no one needs this many wolves
a tauren hunter on WRA with too many details thought up about her considering how infrequently she's rped. i've been playing her since '07, and she started as a male on thorium brotherhood, look how far we've come. i can be found on the twitter.
there's also a little info about another hunter i play, who started as the argent gruntling, got more fleshed out as a concept with the dutiful gruntling, and finally became her own character with the mag'har as a playable race. but she's not mag'har, because blizzard's explanation for it is stupid. she's just a frostwolf orc.
the hunter
Basics and History
Name: Ahotewa Farhoof, Wolf-sister
Name origin: Ahote is a male name in the Hopi Native American language, meaning “restless one”. Adding -a or -wa at the end of a name feminizes it in the tauren language (Taurahe).
Race: Tauren
Class: Hunter
Age: 51
Eye color: Gold
Height: 8'6"
Body shape: Lean and muscular
Birthplace: Somewhere in the Barrens
Residence: Frostwall Garrison
Ahotewa was born to a small tribe when they were in the vast plains of what is now the Barrens. The tribe during her childhood consisted of her family - her parents, an aunt, a grandfather, two male cousins, and a younger sister - and several unrelated individuals. They kept a modest herd of kodo, which perhaps made them a clearer target for the centaur. An unusually large group of them attacked the tribe when she was fourteen years old; they swept down on her family and the kodo herd, all resting in the heat of the day. The slaughter was swift and merciless, and all that saved Ahotewa was the fact that she had been out in the middle of the kodo herd, unseen by the attacking centaur. She quickly saw that the situation was hopeless, and all that would save her would be to forget her family and flee. Her kodo, the one she’d been raising from a calf, was next to her and more interested in staying close to her than stampeding with the others. She had no choice but to throw herself onto the kodo’s back and attempt to steer her away from the carnage. Some of the herd followed, the ones that could keep up and stay ahead of the centaur, and Ahotewa didn’t let them stop until they found their way to a nearby tribe, a much larger one that was happy to take her in, and was glad to have advance warning of such a large group of centaur. As far as she knows, her whole family perished in the attack. The kodo has stayed with her since then, though Potato (the kodo) is quite elderly by now.
She already had some experience as a hunter, and gained more with her new tribe, but it wasn’t until all the tribes came together under Cairne Bloodhoof that she really gained enough skill to go out on her own. She was twenty-three, still quite young for a tauren, barely an adult, when she completed her first organized training and moved on, out of Mulgore and back into the wider world. She has since been to all regions of Outland, Northrend, Pandaria, and Draenor, along with every corner of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. Her current home and favorite place to be is her garrison in Frostfire Ridge. It’s the first time she’s really been in charge of anything besides herself and her beasts, and she’s risen to the task admirably, feeling the same kind of possessive love and protectiveness for those in the garrison and her followers that she does for her animals, and for Thunder Bluff.
Appearance
A veteran of many battles, Ahotewa’s armor is practical (what some might consider plain) and well-cared for, most of it made with her own hands. Her primary weapon is a huge recurved longbow taller than she is, decorated with feathers, and armed with defensive blades at either end and protective plating over the grip. A quiver full of long arrows fletched with the same kind of feathers rides at her lower back next to a sheathed skinning knife.
Usually seen in green armor trimmed with wolf fur, Ahotewa can blend easily into most environments. The massive wolf skulls on her shoulders, belonging to two now-deceased companions, stand out a good deal more, often appearing to be hovering midair in darker settings, lit from within as they are by the crystals held in their jaws.
Physically, the numerous wars and battles she’s taken part in have left their marks on her. A grievous wound obtained at the Wrathgate took both her right eye and most of the horn on that side, as well as leaving her with a massive scar on her right leg. The edges of a fel-infused scar are visible on her left arm near the elbow, when she’s out of her armor to any degree. During active combat it’s covered by a rigid brace that helps her keep her arm straight while using her bow. She sometimes has a brace on her right leg as well, more often in cold, hot, or very damp areas. Her average movement speed isn’t very fast, and is a bit syncopated from her bad leg when she’s forced to move faster.
Her intact horn has a wide copper band on it, with orcish designs etched into the metal. Her dark mane is overgrown, usually dusty and caught in a long, messy braid that falls over her shoulder; several feathers are carefully bound into the tail of it, all from fairly large birds. A kodo tooth inlaid with turquoise hangs around her neck – all that she has left of her birth tribe.
Her affinity for wolves carries on to her companions; her primary mount is a shy blond wolf from Draenor, with a handcrafted saddle often laden with pelts and meat, and sometimes artifacts she’s dug up. Accompanying her most of the time, mounted or otherwise, are varying configurations of wolves and kodos. Depending on location and circumstance she often has a pale grey wolf pup with her as well, or a brightly-colored kaliri. More often she has a teenaged orc with her, learning the ways of battle and survival while also helping care for the wolves and set up camp each night.
