Kills for Thunder

(This post is dedicated to my new character in werewolf.)

Born and raised near the finger-lakes, Kills for Thunder was always the premier wolf. He was the strongest, toughest, and usually fastest of his kind. He could kill things that an entire pack would struggle to bring down, his senses were sharp, and his instincts were always spot on. He knew humans were watching him, he would see them sometimes. They stayed away. It was good, for the storms followed him, they always did, they watched over him he though, and unlike most other wolves, he did not fear the loud roars of thunder, or the flash of thunders rage. He hunted in those very storms, used them as cover, used the wet mud to track when the scent turned wet, used the crashing rain and roars of thunder to silence his approach. He was a warrior and a hunter, but he had no pack. The packs feared his ways, feared his dark coat, feared his great strength. Alpha's would turn there throats to him, but as he asserted himself, the remainder of the new pack would disband and move elsewhere. He was too strong to be leader, he was too feared. But always he wanted a place, wanted to use his strength for the other wolves, wanted to find some way to put his great powers to use. The day came. There was the thunder that came with man, and roars of metal, breaking wood, and the smell of fire. Kills for thunder found himself being chased by the men. They used fire and thunder to try and strike fear into him, they cornered him, they threw great webs on him and beat him with sticks. He would not bark, and he did not growl, he did nothing, for he saw what the others did not, he saw the clouds roll in, he felt the rain come down, and then he heard the sound of battle. Thunder roared out for action, and Kills for thunder responded with a rage and power he had never known. He did not know the number that he killed that day, but he only knew that it was they that ran from him, feared him, and were beaten and killed by him. He was the strongest, even greater than man. He was garou.

The shadowlords collected him shortly after his change, having followed his progress for some time. Kills for Thunder was given a great deal of training, and it became evident that the other Shadow Lords did not always want him present, specifically when the other garou had to talk over there politics. His training was intense, he was taught a great deal about words, about the world of man, about strange politics, strange behaviors, and what was expected of him. But what he was taught that he truelly believed in, was that the great spirit that watched his tribe was Grandfather Thunder. This he knew, this he had always known. Even though his ways were slightly different and rustic for the tastes of many of his tribe, he was given respect. His moon sign was the full moon, the sign of warriors, and he was said to have been blessed by grandfather thunder with blood and ancestry of a once great and powerful hero of his tribe. He also found out that he was rare. The wolves of his tribe were scarce, and were not looked highly upon because of the Shadowlords mastery over garou politics. The wolves were not nearly as vocal, and simply did not understand some of these ideas. Still, the wolves had there place, and the wolves under the full moon could prove to the other tribes that the shadowlords had there own warriors, warriors that could rival that of the war tribes. This was what he was meant for, he would prove to his tribe that he could be competent, he could be honorable, and he could gain glory for the betterment of his tribe. More importantly, he had a place, he would have a pack, and would use his strength to make that pack the most feared and respected pack the caern had ever seen.

(Alot of the specifics on the rite of passage i'll post next time, as well as a little bit more fleshing out. Below is some other info that might be usefull)

His attributes and what they mean -
-His strength is nearly beyond measure, and he his easily the equal of the strongest man or wolf he would ever meet. Whats more is that his strength doesnt give out easily, it is something he can maintain, something that doesnt fade with excercise or battle. As far as his nimbleness goes, he is probably average for a wolf, nimble by a mans standard, but too much bulk and muscle to go to the lengths that some smaller and leaner wolves could go. His physical stamina is on par with his strength, allowing him to sustain damage that could kill a lesser, and shrug off falls, traps, bullets, and fights without much difficulty. Also, he never tires, his body simply refuses to feel the pain of fatigue, as it never registers in his bestial mind.
-Socially he is not as skilled. He still cant manipulate his words very well, and with his limited vocabulary ends up coming off a bit too honest for most shadowlord standards. His appearance is grim and intimidating, but he is neither attractive nor unattractive for a member of his breed. His one social grace is his charisma, his sway over others by simply being present. It undoubtedly has to do with his great physique, but also with how he carries himself. He is proud, to be feared, and powerful. This shows in his presence.
-Most would think that mentally he is deficient, but that is simply not true. His lupus mind is sharp and fast, and he is capable of following conversations, understanding quick clues and ques, or thinking on the fly with little difficulty. His senses are also sharp, also because of him being a lupus. He can sense smells, tracks, and simply understand his own gut instincts well enough to deal with his surroundings. Finally, his mind is not slow, though it is no faster than a normal man or wolves. He is by no means very smart, but in the same way he is not at all dumb. He has much to learn, but he has the capacity to do so.

