Mouse

PERSONAL INFORMATION :

Full Name: Mouse

Name Origin: a small rodent

Nickname(s): The Spider of Breakwing Bush

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 8 years (March/September 16th)

Gender: hen

Sex: amab

Orientation: bi

Species: Harpy

Species Combination: White Bellbird x Siamang Gibbon

[Procnias albus/Symphalangus syndactylus]

Rank: Labourer

Occupation: Paddlefoot

Kingdom: Rainforest

APPEARANCE :

Mouse has starkly contrasting white and black plumage that stands up in tufts around her head and at her elbows. Her arms are very long, even for a harpy, and she usually gesticulates wildly with them while speaking. While her voice is usually low and soft, even when she’s angry, it could shake an avus’s brain loose if raised. Whenever she speaks louder than her usual barely-more-than-a-whisper, she can inflate her pink throat pouch which usually is only visible as a patch of featherless skin on her neck to amplify her voice even further.

Size Class: Medium

Height: 90cm/2’11’’

Wingspan: 154cm/5’

Weight Class: Lanky

Purchased Traits: Scarring on chest and left shoulder

PERSONALITY :

Traits:

Positive: Laid back (outwardly), Nurturing, Accepting, Compassionate

Neutral: Very sarcastic, Ambitious, Reclusive, Self-reliant, A little sensitive

Negative: Emotionally distant, Secretive, Explosive (when pressed)

Likes:

People: Her family

Food: Poultry, Fresh fruits, Spicy food

Activities: Singing by herself

Other: Being alone on the water, Poleaxes, Bows

Dislikes:

People: Nosey, Unscrupulous

Food: Watery vegetables, Bland food

Activities: Swimming

Other: Complacency (in herself)

BACKSTORY :

Nestling (0-6 months old):

Mouse was born near a town called Haarsand on the eastern coast of the Rainforest Kingdom to a family of three. One of her fathers and her mother were ranchers, raising all kinds of animals on the fertile pastures of the area, while her remaining father was a fisherman who practically farmed the ocean between the mainland and Shell Isle. Mouse also remembers having a sibling, but their name has long since vanished from her mind to her infinite shame and sadness.

Their home was a simple one, built on the ground rather than in the trees, with a variety of flowers growing on the grassy roof. The family kept a large herd of cattle, but also some pigs and sheep to supplement their income. Mouse was never very interested in hand raising calves or anything, but Victory’s fishing expeditions and catches fascinated her to no end. He took her on his boat a few times, rowing out to sea a bit and letting her try her hand at fishing. The gentle rocking of the waves was ingrained into her bones then, as well as the smell of the water and the steady hammering rhythm against the rocks of the shore.

Fledgling (6-12 months old):

Once, Mouse and Victory were returning from one of their trips, the young hen bending under the weight of a small shark she had refused to let her father carry. The fish nearly bent her double, so she didn’t see the smoke rising from the direction of the farm until her father called for a break. He sat her down on a log and told her to keep an eye on the catch while he would go ahead and ask for the other’s to come help carry it all. And so, he went.

Mouse sat on the log for a long time. In fact, she was starting to get hungry and raw fish, as fun as it was to catch, didn’t particularly appeal to her. She put a few twigs on top of the pile, like she’d seen her parents do sometimes when they tried to hide things from animals and started to walk towards home. She headed along the path that wound between the bushes and undergrowth and that she knew ran past their home. When she got to the place where the low trees opened up and she could see clearly into their backyard, she was surprised to find that she could not only see the backyard, but the front yard as well. In fact, she could see much more than she should have been able to, like the inside of the house. All that was left of the walls was smoldering coal and large areas of red earth that she could have sworn hadn’t been that color when she’d left.

There seemed to be some soldierly-types working nearby, and Mouse, raised to distinguish her kingdom’s colors and trust avus who wore them, came up to ask them about her house. She pulled on the wing of one who was filling up a pit of some kind. They seemed distressed, Mouse thought, so she didn’t bother them with too many questions when they explained her parents and sibling had gone away with all of the animals. And also, Mouse deduced, the walls. It was okay, Victory left to go places all the time. The soldier, who seemed to be trembling now, took her to some other avus who told her she could go to live in an orphanage in Haarsand, but she didn’t feel that would be appropriate. She had already decided she liked the first soldier she talked to, and when they offered to let her stay at their house in Zuuren and play with their daughter Snapper, Mouse accepted happily.