Personality
As reticent and thoughtful as most of her race is, Ahotewa is nevertheless deeply interested in all the new peoples she encounters in her travels. Each unexplored land has races and creatures either totally new to her or familiar in appearance but not in much of anything else. She makes a dedicated effort to help and befriend everyone she can in each new land she visits, and learn all about the region in the process.
With so much time spent among so many different races, it was inevitable that she pick up bits of other languages. In addition to speaking fluent Taurahe and Orcish, she speaks conversational Zandali, Darnassian, and Common, the very basics of Thalassian and Dwarven, and a usable smattering of Draconic, Ravenspeech, Tuskaar, and a few others. As for written languages, she knows best the ones that use pictoforms or glyphs, due to their similarity to the ones her own people use. She can easily interpret almost a dozen “lesser” languages this way, which is useful when venturing through the territory of the corresponding peoples. She can also read the basics of several other written languages.
Ahotewa is always willing to help out strangers she comes across, but not generally prone to starting conversations. She prefers the company of her beasts, but will talk to anyone who talks to her first, for the most part. She seems visibly tense in urban settings, and leaves them as soon as she can to rejoin her pack in the wilds. She leaves them there not because they might hurt someone, but because they get overstimulated around so many people, which renders them less effective in combat.
Professions
The tauren as a culture venerate the hunt and strive to never waste anything given to them by nature, and Ahotewa lives by that concept every day. Humans, demons, and elementals, well, there’s not much she can do with those, but any animal she brings down is used entirely. Skins go towards crafting armor, whether she uses it personally or sells it so another can make use of it. Meat is much the same, being cooked into meals for herself or thrown raw to her pack of wolves. Bones are also used for cooking, kept as reminders (in the case of a noteworthy hunt), and given to the wolves to gnaw on. Additionally, while out in the wilderness, if she comes across a kill left by another person, she salvages what she can of the hide and meat.
Since exploring Pandaria, she has become quite adept at cooking more and more complex things, using a large array of ingredients from all over Azeroth and Draenor. It’s something to do in her downtime that can be shared with friends and companions of all shapes and sizes, and she’s never lacking in raw foodstuffs to work with. She’s not bad at fishing, either, though she and her animals have less use for fish than for other meats.
In her extensive travels, she has also found a knack for discovering lost bits of history, usually excavated out of the ground by hand or with help from a wolf or two. The relics (or pieces of them) that she finds end up carefully tucked away in a saddlebag, wrapped in scraps of fur to keep them from being broken any further.
Combat and Exploration
With one eye missing, Ahotewa has had to adapt, and so have her companions. She prefers her bow, and always has, and she’s still a crack shot in most situations. Having two wolves at her side in a fight isn’t terribly different from having one; she still aims for the head or any weak spots up above the level of her wolves. The wolves know when she’s having an off-day, too, and adjust accordingly, not leaping so high or darting around quite so much. Her bow has defensive blades on either end for when things get too close to her, as well.
When she was younger and less handicapped, she was also proficient with a spear, which was useful in closer quarters where a clean shot might not be possible. Now, though, her mobility is poor enough that it's safer for her to keep her distance.
An old pro at navigating by both sight and maps, Ahotewa has an unerring sense of direction. For the times when a map is out of date, or her internal compass doesn't account for sudden land changes or foes, her wolves can scout ahead for her, as can the small kaliri that often accompanies her. Her nose and her bones let her know when weather's coming, at least, so camp can be made and everyone gotten under shelter.
Tracking is, of course, a staple for any hunter's skillset. She started learning as a child, following individual kodo tracks in the midst of a herd. She might not be able to tell specifics the way certain rogues might — the height and boot size of the individual, for example — but she can tell approximate time, weight, and if the being is injured.
the pack
Kajika
Male | Companion | Auburn Draenor wolf
Name meaning : (Male) Walks without sound (Native language not identified)
One half of the primary team of wolves, flanking Ahotewa when they're not after prey. One of his lower fangs has a golden cap on it, from when he attempted to bite through some very sturdy metal armor.
"He walks noiselessly but he sure does growl a lot. Friendly growls, threatening growls, hungry growls, sleepy growls...."
Sayen
Female | Companion | Blonde Draenor wolf
Name meaning : Sayen (Female) means "sweet, lovely" in Mapuche.
The daughter of Ahotewa's two mounts, Sayen is the other half of the main team. She's bigger than Kajika, and quiet and shy compared to the other wolves of the pack.
Natosi
Male | Mount | Dustmane Direwolf
Name meaning : Sun god/spirit (Blackfoot tribe)
Rarely spotted in the wild to the point of being more myth than fact, Ahotewa was lucky enough to spot this skittish and fleet-footed wolf on the plains of Nagrand. It took several days of patient waiting, with bits of meat left out in the open, progressing to entire talbuk carcasses, before he finally came willingly to her. It was several more days before she had crafted a harness and saddle that would be comfortable for him, and even longer before he would accept her on his back. Now he is a core member of the pack, in spite of or perhaps due to his size. He is Sayen's father, as well, and adores her.
