Barley

Birthday
October 12th/April 12th
Sexuality
Aro/Ace
Gender
Male
Sex
AMAB

Purchased traits
None
Size class
Large
Weight class
Lanky

Plot Death
Yes
Alt
Crushed by unstable building on the farm
Appearance
Barley is a long-legged gryphus with long black feathers that sprout from the back of his head and six that sprout from his gluteal muscles. He has a short yet fuzzy tail that sits between the set of six feathers, with a darker tip and a lighter underside. All four paws consist of bird-like dew claws and are fully black, a gradient going up from his ankle the half-point of his leg. His ear tips are coated in a russet color as well as the stripe that goes from his shoulders to his hind legs. Barley’s face, neck, and underbelly is an off-white with a darker off-white stripe going from the top of his head, down his neck, and splitting off at the shoulders. The darker-off white creates a barrier between the copper-brown and the lighter off-white. His eyes are a light blue, with bright orange surrounding them and connecting to his beak. The beak itself is a light grey with a yellow nostril cere between the beak and the face.

Nestling-Fledgeling
Barley’s first memory was the blinding glint of sunlight, his limbs heavy and warm. He remembers feeling his sister, Cassava, close by. Her wiggly form caused him to squirm in turn at having his first nap interrupted. He hatched in the comfort of the farm house, in a room with a large window and in a comfortable nest of blankets and fabrics. The land had been in the family for generations, with dozens of nestlings like himself being hatched and housed in the same exact spot as him and his sister. Barley was born in the mists of war, their home being of great importance to the war efforts in the west. They grew crops for Gryphus and livestock alike, even sometimes exporting to their allies, the Dromaeus. But for now, Barley didn’t care, all he cared about was how his rowdy nestmate wouldn’t let him sleep in peace. Most of his time as a nestling was spent sleeping(or at least trying to) and playing with Cassava and their older brother Pimento. Pimento had been the clutch before them, almost 2 years older. He had taken up the title of “babysitter” when their parents were away. More often than not Barley’s parents, Buckwheat and Amaranth, were out working the fields. The war doesn’t stop for two hatchlings ya know. As they grew, Pimento started to teach them more and more about how to be true Gryphus. He even tried to teach them to fly as fledgelings. Barley truly loved his siblings, relying on Pimento for advice and guidance more so than his own parents. He and his sister hardly ever saw the war in this time of their lives, left to play till their heart’s content.

Sub-adult
When Barley and his sister would get home from school, he’d often help his parents on the farms. While his parents worked the field, Pimento would teach them the ropes of proper planting, watering, and growing of plants. He also taught them how to have fun while they worked, turning the chores into games to help them be more engaged in their family’s legacy. When it came to flying, Barley preferred to keep his paws on the ground. He loved to watch his siblings soar above the ground, as he’d try and keep up on foot. He found a certain joy with running through the fields after them. When he felt the wind in his feathers and the dirt kicking up beneath his paws, he’d wish this feeling could last forever. But good things never last. Barley and Pimento were out playing in the field while watering the crops when a loud cry had rung through the air. A party of Hippus had come to attack the farm, lighting buildings and crops on fire in an effort to halt the Gryphus’ food supply. As things started to catch flame, Pimento led Barley and Cassava to hide while the others defended. As the battle raged on, Barley could only huddle closer to Cassava as they heard the battle cries of Hippus and Gryphus alike. The family was lucky that there was a Gryphus soldier camp nearby to hear the commotion and interfere before the entire place was burned to the ground. By the time the fight was over and the flame put out, the sun had peaked over the horizon, illuminating the destruction that had been routed on their home. The damage was devastating, most of the crops that had been growing strong not hours before were reduced to a blackened ash. The granaries, tool shed, even the barn were reduced to piles of smoking ash. The only remnants of their home were the foundation stones, that of which had been laid so many generations before. Cassava was the first to notice their parents. Their father’s feathers covered in soot, with minor scratches down his body, the crimson standing out against the darkened fur. He was with their mother, who was limpless beside him, her body wrapped in bandages. Even with them, you could still see the scars that riddled her broken body. For the days to come, Barley stayed with his mother as the others tried to mend their broken home, one stone at a time. He remembers watching her wither away with every passing day. After one week, she passed away. Barley was there to hold her paw as life left her, her pale eyes staring at the bright sky above. “It’s a beautiful day.” She whispered. And like that, she was gone. That night, Pimento had left without a word. In the span of just one day, he lost his mother and his guardian. He was broken, but he needed to push on for them. As time went on, he’d watched Cassava become numb to the world, and their father grow as bitter as yarrow. Buckwheat’s memory of Pimento was laced with anger, as he spat cruel insults as his eldest son’s abandonment. As time passed, the very thought of Pimento seemed to fade from the people. No one dared to speak his name. Any mentions by Barley or Cassava were met with silence. When the truce had been laid, it felt like the aftermath of a flood. It was over, but it would never be the same.

