Riley Eternity, bring justice to an enemy of the kingdom, though not without personal cost. The end of late summer brought with it a strange opportunity. Distant neighbor, Del Cenere, made public the news that they would be holding a stockshow, and invited all manner of Outsiders to attend. Underlying tensions between the coyote-led (and Inferni-remembering) Gang made open attendance by the Thistle Kingdom too risky. Nevertheless, some clever Salsolans did participate under guise of alias and anonymity, and reported back their findings to the crown.
As the leaves turned gold and autumn crept in, the change of seasons mirrored a change within the very structure of our society. A new Faction Tier — the Lore Faction — was introduced to better distribute responsibilities among the highly respected upper echelons of Salsolan culture. The addition of new ranks and jobs, and the removal of redundant ones, were made in the name of progress and improvement. But not all was so bright and tidy during the harvest season; strange gifts and spooky offerings found around the kingdom borders made for an eerie atmosphere toward fall's end. The Autumnal Last Supper finally revealed the Outsider behind these uncanny happenings - a foreigner from strange lands, with the backing of the noble Helsi House no less!
As our year draws to an end, the chill of winter has settled deep into the quiet, secret places of the Ruins proper. The cold leeches deep into wood, stone, and bone alike. But we Salsolans are creatures of the night, well suited to the clammy chill and the bracing bite of ice in our lungs. For it is when the world slumbers through the long dark that we are most awake — most alive.
And who can say what new perils await us on the near horizon? For peace is never long-lived with a serpent underfoot...
Amos Gaines
(Favorite Thread)“My lord is everywhere, judging bastards like you,”
Art by Mel
Argive Hemlock
Team Badass (With O'Riley, Krios, & Morrow)
(Favorite Thread)“Why can’t you use the door like a normal Luperci?”
Art by Songbird
Arius de le Ulrich
#1 Goon
(Favorite Thread)He looked desperate and scared, but refused to let go, feeling as if his fingers were burning from daring to touch his mother but too far now to stop. "Mother... p-please." He mumbled. "I... I just want you back. Please... s-stop."
Art by Nat
Azalea Eternity
Mentally held together with rubberbands and bubblegum
2021 OTP (With Sólveig)
(Favorite Thread)My oh my, it's bad enough Could you stay with me? Don't let me go Sadness and fury is all I know
Art by Alaine
Blair Eternity
(Favorite Thread)“Fort Preble requires oversight,” the wolfdog went on. “And as it stands, that task falls to me. Duty being what it is and all that.” She smiled.
Art by Mel
Brocade Valentine
Best Wingman
(Favorite Thread)”The enemy is out there, and its our job to stop them.” He grinned toothily, ”They have The Shadow and The Erilaz… but we’ve got…" He made a face as he searched for the right words, "...Spirit.”
Art by Nina
Casimir Soul
His eyes, soft and sad, took in the wilderness of the girl before him like a puddle accepting rain. She was the kind of earthen creature who would flourish like spring, while he'd vanish when the air turned warm.
Art by San
Dirge L. Trombetta-Ulrich
Misbegotten children of the abyss We are infinite, we are infinite
Art by Nat
Eden de le Ulrich
(Favorite Thread)"When it rains, look for rainbows. When it's dark, look for stars."
Art by AryaBehsk
Elphaba Revlis
(Favorite Thread)"I'll find them," The hand that reached for him so delicately had claws like meat-hooks, made to rend and tear, made to pull flesh from bone. It barely trembled at all now. "I'll make them pay."
Art by Alaine
Grievous Eternity
(Favorite Thread)Perhaps he had not prayed or sacrificed enough, and the bloodline which had come from the Moutain's Heart and Voice had never forgotten.
Art by Nat
Igor Kotovo
(Favorite Thread)It was obvious to the Erliaz that Igor was a man driven by simple things – food, drink, and women – and his eagerness to gather these was equally simplistic.
Art by Mel
Iseult
(Favorite Thread)"The best tales capture the imagination, take you far away from the here and now. They teach you lessons you'll never learn scratching your name into the dirt."
Art by Nat
Kamari Kaiser
Balls of Steel
(Favorite Thread)“I am the master of espionage and subterfuge, and am one of the six Fangs in the Queen’s Shield. I am the Shadow in the Kingdom of Thistle and Thorn. I am Kamari Kaiser, and I am not your hostage. You may walk amongst shadows, Raivo Kader, but I own them. The forest is where I thrive, and I promise you that neither you or your men will ever catch me again.”
Art by Songbird
Krios Revlis
Team Baddass (With O'Riley, Morrow, & Argive)
(Favorite Thread)"Please don't tell me to go. I don't know how to be without you."
Art by Despi
Marina Amaranthe
(Favorite Thread)She stamped an anxious paw on the wooden floor which creaked and groaned at the assault. Whining, Rini threw her head back with a paltry cry, "Maaaamaaaa, come onnnn!" Why did adults take so long to get ready?
Art by Alaine
Mirko Morandi
(Favorite Thread)Beneath her, Mirko winced against the pressure on his chest and against his neck. His hands grasped at her clothes, but made no effort to defend himself from her. “I...I wanted to prove to you that I wasn’t a coward,” he rasped.
Art by Despi
Mogis Meloy
(Favorite Thread)"It was like something was pulling me in." A fish on a line, lucky enough to break free, yet the hook remained buried in his lip. "I just remember I -- I wanted to be there."
Art by Nat
Morgana Revlis
(Favorite Thread)Morgana breathed in deeply. The fire crackled and filled the air with the smell of smoke and embers. All around her the old forest was moving in time, speaking secret riddles through the boughs and spreading, year by year, in the black earth beneath their feet. This world they lived in was alive like them, part of a greater, connected energy that spread across the earth.
Art by Mel
Morrow Larue
Team Badass (With O'Riley, Krios, & Argive)
(Favorite Thread)To be so vulnerable was a privilege, one he no longer held.
Art by Kiri
Odalis Amaranthe
Sassiest Character
(Favorite Thread)Odalis shrugged, ”You have much further to fall than I.”
Art by Lin
O'Riley Eternity
Team Badass (with Krios, Morrow, & Argive)
Best Rivals/Enemies (With Tiamat)
(Favorite Thread)As an evil thing, O'Riley knew there were horrors yet unknown awaiting them. He needed to purge all the terrors he had seen and done before turning towards the next nightmare.
Art by Mel
Silas del Morte
Most Interesting Relationship Dynamic (With Aidan)
(Favorite Thread)"Once you choose hope, anything is possible."
Art by Despi
Spartacus Simone Ulrich
(Favorite Thread)"Have you ever hunted another Luperci before?" the question was boldly given to her, as his tail wagged a few times in a sudden delight at the idea of hunting another of his kind.
Art by Nandolicious
Tattersall Valentine
(Favorite Thread)Weapons were made for killing, though. He had always been told this, long before he started handling them, so that he did not forget the truth of their purpose.
Art by Kiri
Till Van Ulrich-Lykoi
(Favorite Thread)Could this be the answer? Uncorrupted carmine red Voices keep resounding In my dazed bewildered head
Art by Vatruha
Whisper Eternity
(Favorite Thread)An explosion of feathers and flapping wings burst from the forest. Whisper jumped, and when she came back to her senses found a warm hand holding her own. Surprised by this, she stared at it openly. Then, deciding she liked how they felt together, she gave Velour's palm a gentle squeeze.
Art by Alaine
Velimir Voronin
(Favorite Thread)“But...please, let me have this...let me protect...what I value most in this world.”
Art by Songbird
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