Blanche "Fleetfoot" Briarhart

For more information regarding pNPC use, please see Salsola's NPC page .

Blanche Briarhart (BL-ANN-chh br-EYE-ER-hart) is a member of Salsola, ranked as a member of the Family. Aside from her given name, she also answers to her nickname, Fleetfoot.

She grew up in a small community in North Dakota. Her family owned a decent plot of land, and had grown to be somewhat self-sufficient over the generations. Her immediate family focused more on farming and dealing with sheep and chickens, while the majority of the rest of her “wolf-blooded” father’s side focused more with beef cattle. Blanche never much cared for the stubborn and simple-minded, oversized beasts though, and gladly kept to her sheep and chickens. As she grew older, she gained the nickname “Fleetfoot” because of her talents with working sheep, her speed and agility, and for her ability to run across the backs of corralled cattle while in Lupus.

While helping her extended family at a stock trade, she met a stoic and handsome Flint Gaumond. Initially, she found him to be a breath of fresh air compared to the boys of her home community. Drawn to Flint, she eventually began flirting with him and played hard-to-get whenever they’d meet. After multiple encounters and secret meetings, however, she accepted his proposal in mateship. Eventually, Flint and Blanche moved further east where they had heard of a growing demand for livestock and other like-goods. They found suitable land, and eventually began their own farm. One day while Flint was away at the trading market, a group of bandits took advantage of his absence at the homestead. When Blanche caught them stealing sheep, she attacked them, which only made matters worse. Angered and spiteful, the remaining bandits torched the couple’s fields and barn, and slaughtered what animals would not come willingly. Two bandits eventually cornered Blanche in the house, however, she managed to fight them off long enough for Flint to come to her rescue. However, the life the couple had worked so hard for had already been lost. Their livestock had been either stolen or killed by the group of bandits, and their homestead was beyond saving from the fires. Perhaps worst of all though, Blanche lost the litter that they had worked for years to conceive.

With nothing else to do but move forward and start anew, the couple traveled further east, eventually arriving in Portland, Maine. There, they tried to gather new stock, only to meet Jaeger, who, upon seeing the couple’s expertise in judging “good/quality” livestock and hearing their story, dangled the possibility of enhancing a current flock, one that was well-protected from roaming bandits, and a place that could make use of their many talents and experiences. Having nothing to lose, the couple agreed, and joined Salsola in the late summer months of 2020, where they were sponsored by Kamari Kaiser.

Blanche has since taken on the role of tending to the Kingdom’s vast livestock and expanding her talents in the cooking field.


Overview

Portrait
Art by PLAYER

Credit: Players

Signalment
  • Birthname: Blanche Briarhart
    • Nickname & Alias: Fleetfoot
  • Date of Birth: 03 Jan 2017
    • Birthplace: North Dakota, USA
  • Sex: Female
  • Luperci: Ortus
  • Species: Wolfdog
    • 65% Canis lupus familiaris (Dog) 1, 35% Canis lupus (Wolf) 2
Affiliations
  • Pack: Salsola (Jul 2020 – Present)
  • Rank: Family (Nov 2020 – Present)
    • Previous Ranks: Show
  • Associate (Jul – Oct 2020)

OOC Information

Assumptions

Salsola members may assume and reference the following without discussion/asking:

  • Common knowledge; i.e. rank, name, knowing having seen her “around”
  • Having her give you the intense, focused, stare that herding dogs are known for to make you move or do something she wants
  • Knowing that she…
    • …is the unofficial “boss” of the Marrgerd barn, and has a tendency of wanting to maintain order and control of everything that goes on with it
    • …is not above a sharp bark, nip, or crack of her whip to keep someone/thing in line
    • …got her nickname because of her agility and ability to run across the backs of sheep and cattle
    • …is a talented home cook
  • Seeing her…
    • …around Marrgerd, where he takes care of the livestock and lives near
    • …lovingly tease her husband or squish his big face
Plot Opportunities
  • Have Blanche cook a meal for you, for a special occasion, or for a trade deal. You will be asked to compensate her and provide the main ingredients, of course.
  • Need some tips to make a meal (for yourself or maybe a special someone)? Have Blanche show you the basics or give you a recipe to follow!
  • Have her teach you about how to take care of the livestock as well as other chores around the barn.
  • Help her tend to the pack’s garden, her own personal garden, or, have her give you some pointers for your own!
  • Blanche’s bark is just as bad as her bite if she catches you making a mess of the barn or harassing the livestock. Have her put you to work!
  • She loves a good, friendly, harmless competition. Challenge her to something!
  • Seeks trade for: Items that can be used for livestock, seeds, herbs, spices, cooking materials/tools/ingredients, gardening equipment, raw meat, exotic vegetables/fruits, unique-looking (but still functional for winter) chickens

