Vivarium - Great Woodlands

roots

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 13:53:37 -0400

[ ]

Oliver was truly beginning to get tired of it here.

While he could never deny it was a beautiful place, full of a variety of terrains and some that even reminded him of home — well, he was just sure that it was out to get him personally.

This morning had been routine, even positive, as he’d managed to both sleep soundly and catch a meal with little difficulty. It had been sunny, warm, and as he lay out in the open to catch the rays like a cold-blooded thing, he would’ve even described himself as contented.

However, now, soaked through and thrashed around like a leaf in the wind, he was anything but. The bulbous clouds had ascended without a warning, and even faster came the lightning, the gale, the pelting rain. A promising day ruined by a freak storm.

The man was now currently taking shelter in a small rocky cave on the edge of the meadow, just in the tree line. His line of sight wasn’t great, but he could still see out towards the fields if anyone should happen upon him.

Speak to me, speak to me

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 15:39:10 -0400

It felt weird being part of a pack again.

Needing to adhere to rank, sleep amongst the masses, and live around new faces that will eventually become acquaintances. The concept had been foreign to her for so long that Eloise almost felt like a baby fawn learning to use her legs again. She'd grown up in one, of course, but her previous attempts to join others had never lasted long.

The only real group she'd stayed committed to in the past was her found family of wayfaring mercenaries — and they were very much in the past now...Bless them.

Now had welcomed her into their ranks, and she felt ever so foreign. So out of place. Yet, for the sake of not sitting down and being indecisive, Eloise set out to do what she was good at and patrol.

Her trail today lead her outside of the boarders and near the surrounding areas of Ravorn, seeking anything that might've seemed suspicious to her.

Life Has a Cruel Sense of Humor

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:42:37 -0400

Evening was quite a blur to the oak-colored brute. Though those he'd come across were rather tame and considerate, one even making a fool of herself just like he had done. It was good to just have a life where he could make his own decisions without a care in the world. He would remember, many times, of where he'd have to make a tough decision as a command to his superiors. They would take a life without remorse, and that was enough to make the brute hate what he'd done. A lot of the lives he'd taken, they were innocent. They were trying to make a life for themselves and those around them; however, all it took was one quick bite, one soldier, to make that dream hopeless and incomplete. His ears pinned back at the sudden realization. He would never be able to apologize for what he'd done.

He hoped that his old pack had, or would, someday, disband. That the retaliation and brutality of their dictator would vanish and that it would all be just a bad dream for the others. His eyes shifted upward to the glow of the moon, his fur blowing in the slight breeze that danced against it. He missed his friends, those he did consider a family there. However, they were few and far between.

After his emerald gaze shifted off the moon, he would take a small walk to regain his composure and his senses. His paws would be mindful of the stones that were scattered around the landscape. Knowing plenty of times about them after his stumble catching prey and the numerous times his paw pads were cut after rubbing them against a sharp stone. His rabbit was finished as had pushed the bones and some of the fur away from his place of residence; knowing the remains would go to some other helpless creature or scavenger that needed it more than he did. Things seemed to just be taking a turn; but Magen wasn't sure if those thoughts were a good sign, or if in a sick sense of deja vu, he'd be stuck with something far worse coming to cause havoc. Whatever the case may be, Magen was sure to be ready for it.

in the mirror

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 20:06:45 -0400

The morning brought with it the smell of petrichor. A massive storm had passed overnight, leaving behind quite a mess in its wake. Now, the bright morning sun would rise beyond the clouds, evaporating the dew and leaving a thin layer of mist hovering over the earth.

Sazora would rise with the sun, her ears pressed forward as she trotted toward the entrance of the thicket. She'd heard the thunder and seen the flickering lightning through the thin walls of their bramble den, and she was so curious to know what the world looked like now — in the calm of the apocalypse.

Blinking against the brightness of the summer morning, she would smile, casting her glittering gaze over the muddy earth. It smelled so ... wet! And as she took a few delicate steps out of the grove, she felt the way her paws sank slightly into the muddy earth. It was like walking on slime! A little laugh would escape her lips as she took a few careless bounds into the clearing.

As quick as she'd leapt, she felt her feet slide away from beneath her.

And then Sazora faceplanted into the mud.