Before they left, Captain Spurflower, as the soldier had introduced themselves, had to fill out some paperwork or something at Haarsand. While they were doing that, some avus from the orphanage came to see Mouse and seemed a bit confused about the concept of someone leaving on a trip with all the walls of their house. They kept asking questions about it, and Mouse kept getting more and more upset as they insisted on chipping away at her reasoning, taking her mind somewhere it didn’t want to go. After some final words, one of them had the audacity to put their paw on her shoulder, like she was a little hatchling being comforted. So Mouse screamed.

Fledgelings often scream when they’re upset, and as unpleasant as it is to hear, most fledgeling’s scream doesn’t feel like taking a solid bronze battering ram between the eyes. The closest one of them, the one with her hand on her shoulder, fell back clutching her ears, her eyes a few shades redder than they had been just a moment ago. The others didn’t fall like her, but took a considerable leap backwards also clutching their heads. After her initial sonic momentum, Mouse’s breath began hitching and her industrious yell started to devolve into sobbing. Her parents wouldn’t be coming back to get her. She would never play with her sibling again. When she felt someone wrap their arms around her, she looked up and saw Spurflower, their face slightly contorted in pain but full of emotion. Mouse put her arms around the older avus and accepted the embrace.

Sub-Adult (1-2 years old):

Living in Zuuren turned out to be quite a good time for young Mouse. There were long streets lined with colorful and delicious things to buy, a new sister to play with and she could finally start her official lessons as well. The only thing Mouse didn’t really care for was the sheer number of avus. They all melded together like fish in a school and it was almost impossible to get to know them individually before they disappeared back into the crowd. She didn’t want to disappear, she wanted people to recognize her when they saw her. In school, the trick to this seemed to be to do as well as possible on your assignments and put in a lot of work into anything you were doing. So Mouse did. Turns out, she was pretty good at memorizing and reasoning, and with a little mentoring from soldiers specifically picked by Spurflower she excelled in her combat training. Her long arms and larger than average build made her reach unmatched with both bow and blade, which earned her no small amount of praise from her tutors.

Once, she was arriving for her bowmanship lesson at the large estate of one of Spurflower’s colleagues, when she spotted an older harpy practicing with a large axe-looking weapon she’d never seen before. Being a bit early to arrive, she sat down to watch the demonstration. After the log the old hen had been battering was reduced to splinters by one final blow from the blunt edge of the weapon, Mouse couldn’t help but give an enthusiastic clap. The axe-bearer introduced herself as Hamate and offered the long pole of the weapon for Mouse to try when she asked. The wood and the copper head was heavy, but she gave it a few experimental swings. Hamate corrected her stance, and with a few more swipes the sharp edge wedged itself into a practice dummy like an oar into water. The young harpy’s excitement over her achievement only grew when Hamate explained that when used correctly, the poleaxe could cut through even dromaeus bronze. The only problem was that it was quite difficult to learn, since most harpies are a bit small or short armed to drive it in a good, wide arc. Mouse had never volunteered for anything as fast as she did to return for poleaxe lessons every week.

Young Adult (2-5 years old):

It turned out that Mouse had an ambitious spirit when it came to advancing in her chosen weapons and became a staple of many training halls and archery ranges as soon as she got old enough to not have avus asking about her bed-time. Training was fun, and bashing logs to smithereens was exciting, but most of all, she loved sensing the growing respect of the older warriors who trained her. She felt like she was moving up in the world.

When Spurflower adopted more children into their family, Mouse welcomed each with open arms. They soon returned to the front and in the absence of a proper parent, Mouse took over as head of the household. Snapper was older, but she always seemed happy enough to let Mouse organize the cleaning shifts and cook most of the meals. It would be wrong to say taking care of her growing number of siblings never felt like a chore to Mouse, but it was also very rewarding. She soon learned to make all sorts of foods and sometimes used some of her own pocket money to take them out shopping for sweets.

Her oldest younger brother, Banksia, showed particular aptitude and was made Sergeant at a young age. Too young for Mouse’s liking. Snapper joined the war too, leaving Mouse conflicted on what to do. She had planned to continue her training for a few more years and stay in Zuuren to take care of the family, maybe become a royal guard or something, but having two of her siblings so close to danger made it impossible for her to sleep soundly. So, with a little bit of convincing from Spurflower and Hamate, Mouse followed her brother and sister into the war as a Sergeant.