Appearance

Physical Description

It is quite obvious that Blanche is very heavily mixed with dog, from her blue merle markings and coloration to her long, wispy feathering to her rather petite build. What "feral-ness" she has in her is minimal despite her insistence that her father's side are dominantly wolf-blooded. Owing to her herding-dog ancestry, Blanche has a very light and lean physique, making her ideal for running and cutting sharp corners. Her ears are tall and triangular, and with thick feathering at their bases; as well, at certain angles, one might notice a small bend at their tips. Her eyes are sharp, and often hold an intense stare to them. Her muzzle is rather dainty and pointed. She has noticeable feathering around her neck, chest, and underside, and also down her forearms and thighs, to include her back feet. Her tail appears to be rather long, but, this is mostly do to her long fur.

In Optime, she keeps her hair long and silky. Her bangs are parted to one side. While mainly white, Blanche does have a few thick strands of darker, silvery blue colors. Due to its thin, wispy nature, Blanche doesn't like to do much with her hair, and prefers to keep it down. When working, however, she may pull it back into a simple, low ponytail.

Forms:

  • Lupus : 24 in (61 cm) ↔ 45 lbs (20 kg)
  • Secui: 40 in (102 cm) ↔ 120 lbs (54 kg)
  • Optime: 5 ft 8 in (68 in / 173 cm) ↔ 135 lbs (61 kg)

Scars:

She has various superficial scars (most from work on the farm); all of these are covered by fur.

Gear

  • Clothing & Accessories:
    • Quarter-sleeve dress
    • Wool apron dress (aka a Smokkr) with metal brooches that have the Hand of Eris imprinted onto them; laces up on the sides
    • Long, woven sash
  • Weaponry
    • Whip

Interaction

  • Speech: Sharp, quick, sarcastic, playful
  • Scent: Fresh-cut hay/grass, livestock, firewood, homecooked meal
  • Quirks: Has an intense, herding-dog stare that she uses to try to make others mind
  • General Posture and Body Language: Confident, alert, steps lightly

Coloration Palette

Fur & Optime Hair

White Ice (#F2FAFD)
Tower Gray (#AEB8BB)
Abbey (#4D595C)

Eyes

Ziggurat (#B9D4DB)

Nose/Pawpads, Claws

Outer Space (#323A3C)
White Ice (#F2FAFD)

Reference Images

Art by Songbird

Personality

Summarized: Feisty, witty/sarcastic, playful, highly intelligent and perceptive, hardworking, competitive, pretty tomboy, blunt, stern (at times), loyal, protective

Perhaps typical of her herding-dog ancestry, Blanche is quite intelligent, and is very perceptive and observant of her environment. Very little escapes her watchful gaze, and anything (or anyone) caught out of line is sure to be met with a sharp bark, nip, or crack of her whip. She can be particular about things, and generally likes order and control of her environment. Living on a farm and moving cattle in her youth meant being fast on her feet and being quicker to learn and adapt to new situations. She's a hardworking individual, and is not above pointing out a slacker or putting one such person to work. Despite her pretty white coat and overall beauty, Blanche is not above getting down and dirty. All of this has made her have a tomboyish personality, but, she still enjoys being in touch with her feminine side.

She is tough as nails, and rarely lets anything keep her down — or, at the very least, she doesn't show it. She is often said to be blunt, as she finds little point in mincing words. Over all, she has quite the fire in her personality, and, combined with being very witty and sarcastic, her bark can be just as sharp as her bite. Despite this, she is playful, and loves a good challenge. On the farm though, where a sharp command could mean the difference between life and death, Blanche takes orders and rules quite seriously, and always puts safety first. This can make her come off as severe (and may even make her personality, seemingly, take a one-eighty in a moment's notice), but, in reality, she just doesn't want anyone (or thing) to get hurt. As such, if she catches someone in her barn, they best follow her rules when dealing with or working around the livestock. One might be able to catch a glimpse of her infamous stare; an intensely focused, stern look that she uses to try to make others (not just livestock!) mind!

