. . . . ╰──╮ General Info╭──╯ . . . .

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Group: The Ignited Ones

[https://sites.google.com/view/theignitedones/introduction-guide?authuser=0]

Name: Jericho

Nickname[s]: N/A. 

Gender: Male

Age: 2 Years | Young Adult

Species: Halfling

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Height: TBA

Weight: TBA

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Faction: Unnamed

Rank: N/A.

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Primal Force: Sunwaker

Skills: Evasion, hunting, trap-setting, tracking, agility, speed

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Mate: N/A...

Kin: N/A...

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. . . . ╰──╮ Theme/Moodboard╭──╯ . . . .

Note: I do not consider him an outright "villain" as the music implies, but I do feel many of the music here feels fitting for his character. 

. . . . ╰──╮ Physique Notes:╭──╯ . . . .

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Jericho, as a Halflin,g, has a long, lean body with thin, but muscular legs earned from Zhur genes, with long canines like that of a Worg. He is little smaller than an average-sized wolf, with most of his height being the result of his spiked, exaggerated mane. His fur is spiked and unevenly pointed, starting with a "emo-like" hairstyle and tapering off down past his shoulders. Colors include pale, smoky purple hues and a darker, pale brown shade for an underbelly and paws. Markings on his body consist of ticking and stripes down his back and socked gradients on his legs. He has characteristic "tear" markings on his eyes, reminiscent of washed mascara. His eyes are sharp and a very pale seafoam green color, and nose a brownish-red clay color. He is made up of mostly scruffy, sharp shapes, from the bend of his "bangs" to the slight downward kink in his tail, which is not always noticeable. His body also has many scars from multiple encounters with predators and prey alike... some from being stupid. 

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. . . . ╰──╮ Background╭──╯ . . . .

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Jericho’s story began in a family densite hidden amongst snowy hills in Animus. He was amongst a litter of 3, with a doting mother and protective father. His mother was a Zhur, and father a Worg. The couple had ventured from their respected Clans to begin life anew in the tundra, having set a small camp to call home. The pups were born on a very cold, but very peaceful night. The pups were the defining future for the couple, their legacy and their dreams of contributing to their dying world. There was an enormous amount of hope clinging to these little pups’ lives.

At approximately 6 weeks old, Jericho and his siblings were only beginning to start leaving their den. Life was peaceful. Rarely were there any threats, at least aside from passing Beasts, creatures Jericho had come to understand were not only prey, but predators. Often, Father would venture over the distant hills, returning with food, hides, and other materials to create tools and bedding. Mother was always nearby, watching the den and ensuring the pups were safe from danger. 

Unfortunately, the family’s peaceful life was shortly lived, for one unsuspecting afternoon, figures emerged from a distant hill. At the moment, in pure innocence, Jericho would not be able to predict the gruesome outcome of this day. Jericho and his brothers were hastily ushered into the den by a frantic Mother, and as the pups nestled into the presumed safety of their burrow, they could hear a lone and eerie howl.

A greeting, a sound that was followed by a chilled silence and the whistling of the wind. The lack of an answer was not something the pups understood yet. They could hear the directive barks of Father telling mother to lead someone from the den, before the terrifying snarls and squeals of strangers and their parents outside began. Looking back now, Jericho knew that the echos of crunching and splattering must have been bone and blood. He could hear wheezed and gurgled gasping outside the den, the hiss of suffering whines. 

At one point, when one of his brothers, Juno, approached the den entrance, an enormous maw pushed into the den and grabbed the poor pup by the head and dragged him out. Moments later, as the shrieks of the brother’s pained cries cut through the air, followed by a crunch. Jericho and remaining brother Han, remained shivering in terror together before began another onslaught. Lightless Ones’ claws pulled at the earth around the entrance, trying to create a wider opening. Eventually it was just enough for one to outstretch a paw, and the pitiful shrieks of Han pierced Jericho’s ears as the brother was dragged mercilessly out of the den. Jericho could only watch in horror the entrance of the den as another paw made an attempt to grab him. A paw outstretched, and in his panic to back himself into the back of the den, he slipped, and claws scraped nastily across his hind leg. By the grace of ancestors, he managed to wriggle into a tiny niche in the back of the den. He was only able to press himself against the back of the burrow just enough out of reach that after minutes of attempts on the Lightless One’s claws to dig him out, eventually, silence befell the air. Not daring to even check to see if the monsters were gone, Jericho only curled up in the back of the den, praying that this was merely a horrible nightmare. 