Abilities and what they mean -
-His talents are his natural inborn abilities, and this is what he knows the most of. As far as warriors go, there are only a few that could stand against his natural instincts as a warrior. Some would argue that martial arts and learned boxing are a match for a lifetime of knowing how to kill, claw and bite. The would be wrong. In a way, natural fighting to him is a martial art, a way of mixing survival instincts, with fighthing instincts, with gut instincts. Raw power can only go so far, and it takes practice, instincts, or incredible training to reach the levels that he has reached. It should be noted also that he has the basic instincts, athletic build, and intimidating demeanor common to most of his breed, though some of these areas are honed to a finer point. He is not as alert as most wolves would be, mostly due to the fact that he was used to dulling his senses with rain and storm during his hunts, do never realied on that particular ability much.
-His trained skills are alot like his talents, less trained and more learned. Being a wolf who basked in the storms that ravaged the nearby lands from time to time he developed natural instincts for shelter, tracking and general survival. Few if any would be his equal on surviving in natural hostile areas. He also has some of the make up of a leader, though he never truelly practiced it. His demeanor and past simply give him the tools he would need to be assertive should his leadership be required. He also understands how packs and the unity within are supposed to work, so this gives him at least a small understanding on leadership itself. Finally, he knows how to hunt, and sometimes, how to be silent. Some game is simply too big or fast to chase down, and only by stalking close to the prey can it be taken down.
-His knowleges were almost all trained by the shadowlords. The lords spoke to him of the old tales and legends, told him of ancient stories of his people, of the ways of the garou. He had a mind for the ritualistic nature of garou society, and picked up enigmas and riddle games early on as a way to open his mind to the prospect of language and some more complex human ideas. The occult was taught in the ways of old stories and vague tales.

Backgrounds and what they mean -
He is constantly shadowed by a great ancestor spirit, a wolf nearly as big as he is, with a heart as dark as Grandfather Thunders great clouds. The wolf hasnt spoken too him at great length, but has been appearing more and more as he learns about the garou ways.

Gifts and what they mean -
Hares Leap - While in the spirit world, early in his travels, Kills for thunder met the spirit of a small hare. He chased the spirit all over, never tiring, and eventually cornered the hare. The small spirit begged to be spared, and told Kills for Thunder it would teach him the great secret of the mountain hares leap if he would be mercifull. Kills for Thunder agreed and accepted the spirits wisdom.
Razor Claws - Many of the garou warriors seen by Kills for Thunder carried great weapons, but he himself did not have the mind or grace to wield them well. His ancestor came to him and told him to seek out a wolf in the spirit world, and tell him the ancestors name. Kills for Thunder did this, and the wolf told him that a wolves weapons were more powerful than man, and would teach him a gift on how to make his claws as sharp as any weapon.
Fatal Flaw - Kills for thunder saw many garou that were powerful, many that had abilities that were alien to him. These garou seemed stronger than he was, and he began to fear if perhaps he was weak. His ancestor came to him and told him to go in the umbra and find the spirit of a great storm cloud. Kills for thunder did this, seeking out a great storm cloud in the spirit world. He rose his voice to the clouds, and asked them if he was weak. They struck him with lightning and threw him with thunder. He did not die. The clouds told him he was not weak, but that most others were. They said that if you looked beyond there rage, and into there spirit, you could see where they were weak. Kills for Thunder asked for this power, and the spirits showed him.

(Ok, that pretty much does it for now. I'll have a more detailed background next time, but this lets people kind of see where i'm going with him.)