Adult
Barley had delved into his work on the farm, knowing that it’ll be a long while till the farm could stand as tall as it once had. As he looked around at the progress they’ve made, he began to realize how unfair it all was. How decades of progress can be erased within a single day. But he had no time to lament on the past. He and Cassava’s job now was to bring their home back to its former glory. Their father had retired from his work, his scars and age proving too much for him to continue the hard labor. While he couldn’t help them in the fields, he continued to give them advice on how best to do things. It was a very hard spring, tilling the charred soil, scavenging for seeds, he was just glad to have Cassava by his side. He dreaded the stone wall that lies at the end of the field, with every row it just seemed to get farther and farther away. Despite that, they made amazing progress, at least they’ll have something for harvest instead of ash.

Every once and a while, when Barley would be tending to the crops, or running through the field, he would be reminded of Pimento. He often wondered what became of him, why he had left in the first place. Maybe he’ll come back someday. Perhaps he’s just nervous? Perhaps he thinks he won’t be welcomed, that he would be despised for leaving. While, technically it was true, Barley and Cassava still loved him very much. He thinks about it often, and wonders what would’ve happened if he had caught him the night he snuck out. Perhaps he would’ve stayed, or maybe even asked Barley to join him, or he still would’ve left. He wished that Pimento at least told them why. While the truce held true, he became more curious about the promise of an open world. They had started to run dry of materials, leaving him with the option of exploring the markets out there. While Northern markets had decent supplies, Plains markets would no doubt have a much larger variety in seed and equipment. He had always been apprehensive of the thought of leaving the place he’d always known, yet excited by the prospect of discovery. Either way, he knew that Cassava would have his back, and that they could go anywhere they wanted. Barley just hoped they might find Pimento out there too.

As the world changed around them, the truce breaking and the promise of war on the horizon, Barley started to take more notice of things happening around his home. His sister was gone more often, his father was a lot quieter than normal. The roo used to take solitude in the night, the fields littered with sprouts, but now he can't help but fear what it brings. The things hidden in the darkness that seek to harm those he loved. It happened during the ending of winter, as they were readying for the planting season to start. There was a Northern official of sorts that had come to their door, they asked the number of residence and occupation. Barley didn't catch everything, but he heard enough. Something about the higher-ups seeking to double down on getting new recruits, that their little family could spare one and still have enough paws to get the job done. He couldn't bear it, the shock of the situation nor how compliant his father was. Even after trying to convince his father that it wasn't fair, Buckwheat snapped at the taller roo, calling the younger gryphus' loyalty into question. After that, he simply stopped speaking to his father. It took a few days for Barley to collect himself again, his mind scattered with emotions that swelled up inside. A week after the argument under the light of a waning moon, he'd made his choice. He'd make his own decisions, take his life into his own paws. With only a small sack and his friend Salty by his side, he left through a small window in the bedroom he shared with Cassava. It hurt him more than anything to know what'll happen to him, that he'd be disowned and forgotten just like Pimentos. But if being outcast from his own family was what it took to keep his sister from going to war, he'd do it without a second thought.

He found that the Plains kingdom would likely be his best bet, the grain he's used to growing wouldn't thrive well in the Rainforest kingdom, and he didn't think the Mountains were safe from the North's influence, nor could much of anything grow on it's infertile terrain. Besides, it was probably going to be the only place that'd feel even somewhat like home, and even if he wasn't, he could always pretend that it was.

Elder
N/a

KIN AND CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS:

OTHER:

RP'S PARTICIPATED IN:

Height
91 cm
Length(W/ Tail)
TBA
Length(W/out Tail)
TBA
Weight
TBA
Wing Span
TBA
Average MPH(On foot)
TBA
Average MPH(In flight)
TBA

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Trivia

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