Blanche is a loyal companion to have, and will gladly stick her neck out for someone that she considers an ally. She is protective of these individuals (and her livestock), and is someone that would seek vengeance for a fallen comrade (so long as it is not a fruitless effort or a suicide mission). She takes debts seriously, be it to her or to someone else. Despite all of this though, Blanche will always put her and her husband's safety and wellbeing before others, no matter her loyalty to them.

When it comes to Flint in general, she loves doting on him. She loves to cook for him, and is especially prone to teasing him. She is infatuated with his brawn and thickly-built facial features (that she loves to smoosh), and is not above making joking catcalls or other comments that compliment him in some way. It is quite obvious that they love each other, and would go above and beyond to protect each other. And though it is also obvious that, of the two of them, Flint lets Blanche be the "boss" of their relationship, Blanche does not command or try to "control" Flint. They work as a team.

For all of her toughness and bravado though, Blanche has a soft spot for children, mostly, because she is unable to have any. Due to low fertility, it's hard for her to conceive, and, to make matters worse, she lost the only litter she managed to almost bring to term. This makes her especially uneasy when speaking about having children, and Blanche will pointedly change the subject or conveniently excuse herself. She is very good with children, having greater patience with them than she would an adult. She also loves to play games!

  • Motivations: Personal gain, sustainability, justice, loved ones, safety
  • Fears: Lameness, dying alone, losing Flint
  • Likes: Chickens, children, teasing her husband, challenges, running, herding, being in control, cooking, having fun, having her food appreciated
  • Dislikes: Pigs, chaos and disorder, misogynists, bandits/thieves, out of control fires/fires that are left unattended, talking about having children (because she can’t have any/has low fertility)

Skills & Hobbies

Note: Listed skills are those that the character has some significant talent or interest in to be noteworthy. Skills that have been mastered (and are best expressed as such) are marked.

  • Animal Husbandry (Master)
Having grown up in a livestock-heavy community and family, Blanche is quite a home in the barn and working smaller livestock. Her field of expertise is in sheep, goats and chickens, the last of which being her favorite type. She is knowledgeable and talented with shearing wool. She is familiar with and comfortable around beef cattle, though, she is not particularly fond of them or working with them. She utterly despises pigs in an aggressive way (vs. grossed out way).
  • Cooking (Master)
Taught by her mother, Blanche has a natural talent in cooking. She can bake simple breads, create delicious stews, and invent deliciously savory meals if given the right ingredients and tools to work with. She also knows how to salt and smoke meat, to include making jerky for the road. Despite all her talents though, she is not as confident in fish as she is with land-dwelling animals, and she has little to no experience with cooking seafood.
  • Gardening
Her mother owned a bountiful, decent-sized garden, and, when not working with the livestock, Blanche helped her tend to its care. As a result, Blanche has a good idea on what to plant, where to plant it, how to take care of it, and what to switch out with each growing season to keep the soil healthy. Gardening is very much a side-hobby, and, though Blanche is no expert farmer, she knows enough to yield a good harvest and have something tasty to cook with.
  • Horseback Riding
From working with her extended family, Blanche also knows how to ride and cut with a stock horse, however, she would not consider herself overly skilled with their actual care or an expert rider.
  • Fighting
Blanche may look dainty and weak, however, she packs quite a punch, literally, and is a dirty fighter. Her signature moves are a mean, right hook sucker punch and a quick lash of her teeth. She is most comfortable with fighting in Optime, and she has a preference for a fleet-footed, agile fighting style that makes uses of trickery, feints, and her quick thinking and intelligence to put her out on top. She is super handy with a whip, her preferred weapon if given the choice. She is not the best fighter, however, having faced many bouts against her larger cousins and local community boys, she can hold her own well enough to either outsmart her opponent or gain herself the advantage of a quick and decisive escape.
  • Trade
Somewhat hard to trade with. Blanche knows what her items are worth, and is not easily duped as a result. She is someone who is willing to haggle, however, she will not accept things she or the pack does not need, no matter their tradable value.


Threads

Have you had a thread with this character? Add it here!

# '''[[Thread:#####|Title]]''' (DD MMM YYYY)\\
Summary of thread
  1. Title (DD MMM YYYY)
    Summary of thread

2020

  • hold the line (November)
    Blanche and Flint attend their first Last Supper.

2021

2022

2023

  1. Title (DD MMM YYYY)
    Summary of thread


 

1 40% Border Collie, 10% Australian Shepherd, 10% German Shepherd, 5% Welsh Sheepdog

2 35% Great Plains Wolf


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