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Basil

Basil was a former member of AniWaya ranked in the animal care tier as an Elan Soquili.

1.  Personality

Basil is quiet, and for the most part outright dislikes speaking, although out of etiquette he will respond when spoken to. He is very submissive in character, and holds a great disdain for fighting of any kind. A peacekeeper at heart, he will always try and break up any arguments he sees, even if it puts his own life in danger. In keeping with this, he generally seeks the company of those who are both peaceful and can keep up a good [one-sided] conversation.

Basil has had bad experiences with water in the past, and generally tries to stay away from it. He is also put-off by extreme darkness, as it generally sets off many warning signals because of his small stature. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Basil is calmed by the scents of farmland, other Jackals and smoke. He is especially fond of burning herbs to soothe his mind after a fright, and is always open to sharing the ritual with others. Unfortunately this fondness can be detrimental, as he tends to amble towards wildfires and the like, not away from them.

Basil cannot lie to save his life, and finds the practice distasteful. Even in a situation where a white lie would be less harmful than the truth, he'd still feel too guilty not to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He'd most likely be a terrible spy.

1.1  Lifestyle

• Residence: None atm. Wandering.
• Hobbies: Gardening. Healing. Taking care of animals. Writing. Reading.
• Habits: Tends to click his tongue against his teeth when he's nervous. Licks his teeth when frightened. Shifts weight from one foot to the other restlessly when under extreme duress.
• Substances: N/A

2.  Skills

• Skills: Can read and write French semi-fluently. Can speak French fluently. Can speak English poorly. Can understand English semi-fluently. Extensive knowledge of plant life. Good with animals.
• Strengths: Agility. Intelligence. Planning.
• Weaknesses: Fragile body. A bit neurotic. Easy to hurt emotionally and physically.

3.  Beliefs and Ideas

• Sexuality: Unknown. Considers himself romantic asexual.
• Religion: N/A
• Prejudices: Generally distrustful of those in their secui form.
• General Beliefs: Departed souls visit the living frequently, and impart their advice. Most likely believes this to make himself feel better about losing his pack.

4.  Relations

4.1  Family

• Mother - Blancheflor Archambault - MIA
• Father - Clotaire Hardi - MIA
• NPC - Allard the Scissor-tailed Kite

5.  Appearance

Basil, like most jackals of his subspecies, is very thin and bony, with a distinct lack of muscle or fat to protect his joints. He has no jewelry to speak of, but a peculiar scar on his nose tells of a time when he owned a nose ring. The scar isn't pretty, and it causes plenty of nosebleeds, leading him to wear a sort of scarf around his neck, made of an easily washable fabric to stifle the bleeding before it becomes dangerous. His eyes are a startling ice blue, much different than the normal yellow hue.

His lupus form is rarely used, and is reserved for escapes and the like. Because of his small stature, he can easily fit into small places in this form, and often uses it to escape from danger or an afternoon thunderstorm. His coat is quite common to his subspecies, and apart from the distinct scar on his nose, he doesn't have any striking differences.

His secui form is almost never used, as he feels it makes him appear uncivilized and brutish. This form has identical markings to his lupus form, the only difference being that his joints and neck are covered with layers of fat, wiry muscle and thick fur.

His optime form is how he appears almost constantly, and he feels the most comfortable in it. He is extremely bony, and covers up most of his form with a long cloak, which reaches his knees, used to carry herbs and writing utensils. It is made of tanned hides, and looks distinctly homemade - including the slightly tattered hood, with two holes for his ears. His fur patterns are the same as both his other forms, the only difference being his mane. It is long and braided into an ornate pattern that keeps it in one continuous strand, and it is generally thrown over his shoulder or tucked behind a long, sensitive ear. His braid often has flowers and herbs tucked between its intricate strands. He is approximately 5' 7".

5.2  Clothing and Modifications

• Clothing: Long hide coat, with deep pockets. Reaches knees. Has a tattered hood with ear holes.
• Accessories: Easily cleaned fabric worn as scarf, to stop nosebleeds when they occur.
• Scars: Large raised scar across his nostrils and nose, from a nose ring being pulled out in a fight.

6.  History

Basil was born as Abelard Hardi, in a small pack in Senegal. All of his pack mates were Luperci, and so he was easily accepted, and spent the first two years of his life in the company of his family. His parents were the resident healers of the clan, and taught him what plants were poisonous and which could heal a cut overnight. This is what began his love for horticulture, and he studied it intensely - along with how to read and write from the pack's leader. He grew proficient in the art of herbology, and... well. Passable in reading and writing.

His mother was a kind and gentle woman, and helped to teach him healing techniques and how to collect and grow his own herbs. His father, one the other hand, was his opposite in almost every way - brutal, gruff, sarcastic and snide. He made up for it in his skills with animals, great and small. On the day Basil celebrated his twelth month, his father presented him with a tiny Scissor-tailed Kite chick. He raised it to maturity with the help of his tribe, and named it after them all - Allard.

However, all of his dreams for the future were washed away with a gigantic flash flood, carrying him out to sea and half-drowning him. The next time he awoke, he was lying in the bottom of a tiny wooden boat, the captain humming a half-crazed tune above him. The old Luperci soon came to tell him that the entire coast had been decimated, and if any of his pack members had survived... they could be anywhere in Senegal, or in the ocean surrounding it. Weeks were spent with the strange man, prattling on about this and that. Basil never spoke a word.

By the time they hit land for the final time, Basil had somewhat recovered, and ocassionally replied to a query or two. The last time he saw the man, he asked for his name...

and took it as his own.