Northstar

Northstar was born as a lupian pup and a member of the Winterbane family. His family was one of the most famous ones within the Frostbite clan, having four members in the past on his mother's side who were companions of Seleucus Martext, the renowned adventurer. Northstar was born with the same marks as his four ancestors. He had white fur with a few light blue stripes on his back and a black spot above his left eye. Because of this, after his birth, during the rite of sheltering, his parents didn't ask for the usual myyr rune to hide their pup from the world's evil but for the tias rune, which represents greatness.

However, this greatness didn't manifest as he grew. He loved the stories of his ancestors and idolized Seleucus, but he failed to meet his parents' expectations. He soon learned that his unique status within the clan granted him a lot of leeway, and he didn't need any effort to achieve his goals. But soon, the other kids learned that he was not the unique person he wanted to be seen by others, and one by one, they left him to be on his own. As his mates left him, his resentment grew towards them, his parents, and his whole clan, and a couple of weeks before the coming of age ceremony, the lupian run, he left his birthplace.

His goal was to meet Seleucus Martext and offer his services to him, like his ancestors, but a lot of time passed before Northstar met Seleucus. By tricking many people and with a fair share of luck, he reached the capital of the Dominion of the Hobgoblin, Zrarar. Already during his travel but more so in Zrarar, he had to realize that outside his family and clan, nobody knew who he was, why he was so important, and why he wanted to meet Seleucus. Mainly, he was driven away, or the cityfolk didn't care about him. A kind kobold suggested that he try to reach Seleucus with the help of Brillansis and the philosophers, but the provosts didn't let him into Brillansis either. Not knowing what to do, he started doing small jobs. Sometimes legal, sometimes illegal, and Northstar became one of the hundreds of street urchins of Zrarar.

Being on the streets made him quick and strong, but in his head, he remained a small pup, believing in his greatness. But his most serious rejection, to become the companion of Seleucus Martext, was still ahead of him. Northstar usually spent his free time near the gates of Brillansis. He hoped to catch Seleucus when he entered or left the city-state. He knew from the provosts and other sources that from time to time, Seleucus visits Brillansis, but nobody knew when he would arrive next. Northstar knew he had to be patient, and one day, his fortune smiled upon him and caught Seleucus as he arrived at the gates. Northstar told him who he was, why he was there, and why he wanted to be Seleucus's companion. But Seleucus looked at him for a while and told Northstar that he was nothing compared to his ancestors, and with his current attitude and lack of knowledge, Northstar would never be his companion. After that, Seleucus left the stunned Northstar, who first didn't understand what happened to him but soon rage started to boil within him when he realized that his idol had turned him down. His rage and anger continued to intensify, and after a couple of minutes, his body couldn't take the strain, and Northstar fainted. This was the turning point of Northstar's life.

When he regained consciousness, he realized that within his mind were now not just his memories but memories of other lupians, his ancestors, who were the companions of Seleucus. It turned out that the rejection of Seleucus and his rage unlocked his power, and Northstar became a cursed. His first thought was to hide because, within the lupian clans, the cursed were hunted down and killed. He quickly calmed down because he wasn't home, and other than the memories of his ancestors, he didn't see any changes in him. Northstar thought he could hide his cursed ability if he were clever enough. The next few days he spent examining his ancestors' memories. He learned that their adventures with Seleucus were more magnificent than he thought they were. But he also learned, although reluctantly, that his ancestors' attitude and his own were utterly different, and slowly, he understood why Seleucus denied his wish. Still, more than ever, he wanted to be Seleucus's companion.

Northstar spent year after grueling year to reform himself physically and mentally so he can understand and use the knowledge and skills of his ancestors. It wasn't easy, and there were relapses in his personality change, but slowly and steadily, with the help of his ancestors' memories, he became a different lupian. This change was recognized by the people living close to him, and he soon became a leader and protector of these people. Even to the city guards, who, in the past, threw him into jail a couple of times, he now became someone whom the city folk can trust to keep the order around him. He didn't look for Seleucus anymore. He finally understood that there are more important things than adventures and being the chosen one, and he was also ashamed of their encounter.

As the years passed, Northstar started to feel homesick. He continuously put off the date when he would go home because he feared that his family and his clan would reject him. But his desire to see his family again and possibly participate in the lupian run grew stronger and stronger, and finally, he gathered his courage and went home. As he feared, his welcome wasn't a warm one. Although his family greeted him as if they only separated yesterday, the elders and shamans of his clan weren't so forgiving. Especially not after he declared that he would like to participate in the coming-of-age ceremony. Somehow - maybe with the help of his ancestors - he convinced the clan that he didn't want to win it, just to participate in it as tradition dictates. The next few days he spent with his family to reconnect with them and share his stories of the great city and the lands he saw while away. During the lupian run, he helped a few young lupians. He even saved one from a lupian hybrid. As promised, he finished last, but the most significant price was still his. Unknown to him, Seleucus arrived at the lupian run in secret, and he was the one who welcomed Northstar after his run. They spent the rest of the day reminiscing tales of Northstar's ancestors, and the next day, they left the clan grounds to forge their own legends.