For days, the little pup remained unmoving - cold, hungry, and plagued with a sickening fear and the suffocating grip of grief, Jericho awoke to the sound of a voice calling into the den. Terrified of a stranger, he remained still, and half-expected to be torn from the cold, frozen den to be devoured supposedly like his brothers. He had not even dared to see if his parents survived, and a sinking feeling told him that nobody would be coming for him, which made this stranger a threat. 

“Mother and Father will be back…” he attempted a deterrence. “They won’t like you being here…”

The figure looked towards the stained snow surrounding the family camp. Supplies strewn about, spears snapped and bloodied. Paw prints scattered across the patch of land were red, trails indicating the fight had been chaotic. Nearby, pieces of what he could only presume to be the remains of the pup’s family, littered across the camp. The parents had put up a valiant fight. 

“I think you know they aren’t comin’ back, kid…” the voice held a solemn note. A choice befell the stranger, and he finally sighed. When the pup’s silence followed, he continued. “You’ve got two choices. Stay here and die a slow and painful death from cold and starvation, which I tell you, it won’t be quick… Or you can come out, and survive. I have food.”

With the trumpeting of a growling belly, Jericho couldn’t resist the offer. He emerged from the den to meet this individual, a rugged and scarred Zhur by the name of Jett. Jett promised Jericho that he would take him to a camp of Ignited Ones who would protect him. Jett tried to save the young pup the image of his family’s mangled and unrecognizable bodies strewn across the family campsite, but unfortunately, little Jericho could not avoid glancing in dread, and his tears froze against his cheeks as he trudged along after the Zhur. 

The trek across Animus’ tundra was a long and grueling journey for the young Halfling. First stopping at the Zhur’s personal camp some miles away to eat and recuperate before moving on. Jericho was silent for the first part of the trek, but eventually began to open up to Jett, asking questions, and receiving education on how harsh the land was to its inhabitants. Jett was rough and coarse, but equally smart and well-known of survival strategies. Jericho came to look up to him as the weeks went by, learning from him about hunting, fishing, and evasion of danger. 

Seeing anything resembling “civilization” was jarring to Jericho. The camp Jett had brought him to was made up of a band of Zhurs and Worgs working together to form a community. They had built walls, had enough individuals to set posts, and it seemed there was no shortage of food and proper care for the needy. Jett seemed to have a “lady friend” stationed here, and she took to Jericho quickly. The Ignited Ones here were nice, and overall, this would be deemed a perfect place for Jericho to be raised. 

Except, there was one problem. 

“You mean, you’re not going to stay?” Jericho asked Jett. 

Jett made it clear that he “didn’t do well with folks”. Jett told him that it was “for the best” that Jericho remained here, to be cared for and looked after. He tried to explain that he could never look after a pup like this community could. Jett’s lady friend, Letta, tried to explain to the pup that Jett was… not a clan follower, and that he was only doing what was best for Jericho. The pup felt distraught. 

When Jett made his leave the following morning, Jericho chased after him before Letta could do anything to stop him. Jett hadn’t reached the next hill when Jericho cried after him. Jericho stumbled into Jett’s paws, crying in panic, “I can’t lose you, too! I’ll go with you! I’ll learn to hunt, and learn to fish, and - and… and I’ll be useful! Please, just don’t leave me!”

Jett was left with another decision. Reluctantly, but secretly touched, the male finally agreed that he would adopt the boy. He raised Jericho into his second year. He taught Jericho how to hunt, to trap, and to hone basic skills that would prove useful in survival. Jett was a rough parental figure, but he never denied he loved the boy. It was nice having the company, and serving a purpose to someone’s life rather than aimlessly sustaining his own. 

Unfortunately, an accident led to Jett’s passing in the middle of Jericho’s second year. Once again, Jericho came face-to-face with a familiar threat. Lightless Ones caught the scent of a kill he had made, luring a pair to Jericho’s location. In an attempt to save the youngster, Jett sacrificed his own life in causing a mountainside collapse, taking himself and the Lightless Ones, into a ravine. Jericho barely escaped with his life, and suddenly, was left alone. It was a feeling all too familiar to the loss of his family. 

Jericho adopted Jett’s mindset on society. Too much noise attracts unwanted attention, and now roams Animus on his own, having adopted a “lone wolf” mentality of a lifestyle. He is a successful young male, but still has a lot to learn. 

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. . . . ╰──╮ Canon Events:╭──╯ . . . .

This will be a chronological order of events Jericho experiences. This will be updated as I complete RPs, collabs, and officialize headcanons via art/literature with him.

. . . . ╰──╮ Relationship Tracker:╭──╯ . . . .

This will be a chronological order of which Jericho meets other characters. This will be updated as I complete RPs, collabs, and officialize headcanons via art/literature with him.