Mer'Loptička 🔮

// T H E _//\\ V A L L E Y _//\\ B E L O W \\

Far below the floating island of Camouflage Forest, there are creatures called Shadow Stalkers. Vicious, seemingly mindless creatures who pace along shadow edges during the day. Their sunken eyes and glistening teeth snap and attack anything that moves or catches light. Night time releases these creatures from the boundaries of shadows. Then they are set loose to maraud the until the light of day or a rising full moon restrains them once more. While Calm Day found safety on the island, scouts, hunters, and herbalists must still climb down and visit theses dangerous shadowy lands. We call the non floating, ground level land, The Valley Below. As the pack grows, resources inside the forest dwindle. More and more trips to The Valley Below are required. It is a desolate place, fit only for the hardiest of herds and loners. While many other floating islands dot the horizon line, Scouts report that they are too small or inaccessible to provide shelter from Shadow Stalkers. Calm Day's island is unique, the forest is warm, lush, magical, dreamy, and hidden behind seemingly barren glaciers. The roots of the forest spiral together underneath the island's soil and rocks, and almost reach The Valley Below. Most other islands are just glaciers, or have dead roots that lead to a dead forest. There could be more islands further south, but is it worth the risk to leave the safety of Camouflage Forest and Calm Day? Thankfully, so far Shadow Stalkers have been too excited to leave the shadows edge to notice the roots are climbable. They not really the calculating type. Will Calm Day be able to stay hidden, despite needing to take more and more trips to hunt the herds and find certain herbs?

One night, after the Calm Day leaders returned from the Valley Below for the night, they hosted a discussion in the glade. It was close to a full moon, lunar detritus and glowing spores floated in the air. Wolves, raccoons, bears, fox, cats, and the innocent lunar creatures of the forest were all in attendance. Calm Day made sure every voice felt heard. Gossip had been spreading, concerning the many recently needed trips to The Valley Below. Chilling howls of Shadow Stalkers in occasionally broke through the trees. Foundlings in attendance shuddered at the reminders of their nights before they found the island.

"Our island may be one of the only habitable islands. We must remain unseen for the safety of us all. Keep pups away from the glaciers edge. No one is allowed to enter the root tunnels without permission."
"We need to be prepared to defend the island from intruders! We must kill Shadow Stalkers!"
"B-but, Calm Day provides protection for all those who seek it."
"Yes! We protect, we do not bury our strength and generosity. Pups share gnawing bones and we share our protection from The Valley Below."
"Fighting other wolves when there are Shadow Stalkers abound is barbaric nonsense!"
"Agreed, but what is it comes to that? We must be prepared!"
"Fools! There are hundreds of islands like these further south! The days are longer and more sunlight means less shadows!"
"Go then, if you are so sure and brave."

Just then, the voice of the leader broke through. "Enough division!" Her bark ruffled feathers and fur to attention. Ears swiveled backwards in shame and heads were dropped. "We have grown from humble and diligent roots. We believe in survival of the most cooperative. I need each and everyone of you, and I need to you need each other. I will aid the hunting parties and bring back more food and medicine. If another pack finds our island and isn't interested in an invitation to join this cooperative group, it will be dealt with." There was a long pause, and then howls of agreement. Most adults sullenly walked away to sleep in their dens, some younger pack members wandered off with lunar creatures, looking to play chase and be distracted. Mer'Loptička and her mate, Mrazivý Zû, walked out to the glacier's edge to take in the world around the floating island.

Mer'Loptička and her mate, Mrazivý Zû, walked out to the glacier's edge to take in the world around the floating island. "You know they're right." He whispered. "The island cannot afford for the pack to just grow continuously. How do you think those dead forests T'nox Zver and I have found came to be dead?"

Mer'Loptička laid down and rested her head on draping paws. Her water filled eyes looked down and out at the barren wasteland below. A large pack cannot survive down there, it cannot hide from the Shadow Stalkers. Yet, all there is to eat down there is large game, impossible to catch with only one or two wolves. It all felt like a sick game. "What would you have me tell them? Would you have me kick wolves out? Kill foundlings instead of raise them?" "No!" Mrazivý Zû practically barked, and then looked back to see if anyone heard. He would hate to give the impression the two of them were arguing. Sometimes it felt like their steady dispositions were the only thing holding the forest together. "No." He said again, more quietly. The two wolves watched the moon rise for a while. After they felt that most of the forest was sleeping, they went in search of T'nox Zver to discuss matters of the pack more logically.

B A C K G R O U N D

Mer'Loptička is the granddaughter of T'Loptička. T'Loptička was a warrior of remarkable strength, wolves say she was kissed by the moon as a pup. No one can say for sure, as T'Loptička was found as an adult by Dobré Nox. She had no memory of her past, but easily became a beloved member of the Calm Day pack. The pack was smaller in those times, and foundlings were much more common.

Thanks to stories from her grandmother, Mer'Loptička is well aware of the privileges that come with being born on the island, she tries to help other pack members understand how much harder things could be. She is dedicated to continuing the legacy of her grandmother's strength and kindness and has always acted accordingly. So, after Zver the beast passed, (he was the leader after Dobre Nox,) the pack chose Mer'Loptička to lead. Perhaps they missed the leadership of Dobré Nox and T'Loptička. Like those great foundlings, Mer'Loptička is calm and confident. She is always optimistic in even the most unlucky of situations. However, unlike those legacy leaving foundlings, Mer'Loptička has to manage a much larger pack, and some members have demands and ambitions growing beyond the safety of Camouflage Forest.

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