〔❁〕But when I'm done singing this song,

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:42:40 -0400

❁

Izumi had went on a hunt that morning to feed as her and the group traveled closer towards Westmoor, but did not return in hours – mostly because she was stuck here, instead. Heavy, greying skies and the strong smell of petrichor should’ve been the first warning that today was not a good day to be out. Though a part of her stubbornly thought that she could hunt quicker than the rain that approach; to her dismay, she could not. By the time the rain came and progressed into heavier showers, Izumi was drenched from head to paw. She’d even lost the rabbit on the way over here.

She hid underneath the mossy bridge, waiting for the storm to pass – the occasional breeze blowing against her damp skin and making her shiver. The view was almost peaceful in it’s own right, with rain water cascading down the sides of the stricture and the sounds of it drowning out everything else throughout the forest. Though Izumi could do without the feeling of her paws submerged in the stream while attempting to regulate her body heat…

For ! Maybe as well?

cirrus

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:45:00 -0400

Tatsaaye' is thinking, the way she has for many days.

She sits in a patch of sun, at the very tail of a nap. She does not like to slumber long hours and, she has decided, not in the shadows of caves or burrows. She was born in a den, but made for sky.

There is a storm on the horizon. Tatsaaye' smells it now in the brisk wind- and smell also a familiar snow-scent, gentler than Caan's, sweet like the summer berries she has begun to eat in mouthfuls from the bushes.

Rain-hunter keeps them from marching too far without the other children, the ones still finding their paws. They are not so much younger than she is- and so it is difficult, to understand the way that they struggle.

But Nutuyikruk is gentler than Mother. Tatsaaye' tries not to be wistful about this; she is strong, and does not need to be babied. How would she prove herself, with another's eyes on her constantly?

She comes upright, stretching, and winces as sore paws test the ground. It is not as bad as it was- if she walks long enough, she will not feel it, like the adults. She is careful to hide the limp where sunclan can see.

Knock it till you try it.

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:34:37 -0400

SOUTHEAST TO THE PATH OF ETERNITY

What to do?

ITEM

ACT

RUN

Health
15/15
No Skill in Progress
0/30

Knock it till you try it.

Paws hitting the ground, tongue rapidly dashing across his lower lip with the frantic opening and closing of a panting mouth. Ears angling back, tail stiff behind him and eyes pulled wide with little intention. This was the figure of a wolf who was hunting. Though he had never quite done so himself before, he had watched quick sprints after small, scuttling prey.

So here he was, crashing into trees and slipping about on the mazelike undergrowth, confident this damn mouse (or whatever it was) was running CIRCLES around him. A snap and it darted off of a bush branch and toward the trunk of a scratchy-barked tree, resulting in a fullbody flip and yelp as he thwacked his face against it. The mouse, he swore, snickered at him and twisted to look as he rolled onto his back in defeat, already anticipating the incoming headache.

Cross-eyed, Southeast wearily looked up at the winding branches overhead. The confusing ways in which they wrapped across each other, extending their leafy green fingers out to cover and steal as much of the growing sunlight as they could. Hissing with the winds of the forest, fat with birds he’d never reach. Little red bundles hung heavily from the tips of some of the higher-up branches, others strewn about on the ground below.

Hmmmmmmm.

Rolling over with a wince, he nosed about the darkening fruits, trying to will them not to be poisonous.

ALL CODING AND CHARACTER ART ON THIS PROFILE ARE DONE BY MYSELF UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.

rivers and roads

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 01:52:04 -0400

The cave mouth framed the night sky like a window carved into the world. Most of Velaris slept beneath the hush of darkness, tucked safely into dens and nests warmed by family. Stellara should have been sleeping too, Tove had reminded her more than once that growing cubs needed their rest, and Stellara had every intention of listening.

But the stars were awake, and when the stars were awake, it felt wrong not to greet them. So the young leopard cub sat near the edge of the cave, paws tucked neatly beneath her chest as cool mountain air stirred the pale fur along her neck. Above her, countless lights shimmered against a sea of black velvet. Some burned bright and steady. Others flickered softly, as though winking secrets to one another across impossible distances.

Her head was tilted upward, and for a long moment she simply watched. The stars had always made her feel small, but never lonely.

Stellara didn't remember much from before Velaris now. Whatever life had come before the meteor shower existed only as scattered feelings and unanswered questions. She couldn't recall faces or voices. Couldn't remember where she had slept or who had cared for her, she only knew she must have come from somewhere. Any fragments that had once existed gone beneath the fragile memory of a child.

But everyone came from somewhere. Sometimes she found herself wondering about that place, was someone searching for her. Wondering if the stars above had looked the same then as they did now.