"Cautious even by direwolf standards, the dustmane can only be coaxed to ride with something it considers special."
Dezba
Female | Mount | Prestigious War Wolf
Name meaning : Name origin: "Dezba" is a Navajo word meaning "going to war".
This wolf joined Ahotewa's pack during her time in the Broken Isles, and is Sayen's other parent. Natosi and their daughter are the only ones she gets along with well; Kajika is mostly beneath her notice, and the others usually get snapped at if they get too close. She's not allowed into places with other people, due to her tendency to bite.
Her armor is hand-crafted by Ahotewa, and the bulk of it is hardened leather over a strong frame of bone, with bone spikes on the key pieces.
Halag'da
Female | Squire and friend | Frostwolf Orc
This young orc from Draenor began accompanying Ahotewa after she saw the hunter during the defense of Wor'gol. She was interested in seeing more of the world and learning more, and Ahotewa was grateful for someone to talk to and help around camp.
Halag'da and her own wolves have since been neatly folded into Ahotewa's pack, and though she has enough experience now that she could be out on her own, she prefers to stay with the pack.
Leda
Female | Companion | Shadowmoon Stalker
This wolf is still an adolescent, just like her mistress. She's a little high-energy, but this suits her in combat, where she's in close quarters with the axe-wielding Halag'da. It also allows her to annoy Dezba by simply existing, though she's also nimble enough to avoid getting snapped at.
She enjoys shoving her entire head inside of fresh kills, and then immediately jumping on her mistress for kisses.
Vargus
Male | Mount | Ironside Warwolf
Vargus is the only wolf to have passed inspection from the rest of the pack, as the most recent member to join. Halag'da returned home for a visit with Ahotewa and the pack in tow, and when they left this big soft boy came with them. He guards the camp at night, often while the other wolves are out for a night hunt.
Malsum (deceased)
Female | Companion | Dark brwn. Draenor wolf
Name meaning : The word "Malsum" simply means "wolf" in the southern Wabanaki languages.
Malsum was formerly Kajika's mate, and they made an even better team than the current one. She was, unfortunately, slain in the Battle for Lordaeron. She was severely wounded, and was unfortunately right in the middle of the initial blight zone. Kajika had been wounded too, and Ahotewa had to make an agonizing choice: possibly lose both wolves, or save the one not in the blight. She went back afterwards with a protective mask to claim the body. Her skull is one of the two that often grace Ahotewa's shoulders as protective armor.
Ironjaw (deceased)
Male | Companion | Brown/grey classic worg
The very first wolf companion Ahotewa ever had, Ironjaw still holds a special place in her heart. He died of old age years ago, safe and toasty next to a roaring fire in the Draenor garrison, while Ahotewa was fortunately off-duty and with him.
His skull is the other one she wears on her shoulders, and shows its age; a couple of the teeth are worn down to nubs, and one fang is cracked, all of them yellow and dull.
extended pack
Potato
Female | Mount | Brown Kodo
Potato is one of Ahotewa's oldest companions, having come with her from the Barrens after her tribe was attacked; the kodo is the only one from their herd that survived due to being exceedingly quick on her feet and more interested in fleeing than trying to attack the marauding centaur.
She is named with the Common word for potatoes, both for her lumpy brown hide and because Ahotewa heard the word somewhere and liked how it sounded.
She'll eat any food put in front of her; cooked, uncooked, vegetables and fruit and bread and meat and fish. She's eaten cookies, chocolate, and ice cream. She's even had alcoholic drinks; most notably was the time she slurped up an entire Sulfuron Slammer.
Gifted to Ahotewa specifically for Potato by an elderly shaman, the kodo wears an amulet made from a hawk skull which may or may not be imbued with the shaman's far sight, to counteract the kodo's naturally poor vision. It seems to work, anyway. It is tied to Potato's smaller horn at all times, except for when the leather cord gets worn out from the elements and needs to be replaced.
These days, the elderly Potato hangs out in and around Thunder Bluff, carrying lighter loads and licking small children. Ahotewa visits whenever she can, and has strict orders laid down for someone to get a message to her if Potato falls ill or seems headed for death.
Eyanosa
Male | Companion | Wooly kodo
Name meaning : (Male) Big both ways (Sioux)
A now hulking kodo bull, Eyanosa was found as an injured calf and nursed back to health. His favorite way to greet Ahotewa and anyone she considers a friend is to lick their face with his huge tongue, a habit picked up from Potato.
Currently he serves as pack animal when Ahotewa and Halag'da need to move camp a long way or transport a lot of goods. The rest of the time he merely accompanies them, acting as a large deterrent to anything threatening camp while the hunters are away, and as a large piece of home for Ahotewa.
