Johann

PERSONALITY

HISTORY

Nah'vi was home to Abigail and Mathias; two wolves who were happily mated and content with their places in life. Abigail was a Hunter, and Mathias a soldier; neither of them ranked up past their full pack ranks, but neither of them were particularly ambitious, so that was okay with them. They had each other, they had their pack, and finally, they had their final wish: their family. 

Abigail's first litter was her last. She was warned by the Keepers that oversaw her labor that she should not try for pups again - the labor was long, hard, and absolutely terrifying, especially for Mathias, who paced outside the birthing den for hours, praying to the goddess above that his mate would survive the ordeal. 

His prayers were answered, and finally, after twelve hours of fear and anticipation, he was welcomed into the nursery to meet his family. Abigail was exhausted and racked with pain, but she never looked more beautiful to him than she did then, with three young pups nursing at her stomach. 

"Two girls," she told him, her voice a whisper. "The big one is your son." 

They decided on the names Adiva, for the eldest, Shani, for the youngest, and Johann for the largest, their lone son. The pups were all healthy, and as they grew, became very close to their siblings. 

Shani was the most adventurous of the pups, but Adiva, the first-born, was without a doubt their leader. She had a way of getting and keeping others' attention, a natural leader if you ever saw one. Matthias expected she would be sorted into his own ranks, as a soldier, while Abigail saw her own hunter's reflexes in Shani. Johann, though his size had some mumbling about the rank of a soldier, was clumsy and slow - but he had the patience of a saint, even as a pup, and was gentle and tender despite his large size. He would most likely be a Keeper, which was just as important a role. 

When the day came and they were sorted, Johann was happily given the role of a Keeper, and as predicted Shani became a Hunter. But the surprise came when Adiva was chosen to be a Keeper. The Matron herself had chosen Adiva for her ranks, certain she was meant to be with her. 

Although Matthias was disappointed he wouldn't be able to work alongside one of his kin, he was proud of all three of them anyhow. 

Although Adiva had been surprised by her sorting, she wasn't disappointed - whatever role she had, she was going to do it to the best of her ability. Johann was ecstatic that he and his sister were able to work together! 

As the months went on, the three pups grew into their roles. Each were welcomed to their ranks when they were old enough, becoming full-fledged members of Nah'vi. 

All three were respected for their service to the pack, although socially, Johann was left behind his sisters, especially the outgoing Shani. Johann had very few close friends, and so was very close to his sisters and his parents. 

He worked often with the pups of the pack, and was well-liked by the little ones once they realized that, despite his huge, lumbering gait, he was a silly and sweet companion, one with the patience needed to never snap at or get overwhelmed by the pups. He was happy with where he was, and was also happy to watch as his sisters rose in the ranks. 

Adiva quickly became a well respected name amongst the Keepers. She was dutiful, organized, and responsible, and a strong leader - even the pups seemed inclined to obey her. She was often chosen for leadership roles by the Matron, given the more difficult tasks, and while she didn't quite understand why at first, she was happy to test herself. She learned why far too soon for her liking, when in her third year of life, the Matron grew sick. She had been training her, she was told - someone would take up the mantle as head of the Keepers, and that someone was to be Adiva. On her deathbed, she assured Adiva she would keep the pack safe and content as the next Matron, despite her young age for such a rank, declaring her the next Matron of the pack. 

Johann was more happy for his sister than anyone in the pack, even their parents - he knew firsthand how hard she worked, how skilled she was as a Keeper, and he knew that no one deserved that role more than she did. He became an unofficial right-paw to her, doing anything and everything she asked of him, although he still loved his job the most when he got to entertain the cubs. 

Although she was, of course, proud of her sister, Shani was less content than her brother to remain in her rank. Shani was a popular, energetic, and clever - she had the makings of a Lead Hunter. There were rumors that she would rise to that rank one day, and so she continued to push herself to make it happen. 

However, she never saw the day of her promotion. Before that could happen, a storm ripped through the territory, tearing up trees, flooding hollows, collapsing caves and tunnels, flooding the camp... everyone was in a panic as their lives fell apart around them. 

Those that weren't immediately swept away did what they could to escape or to help their packmates... 

Johann's first thought was of the cubs, and he put his huge body to use to swim against the current towards the nursery. When he got there, some had already been swept away, those that were too close to the entrance, but he found a few of the cubs holed up on higher ground - and there was Adiva, her body pushed against the rock wall of the cave as it threatened to burst with water, watching as the remaining cubs scrambled away to hopefully safety. 

"Go on, Johann! I can't hold this much longer!"  

"I can't leave you!" he argued. "You can't swim against that current on your own." 

"I said go!" she growled. Never in his life did he disobey his sister. 

The last thing he remembered was being overwhelmed by a wave, sucked up underneath the water, slowly losing his breath. When he woke up, he was somewhere new, wet sand clinging to his fur. And, worst of all, he was alone.