Her tail swept softly across the stone as she returned her attention to the night sky, searching the constellations as though they might hold the answers. A streak of silver suddenly cut across the heavens and Stellara's breath caught. The glowing trail lingered for only a heartbeat before disappearing into darkness, but wonder bloomed instantly within her chest.

The Star Mother was speaking. At least, that was what she believed. Perhaps it wasn't a message meant for anyone in particular, maybe just a reminder. That she was here,

and she was loved.

—

A Familiar Moment

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 20:30:35 -0400

The sun was getting lower and lower towards the horizon. The land getting a bit cooler which each moment passing, but that didn't stop Crane from getting water from the nearby stream to help cool himself. Patrols were quiet with no issues, the hunters seemed to had a good hunt for the day, and all seemed to be well. For Crane, a day like this was greatly needed. It was a chance to get to know more of Ravorn's ways, as well as a chance to explore a bit.

It was a grand day for Crane, and he was about to cap off the day with a cooling drink. There was however, something that was catching his attention. There was a scent, faint, but easy to separate from the rest of the forest. There was something, familiar, about this scent. It was clear it was another wolf, and one of Ravorn at that, but something about it was different.

Crane traced the scent with silence, feeling it get stronger and stronger with every step he took. Before he knew it, a wolf of cream, white, and tan was standing before her. The scent was clearly coming from her, mixed with her own scent that reminded him of evergreen and willow trees. When the scent was strongest in his nose, it finally hit him what he was smelling.

Oh boy. This was either going to be a good thing or a bad thing for Crane.

figure you out

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 19:18:29 -0400

The first thing he noticed was that the pathways that wove through the land were too wide, they stretched through the ruins with deliberate purpose, broad enough that several wolves could walk abreast and still not fill them. Whatever had built this place had either been enormous or possessed a very strange sense of scale. Hermes padded along one of the ancient roads, mismatched eyes sweeping over weathered stone.

Every civilization left clues behind, most just buried them beneath enough mythology that nobody remembered what they were looking at anymore. A throne became a sacred relic, the road a pilgrimage route.

His gaze drifted toward the massive shape hidden behind curtains of mist, a throne? Or something that resembled one at least. Hermes found himself smirking, mortals had always been fond of assigning meaning to silhouettes; not that the gods were any better.

His paws carried him between fallen columns, their surfaces worn smooth by centuries of rain and wind. Here and there fragments of carvings still clung stubbornly to the stone, refusing to surrender completely to time. He was not unlike this place, once entire cities knew his name — now he wandered Mythris wearing a wolfs skin, chasing rumors and impossibilities. Searching for Zeus, for answers, for a reason gods seemed to be waking up in mortal bodies scattered across a world none of them recognized.

Because he didn't believe things 'just happened' no, something had brought him here, whether it was fate or the punchline to a cosmic joke remained to be seen. But alas, the ruins offered no answers.

—

I don't mind if you fuck up my life

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:50:24 -0400

Hatred pushed him further from home.

At least that was the lie he told himself, it was easier to call it hatred than admit what it really was. Easier to snarl when someone smiled at him than acknowledge the ache that settled in his chest every time he watched another family grow. Easier to convince himself he didn't care than wonder why everyone else seemed to find what had been stolen from him.

Dawnbreak was full of it lately.

New life.

New beginnings.

Tiberii was expecting pups among others, everywhere he looked there were hopeful conversations, excited whispers, and plans being made for futures that hadn't happened yet. Mothers with rounded bellies, fathers with pride shining in their eyes. Families building something together. And Monty hated it; and it wasn't because he hated them or hated what they were building. It was merely because he wasn't happy. Every announcement felt like someone was reopening an old wound and reminding him of everything he no longer had.

He remembered his family less with every passing season, their faces blurring around the edges, voices fading into fragments. Sometimes he caught himself struggling to remember the sound of their laughter, and that terrified him. So he grew angry, it was easier than grief. So much easier.

The bitterness curled around him like a second pelt as he wandered farther from the heart of the territory, putting distance between himself and the celebrations, the smiles, and endless reminders of what should have been. The forest was quieter here, trees didn't pity him, the rivers didn't offer sympathy. The wilderness simply existed.

His paws carried him without purpose, weaving through unfamiliar undergrowth while his thoughts gnawed relentlessly at old scars. What had he done to deserve being left behind? Why did everyone else seem to find their place? Why did the world keep moving as though his had never ended?

A sharp breath escaped him Pathetic he spat, dark ears flattening.