The squadron Mouse commanded specialized in close combat, being made up of larger harpies and some hippus. It suited her uncomplicated strategy well, most of the enemies didn’t expect a rushdown from Rainforest Kingdom troops and were often blindsided by raids to their camps or followed retreating archers right into an ambush.

One of Mouse’s most ambitious advances was one that pursued a flight of grypus directly into Breakwing Bush. Usually, the thick foliage offered those familiar with it perfect cover from arrows or being charged by large antlers. This time however, they underestimated their opponent. Mouse led a small group of harpies into the tangle and using their experience of fighting in cramped conditions, emerged weeks later with the blood of three gryphus squadrons staining their weapons. Her soldiers were tired beyond continuing the push, but left very nearly full numbered and with more supplies than they had carried in. This was the final nail in Mouse’s promotion to Captain that she’d been looking forward to.

Mature Adult (5+):

When Mouse returned to Zuuren on leave to recover from the injuries she’d sustained, she met a fellow soldier who frequented the same healers as her. The two got talking and bonded over their experiences, Mouse opening up about how a gryphus had nearly opened her up during the last battle in the Bush and the other about how they’d come to lose a leg to dromaeus jaws during a raid. Comradery soon turned to infatuation and then to love. The ceasefire was called, Banksia was made General (a little bit against his will, Mouse couldn’t help but think) and the youngest of their siblings started to get jobs of their own and move to live on their own. Life was good.

Mouse kept working hard, trying to help her brother run the kingdom as best she could. She volunteered as much as she could, traveling a lot to make sure everything was running smoothly. There were always projects to oversee, trade-caravans to guard or classes to teach. Eventually, her partner even announced that they were having eggs of their own! Mouse was over the moon and doted on the nest for the months it took them to hatch, though it seemed her mate didn’t really share her enthusiasm. They started to drift apart, both worn by being overworked and losing the thread that bound them together. It seemed, ironically, that the War had been the interest they had in common.

---

How easy it would have been if they had simply gone to the front and never returned? Laid low by a pair of dromaeus jaws, unable to return to their family that they loved more than anything, on whom their thoughts would have lingered when the light faded from their eyes. It happened all the time. Most avus had lost someone to the war, a parent, a talon sibling… or a lover. Yes, it would have been the easy way for it to happen, probably lost under the waters of the river of grief that flowed through the continent so freely. But Mouse had never had it easy. It wasn’t in her nature.

Perhaps that had had something to do with it. Maybe if she had spent more time, taken more leave… Well, probably not. They had been very clear when the little ones had hatched. Dragons, how would she ever explain to them if they asked? What kind of a blade would it drive in their hearts if they knew? How could you ever tell someone their parent, the one avus who should have been there for them, had just… left? Mouse had contemplated these questions for a long time. She’d come up empty-handed.

Since she didn’t have any answers, she did what she had always done best; she put her beak to the grindstone and she worked. Of course, finding work that was suitable for someone raising four hatchlings (she'd adopted an egg from the orphanage, she simply couldn't let it come into the world all alone) meant resigning from the army. It also meant a considerable drop in pay and leaving behind their house in Lower Zuuren in favor of a smaller flat near the tops of the great trees that housed the city, where the storms soaked through the roof and swung the little apartment like a pendulum. Luckily there were always jobs to those who wanted them (and were willing to stomach the salary) and Mouse soon found herself employed as a paddlefoot’s assistant. Her physical size and long arms made her perfectly suited to paddle the small crafts, years of poleaxe experience translating almost directly into unprecedented natural accuracy with a rudder.

