Lagopus (Artic Fox) (Alopex Appert)

Alopex used to be a cook in one of the many high-end restaurants at Windwall. It paid well and it would be his dream job if it weren't for the fact that many were turned away because they couldn't afford to eat there, or really anywhere in Windwall due to the high prices put on everything. Unable to stand turning down those that needed him Alopex eventually left the restaurant he was working at to start his own called the 'Artic Eatery'. Here the prices would be fair and if one can't afford to eat they can always exchange a hard day's work for a meal or two.

Alopex didn't have too complicated of life growing up. He has always had a good heart and helps out those that struggled if he can. Because of this trait, growing up he had many friends and was constantly encouraged by them to follow his dreams. 

What were his dreams? Well, they were to cook food for others. This dream was born due to the fact that when people were full they always were more happy to him. A meal brought Animalian together and for a moment, when bellies were full and a good taste sat in the mouth, things felt right. He wanted to share this feeling with others so that for a moment, they could feel true peace.

Growing up he would constantly try to find new recipes and learn new skills from any cook he could find in his small, snow-covered town. However when he started to reach adulthood he found he had learned all he could in his town and with a bit of a friendly shove from his friends and family, he decided it was time to head out and push his skill farther by finding others to learn from. He traveled around for a few years learning under different chiefs until he eventually found himself in Windwall.

He had heard there were some very fancy restaurants at Windwall and wanting to finally put his skills to the test he attempted to get a full-time job at one of their many high-end restaurants. After a few rejections, he eventually got hired and excitedly wrote back to his family to tell them the great news. At first, everything was great, he was learning new things and the job paid well. However, he started to notice that more and more Animalian that were visiting Windwall were being turned away from the restaurant due to its high prices. 

Shrugging it off he figured that they could just go somewhere else, after all, they were tourists and should have some kind of funds right? There was bound to be somewhere they could afford to eat around town. That is what he chose to believe until one day there was a commotion in the main lobby. 

Some servers were attempting to pull a Foristeri guest out who was refusing to leave. They were kicking and screaming shouting that they needed something to eat and to please let them have something. They would take table scraps or help out in the kitchen, whatever they needed to get something to eat as everywhere else had turned them away as well. The servers beckoned Alopex to lend them a hand and he did so.

However, as everyone returned to the restaurant after throwing the loud guest out Alopex simply stood there looking at the Foristeri who was weeping on the ground as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. This was the exact opposite of what he had wanted to do when he had decided to become a cook. He wanted to bring joy and peace to others, not sorrow. He sat down next to Foristeri and after a peace offering that was Alopex's lunch they two Animalian talked.

He learned that the Foristeri had saved up her whole life to visit Windwall and be able to connect with their ancestors as, like all other Foristeri, they had origonated from this city. However having arrived at the city she found that what they had considered to be a small fortune of money was almost nothing here. Unable to make it back home on her rations she had tried to find anywhere that they would be able to afford something to eat but had been unable to. As Alopex's boss came out to tell him to get back to his job, Alopex knew what he had to do.

He quit right then and there and used all his savings to start his own restaurant. It wasn't easy, but with some help from his friends back home he managed to get the Frozen Fish up and running with the goal of never turning down anyone.

To this day his meals are relatively affordable and if someone comes in who doesn't have the funds for a meal he allows them to work for their food be it cleaning, cooking, or entertaining guests. His favorite saying is: A meal given for free isn't as tasty as a meal that one has worked for. 

His life isn't without strife thought. It's hard for him to afford to keep the place running with such the high costs in Windwall and if that weren't enough sometimes some of his co-workers and boss from his old high-end job will wander into the frozen fish and laugh at his cooking, berating him for using cheep ingredients and having cheep looking restaurant. He will defend the frozen fish every time they come, but sometimes once they leave the words will start to get to him. When he gets like this his server and good friend Neve seems to always find a way to cheer him back up.

1) If a PC (player character) wishes to play Alopex his call to adventure could involve the restaurant going bankrupt and him needing to find a new way to make money in order to open it back up. Perhaps adventuring as sometimes it pays well.

2) He could also feel the need to go and learn some new recipes from around the world so he could cook better, but cheaper dishes at the frozen fish. He would either leave the restaurant in another cook's hands in the meantime or perhaps shut it down for a little bit till he returns. During this time he could also make relations for new food vendors to get cheaper ingredients.

If there is no call to adventure Alopex will spend most of his life in Windwall trying his best to bring food and joy to others. He will never be rich or his cooking world renown, but he doesn't need that to be happy. No, he is simply happy by making others smile and bringing the joy that only food can bring. With his savings, he will sometimes even throw events where free food is served to anyone who needs it. From time to time he will join Neve in taking small trips to Frostreach where he will teach Neve's younger brother Nick how to cook. He enjoys teaching the young Foristeri and even has competitions with him to see who can make the best dish.

Main Outfit | Alopex can rarely be found without his Cheif outfit on. It consists of a dark blue cheifs coat with bronze buttons. He often has an ascot tucked into the tall collar of his shirt that he can use in a pinch to clean up messes, when he does so he will clean it before wearing it again. To the right (his right) of the ascot he will often wear a bronze pin that he got from his old job as a reminder of why he started the frozen fish. He has black pants and brown boots with gray souls. When cooking he will wear his cheifs hat but will take it off and keep it in the kitchen during normal day-to-day life.

He is a Lagopus and has ancient eyes. Basic species reference sheet can be found here. Please look at this for common errors people make when drawing this species.

Ideas for what you could draw him doing:

-cooking at the Artic Eatery

-talking with Neve after being made fun of by the higher class cooks

-teaching adventures how to cook any meal on the Artic Eatery menu

-smiling proudly on opening day at the Artic Eatery

-giving a meal to a rundown froid

-growling at the higher class cooks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6XwmEP4E8Y&ab_channel=hootowlzandpizza - a song about how he feels about wanting to make sure no one goes hungry. This song is sometimes sung during his free food events where he sometimes asks for donations to keep going.