The truth was simple, for pain had long ago rooted itself so deeply inside him that he no longer knew where it ended and he began. Many would see his hostile face, a cutting remark here, his short fuse, they turned a blind eye to the boy still standing in the ruins of his life, staring at the empty den where his family should have been. But maybe it was for the best, he'd rather be hated than pitied. With a frustrated growl he would kick a stone from his path and continued forward, unaware of where he was going or what he hoped to find.

—

Words are hard, man

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 11:28:44 -0400

Ivandri had been teaching the boys how to speak as they aged, using her own voice as a key to unlock the vastness of a world Selkie might not have known existed had it not been for her. His mother did not speak, and though conversation between mother and child had not been stunted—thanks to his own keen eye for observation and the non-verbals—language with others remained a vast canyon that Selkie barely grasped.

He understood words.

He knew their meanings.

But to speak the words aloud himself felt like moving a boulder rooted to the ground.

It left him frustrated, as it did today.

His own body planted to the ground as he grumbled indignantly through sounds of his own displeasure. He turned away from his mentor and teacher, searching the shadowed forest to his right as if something in the trees could deliver him the answers his teeth struggled to grasp.

Selkie, he muttered, using his new name to identify himself, Mad.

Which was as close to annoyed as he could get.

He exhaled a long-awaited sigh from his nose.

Collector of Names

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 11:02:33 -0400

set after this thread

After meeting his new friend, New Selkie had returned home with a smile wrapped neatly atop his lips. His tail flagged high, and his eyes all but glimmered with some mischievous fascination just beneath their pale surface.

He felt good, New Selkie realized.

Completed in a way he would never have words to describe.

Is this what it felt like to be named? To hold a title to oneself so that all those around them can know who and what you were?

Selkie.

He was…Selkie.

He imagined the boy in his mind, how the mottled silhouette of darkened fur had held him and how his eyes had danced across his own as they talked. Or well, as Old talked. New Selkie tried to mimic that, for surely he would have to if he wished to keep..er—borrow his name indefinitely.

And so, New Selkie recalled the way the boy’s tail would wag between his legs, how his ears would perk atop his crown, and how his eyes would scan the territory he was in as they spoke.

He mimicked that as if he were a shadow ripped from the very body of the name he had stolen.

And with a smile, he let out a bark on the outskirts of his den—calling for his brother and mother to witness his new name!

I'm a sucker for Harmony.

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 09:24:40 -0400

Skill:

He had grown. Quite a bit actually. The boy had spent a great deal of time in the den with mother, barking, yipping, growling. He'd spent a bit of time with the one named Ivandri, she was kind and gentle, he liked her. The woman tried to teach them words and speech as she called it, but he liked his way of doing things better.

Today he could see the sun shining from the mouth of the den and he felt his stomach rumble, he didn't know how to hunt but he knew there was a stash of food that Ivandri kept nearby for them. It seemed she had left to hunt for them all as she wasn't there and there were fresh kills in the stash.

He took sharp teeth and ripped through flesh and fur to get to muscle and tendon, swallowing the meat he consumed as much as he needed and put the rest back for somebody else. Once he was done he easily took himself from the entrance and stepped into the bright morning beams.

They shone through the reaching thicket above, the arms of branches intertwining together to create tunnels for them all, but still allowing the light through a bit to create a rather pleasant atmosphere. The unnamed one smiled and yipped at the sun before padding away to start sniffing at the grasses and flowers.

As he disturbed the peace of the blooms he caught sight of a butterfly and chased after the fluttering thing for a while, prancing and skipping around in the thick hollow.

Herb Collector

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 01:13:14 -0400

The morning light was getting bigger and brighter with each minute in the day passing. The clouds were turning from dark and grey to hints of orange and white. Crane had a good rest, which helped with him needing to get up early for his new task.

It seems that life in a pack still had some quirks that Crane still wasn't used to. Patrolling, sparring, training, and now hunting. He was starting to get the hang of those. Now he was being asked to escort someone regarding herb collecting. Crane had never touched herbs in his life, and he would be last wolf you'd want to ask about plants. Crane just thought they were all the same apart from their smell.

Obviously he was mistaken, and now a wolf named Arduinna requested for help, and Crane was chosen to help her out. Waiting at the meeting point, Crane looked around at the plants before him. His curious mind began to ponder, if any of the plants he was looking at was useful to someone who needed herbs. Maybe this Arduinna was already a skilled wolf in this art, it was the only thing that made sense to have a wolf of no skill in herbs like Crane joining them.