After about half-a-year of working for an old grizzled sailor, who resembled a piece of jerky more than a harpy, Mouse was starting to feel an easy flow settling over her daily life. Although Chicory was a bit smaller, the kids were getting along wonderfully and completely accepted him into their wild games. The children were also starting to fledge and could come with her on longer trips now. Her name was known up and down the river as a reliable courier of both goods and messages, and jobs were flowing in. As usual, where other avus might have found comfort in success or strived to live their lives in the pleasant flow of things, Mouse was starting to feel uneasy. She wanted to advance her career, make more money, give the children a better schooling. So, continuing in her series of questionable choices, she approached a regular customer of theirs, a wealthy harpy who, as rumor had it, was always on the lookout for up-and-comers. She found them very agreeable, if slightly cautious about throwing around such huge sums as were needed to guarantee quality in things like ships. As it happened though, the council member had heard good things about her during her time as a captain. She also knew Banksia personally, or so she said, but Mouse wasn’t about to argue with someone who promised her a brand new ship, all to herself to do with as she pleased, in exchange for discounted deliveries and a small cut of the profits. Of course, technically, the ship wouldn’t belong to her, she would just be its captain, but the other harpy explained it was actually preferable, as all the business with taxes and maintenance would fall on them instead of her. Mouse left council member Delta’s office very pleased that day.

Captain in her own right once again, Mouse poured herself into the work like a river to a waterwheel. Her new business partner’s name opened many doors, it seemed there was as much cargo to be moved as she could paddle down the river, some all the way in the Plains Kingdom and even by the other kingdom’s borders as peacetime rolled on and avus became more comfortable with trading with their old enemies. Sometimes Delta would send special word on preferrable or priority clients, and Mouse compiled without questions. After all, it was her ship. Sometimes though, Mouse’s keen mind caught… something… in the missives. Or the avus she went to meet. No better words for it, but their vibes seemed slightly off. In times like these, when the scheduled meetings were before sunrise or in a port she couldn’t quite place on a map, she relied on her soldier’s training. Orders were to be followed. After all, it was her ship.

Plot Death: Yes!

Cause if Plot NA: Falls off of her boat in rough water and drowns

Kin :

🕱  Mother

Kultarr the Rancher, Pseudo-Harpy [Yellow-billed Kingfisher/Tiger Quoll] | Loved, misses

🕱 Father

Sage the Rancher, Harpy [Three-wattled Bellbird/Emperor Tamarin] | Loved, misses

🕱  Father

Victory the Fisher, Harpy [Snares Penguin/Siamang Gibbon] | Loved, misses

Adoptive Nopa

Spurflower the Royal Stable-Master, Harpy [Tufted Puffin/Bald Ukari] | Loves

Adoptive Sister

Snapper the Courier, Harpy [Red-billed Gull/Squirrel Monkey] | Often meets, Loves, Finds annoying

Adoptive Brother

Banksia the Rainforest General, Harpy [Japanese Murrelet/Japanese Macaque] | Loves, Protective over

Adoptive Sister

Ruby the Farmer, Pseudo-Harpy [European Robin/Common House Mouse] | Loves, Protective over

Adoptive Brother

Alabaster the Swiftwing, Hippus [European Robin/Fallow Deer] | Often visits, Loves, Protective over, Finds annoying

Adoptive Sister

Frond, Pseudo-Harpy [NZ Woodpigeon/Brushtail Possum] | Often meets, Loves, Protective over

Adoptive Sister

Fern, Pseudo-Harpy [Australian Crested Pigeon/Pacific Rat] | Loves, Protective over

Daughter

Hare the Fledgeling, Harpy [Bare-throated Bellbird/Siamang Gibbon] | Loves unconditionally, Protective over

Son

Fortune the Fledgeling, Harpy [Song Thrush/Siamang Gibbon] | Loves unconditionally, Protective over

Child

Licorice the Fledgeling, Pseudo-Harpy [Common Blackbird/Koala] | Loves unconditionally,  Protective over

Adopted Son

Chicory the Fledgeling, Pseudo-Harpy [Superb Bird-of-Paradise/Skunk] | Loves unconditionally,  Protective over

Ex-mate

??? Pseudo-Harpy [Fieldfare/Koala] | Very complicated emotions

Other Player Characters Met :

Crocosmia, Met in battle, seems like a good fighter if a bit hot-headed, (pretty?)

OTHER :

Purchased Possessions :

Armor Set:

• Copper helmet
• Padded fabric armor (2 areas)
• Leather breastplate and collar with copper spines
• Copper talon extensions (foot)

Bronzebane, Poleaxe (large myo item)

Kangaroo Paw, yew recurve hunting-bow (large myo item)

Onslaught, walnut flatbow (large myo item)

Playlist: Spotify Link

Trivia:

• Smells like old flowers and rain
• Her favorite food is mango chicken noodle soup
• She’s not the sharpest tool in the shed…
• Knows how to ride, but struggles with horses (she learned on hippus-back)